Since we cannot always avoid verbal stimuli, we should develop an antidote to the afflictions in order to calm them if they get triggered. When you sit down to watch some media, whether you are watching the news, a documentary, or a movie, have a determination beforehand: “I’m going to watch this in terms of karma.” Then you watch the whole story as it unfolds and think of not only the kind of karma these different characters are creating by anger, lust, jealousy and any of the different mental factors, but look at the actions — harsh words, lying, physical violence, coveting, etc. Watch the whole movie, analyse all these things, and give names to all the events that are going on.

Instead of getting caught up, and triggering your afflictions, you are stepping back and watching, “That is what this affliction looks like. That is what I look like when I am under the influence of that affliction.” Look what that affliction makes you do. “They are lying, they are creating disharmony in relationships.” What are the results? Look at the results in this life, as it is very helpful to see the results of the actions right now. But do not stop with that. Think, “What are the karmic results? What kinds of rebirths are these people going to have? What kinds of situations are they going to face in the future?”

Everybody in the news is doing whatever they are doing because they are trying to be happy and they think it is the right thing to do. At some level, they have a “good motivation”. It is not necessarily a virtuous motivation, but they are doing it because they are trying to be happy and they think that is the path to happiness. Then you think about the karmic results, and you see the suffering that these people will experience, and then you can link them together. “This action brings this result.”

Or you do it the other way, you look at the news and see the situation or the difficulties somebody is facing, and you think about what kind of action was done in the past that created the cause to produce this kind of problem. Karma becomes real for you. It beats getting mad at the people in the news. And it beats getting discouraged by watching the news. You just make it a whole lamrim teaching on karma and its effects.

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