Sometimes, those who have been in the Dharma for a long time experience a disconnect. They do not really think that their actions are going to bring results. Somehow, they think that they can just do what they want, and they will get a result in this lifetime. When we do and say nasty things to other people, we are surprised that they get upset with us. We steal people’s stuff, why are they getting upset? Somebody is sleeping around, why is my spouse upset? Somehow, we are not connecting causes and results, even though we teach our children, “You have to go to school so you can get a good education, which will result in getting a good job, making a good living, and having happiness.” We say this to our kids, and we believe in cause and effect for the kids. But what about us?

As for thinking about the effects beyond this life, we are really unconvinced, aren’t we? It is kind of pathetic when one thinks about how long we have been in the Dharma and how much we talk about karma. People do all sorts of things and we go, “I guess they did not have the karma to meet the Dharma. They did not have the karma for this good thing to happen. Their good karma ran out. They were in an accident because of the ripening of some bad karma.” We say that about other people, but do we relate it to ourselves? Do we think about creating the cause for our future happiness with what we are doing right now? Do we put the time into sincerely purifying negativities to cut that rush of energy? No. Don’t you think it is strange?

One of the inmates whom I wrote to, in reflecting on how he wound up with a 20-year sentence for drug dealing, said he had made all these decisions in his life without thinking about the results that would come. He regretted he had made such small choices that later created big results. He was not even aware that he was actually doing it. Then he somehow got surprised when the result came.

We really have to do a lot of meditation on karma and its effects and gain some confidence in it. Not just some intellectual understanding. Really use it so that we start monitoring our actions, and happily restrain ourselves when we need to, saying, “Good, I’m glad I caught myself before I do this negative action and wound up with some suffering.” We need to nudge ourselves along to create some more virtue, knowing that it is the cause of happiness and that we do not need to worry about when that happiness is going to come. Just be contented with creating that cause, and then let the good causes bring good results.

“365 Gems of Wisdom” e-book is out now!