Can I just say that I am finding your videos to be incredibly helpful. Buddhism has been creeping into my life over the past few years and this year I have been diving completely in to Buddhism and dedicating myself to it. Thankyou for the videos. They have been wonderful for clearly things up for me and helping me on my way.
I have found your channel few days ago and it is really good. I share with my son. Keep on doing the good work. May you live long with good health so you may do more good job for humanity.
You have helped me to forgive my past and let go of my past , and be compassionate to my enemies ! Thank you again ! Keep up with the videos ! I just subscribed ❤️
vicky ,before we incarnated in this world, we agreed to meet everything that we have met in our life, we also agreed to deal with them in love and not hate. but the beings that send us here, helps us along , by sending spirit guides to assist us , and also bring some of our situations to an end, and give us the opportunity to start over. we should grab these opportunities to start over , realizing that, everything that happen to us, happened so that we could be a higher consciousness being. and live in a higher consciousness plane . if we harbour hate in our lives, then we may have to face it again , until we finally come to the understanding . so please see bad things that happen in your life as, stepping stones not stumbling blocks, peace and love to all.
I've been interested in learning more about Buddhism for several years. I've listened to other teachings, but your's seem to resonate with me. I love the way you explain things with examples of modern situations. Thank you so Much!!!
We are so lucky to have internet that if we are interested in anything, we can get so much Buddhist knowledge from reliable sources. I prefer to get Buddhist knowledge from watching videos of venerable teaching. This Buddhist gentle lady do know her stuff. I have subscribed to her channel.
Ants:) As a child I used to eat ants. I enjoyed the taste of them and I liked the idea that my parent called them Sugar Ants. In Native America way of life, this is the Ant Nation and eating them made them a part of me. As an adult I asked the Ant Nation to take pity on me and I apologized for eating them. They now help me when I need help and I always do my very best to help them when ever I can. I even share my food with them. Thank you for sharing. May you continue to be blessed. Sincerely, Cynthia S.Howland
Karma translated to English means “Your own doing” in sanskrit. "In India, it is believed Karma is a built-in moral law or law of retribution, in other words - punishment. This means that, whether the things you are doing, which are good or bad, have consequences that you must inherit." Alan Watts
The Universe is a vast non-living space, with stars,plannets,galaxies. An unseen imagined law here is a man made non living beiing unseeable, inmoveable entity which, creeps into planet Earth.
I found your explanation about karma and the law of cause and effect was very good and concise. I have been learning about Buddhism teachings and have tried to utilize them in my life for more than 30 years.
this channel is so helpful compared to the dozens of "mindfulness as productivity/secular tool; buddhism as historical curiosity" type youtubers who make videos on buddhist topics. such awesome content even in 2021! thank you.
Karma. (Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, Winter Retreat of 2008) In Buddhism we speak of karma as the threefold aspect of action; thinking, speaking and acting. When we produce a thought, that thought can change us and can change the world in a good way or in a bad way. If it is right thought, if that thought is produced in line with right thinking, then it will have a healing, nourishing effect on our body and on the world. Just by producing right thinking you can change the world. You can make the world a better place to live, or you can transform the world into hell. That is karma, action; this is not something abstract. For example, the economic crisis is born from our thinking. There is a lot of craving and fear, and the value of the dollar, of the euro is largely created by the mind. Everything comes from the mind. That is why thinking is action and speaking is action. Speaking can release tension and reconcile, or speaking can break relationships. Speaking can destroy someone’s hope and cause that person to commit suicide. Physical action is also energy. There is individual karma that has an effect on everyone. Everything that happened to you happened to the world. You produce that thought, you are affected by that thought, and the world is also affected by that thought. There is also collective karma. During this twenty-one-day retreat, the friendship, the joy, the healing, the transformation is the work of everyone. Each one of us contributes through our practice, through our insight, through our speech. In Buddhism, we do not believe in a God that arranges everything, but we don’t believe in coincidence either. We believe that the fate of the planet depends on our karma, on our action. It does not depend on a God, it does not depend on chance, it depends on our true action. Karma is the dynamic force that underlies everything. I think that scientists will have no difficulty accepting this. Man is present in all things and all things are present in man. Man just arrived yesterday in the history of life on earth. Looking into a human being, we can see our non-human elements, namely our animal ancestors, our vegetable ancestors, and our mineral ancestors. In our past life we were a cloud, and we were a rock. Even in this moment, we continue to be a cloud, we continue to be a rock. There is a mountain in us, do you see? There are many clouds in us, do you see? In a former time, we were fish, we were birds, we were reptiles. And our ancestors are fully present in us, in the here, in the now. We continue as a reptile. We have many reactions that belong to the reptile species. We want to say that we are created by a God in his image. But in fact, we have many ancestors. When a fish swims happily in the water, it is very proud of its talent for swimming. And a fish has the right to say that God must be the most wonderful swimmer in the world. And a rose can say, “God is the most beautiful rose in the world, because he has created me like this.” If you are a mathematician, you tend to think God must be the best mathematician in the world. Your notions of God are anthropocentric. If you are a gay person, you may think that God is the best gay person in the world. Why not? The fish has that right, the rose has that right, so we all inter-are. We continue our ancestors in us now. We are human, but we are at the same time a rock, a cloud, a rabbit, a rose, a gay, a lesbian. We are everything. Let us not discriminate or push away anything, because we are everything. Everything is in us. That’s the right view. If we see that everything is in man and man is in everything, we know that to preserve other species is to preserve ourselves. That is deep ecology, that is interbeing. That is the teaching of the Diamond Sutra. A good Buddhist should be an ecologist, trying her best to preserve the environment, because to preserve the environment is to preserve yourself. Man contains the whole cosmos. On the phenomenal level there seem to be birth, death, being and non-being, but ontologically, these notions cannot be applied to reality. Birth and death are just notions. The true nature of a cloud is the nature of no birth and no death. The scientist Lavoisier says that nothing is born, nothing dies. He agrees completely with this teaching. A cloud manifests as a cloud. There is no birth of a cloud, because before being a cloud, the cloud has been the tree, the ocean, the heat generated by the sun. To appear as a cloud is only a moment of continuation. And when a cloud becomes a river, that is not death, that is also a continuation. We know that there is a way to continue beautifully, and that is to take care of our three aspects of karma - thinking, speaking and acting. Being and non-being are more wrong views. Non-being is a wrong view, but being is also a wrong view. The absolute reality transcends both being and non-being. Before you are born, you did not belong to the realm of non-being, because from non-being, you cannot pass into being. And when you die, you cannot pass from being into non-being. It’s impossible. To be, or not to be - both are wrong views. To inter-be is better. The dynamic consciousness is called karma energy. Karma energy is not abstract. It determines our state of being, whether we are happy or unhappy. Whether you continue beautifully or not so beautifully depends on karma. It’s possible to take care of our action so that we don’t suffer much now and we will continue to do better in the future. There is the hope, the joy.
Karma is very very complex, so I'm glad to hear that is the starting place. We learn about karma in very simplistic bits, like chewable bites, so that we can understand it according to our individual capacities. However, the first point of error that needs clarification comes at 10:44 when Ms. Kumar says “there are no coincidences.” Actually, this is swinging the pendulum too far in the opposite direction from the materialist view that says "everything is random coincidence." The law of karma, does include recognition that sometime events are not karmic in origin but are coincidental by the functioning of other laws. In Buddha Dharma, there are five "laws" of how reality works, and the law of karma is only one of the five. What we call apparent "coincidence" can arise by the workings of the other 4 laws. 1. Physical inorganic law (utuniyaama). 2. Physical organic law (biijaniyaama). 3. Law of kamma (kammaniyaama). 4. Law of the mind (cittaniyaama) 5. Law of the dhamma (dhammaniyaama) For example, if we go skiing and an avalanche occurs, the karmic component that is not coincidental is that our action took us to the location of the avalanche, but it was not karma, but the inorganic laws of nature that determined when the snow would start to cascade and it is at least in part coincidence whether a rock gets caught up with the snow and hits us in the head. So while karma always does play a part in every situation, it is not karma ALONE that determines what occurs and the inorganic laws can add a non-karmic aspect to all events.
Great! Wonderfully explained.. In a world of so many people on youtube, spreading so many lies about Buddhism good to hear one person preaching what Lord Budhda said and not whats running through their minds...
I appreciate your concern...Please realizing that someone intend to tell a lie...someone has no intention to...But with his m isunderstanding about BUDDHA"S TEACHING..thinking that he knows the truth...it pretty good for you to aware this..TRY LOOKING FOR THE GENUINE BUDDHA"S TEACHINGS...FOR THE BEST RESULT...because all these will effect you...not only this world but also...next world..too..
I found your talk to be helpful. I had an influx of ants (not as numerous as yours it seems) My first thought was to put out ant bait- but I didn't have any, so then I thought- well- lets talk to them- so I did- crazy right?? I said that as long as I saw no more than 2 at a time in my kitchen that I would leave them be. That was last summer- for the whole season till they disappeared for the year- I saw only 2 at a time- in addition to my fanciful ways - I also determined a course of "non-entrapment" for them in that I kept all food stuff totally out of reach- ie- put my honey jar in a dish filled with water that they couldn't breach and all foodstuffs in glass jars or the fridge. I only did this as a result of my simple studies of Buddhism and to see how this course would work for me. This is the second summer and we are getting along fine- no poison..peaceful co-existance- if they are eating the framework of my home while all this is going on- I will deal with that later..LOL.
After listening to this video, I have been very conscious of my thoughts. I keep thinking about what you said -- that everyone of my thoughts is a seed that will ripen. Wow, that is powerful! Thanks! Also share on Google+ Posting...Public
thankyou mindah, i have live in this life a bad karma of a precedent life.i had the luckiness to see what was the cause and for this i thank the universe..yes we are responsible of our thoughts, actions andspeechs..there is possibility to don-t pay the karma.when the object of it move with compassion with us...we mu8st have the knowlenge about things and the awarness.thank for give this to us...we all are here for learn and living our karma is a possibility to learn...there is not punition, there is to live what we have do for understand ❤ who decide when and how we pay our karma?
Greetings from Brazil. Thank you very much, Mindah, for making and posting this video. Very enlightening. Lots of issues on Karma clarified. Thanks again for making this available. 🙏🏻❤️
This excellent discussion parallels Colin Tipping's "Radical Forgiveness" (but instead of forgiving others, your discussion focuses on forgiving ourselves for having chosen that menu item. ) I really appreciate your video! thanks.
Karma; "A reflection of the Perfect Balance of the Universe in each and every unique moment of Existence!" Suffering; "the liking and not liking of the inevitable!"
+Mindah-Lee Kumar (The Enthusiastic Buddhist) I like the way you are bringing the Buddha's teaching in a more "straight forward language" . But...( Always a but. :-) As you probably now there are a LOT of different schools of Buddhism. As "Karma" comes from Hinduism.Not all of those accept the concept of Karma. Or do not think it is relevant.( certain Zen Buddhism traditions for example ) . Those who accept "karma " like the Tibetan schools. Do not link it with action- reaction. Action-reaction exists when one lives in the state of ( spiritual ) "ignorance" . You describe "Karma"quite well. But it is more the Hindu version. When the Buddhist ignorance veil is lifted, Action-reaction will then 'transform" into synchronicity. You talk about Japan. Which tradition did you practice? Just curious.
@@musicalparadox9199 you mean the word "karma" comes from Hinduism, isn't it ? The meaning of karma don't come from Hinduism. Karma exists in all cultures since the world exists or even before it.
Just want to add something now, have you ever been to a blueberry packing warehouse where there are conveyor belts that employees work on putting packages of blueberries in boxes in places like sorrento, fl? Or juice warehouses with conveyor belts where employees pack containers of orange juice in boxes also?
Excellent simple explanations. very very true. The action what you do at present moment will be ripen to the future, that is the cause and effect. It is not done by a self. where the conditions are ,it will arise. Theruwan saranai.
Thanks for another insightful video. People who try to analyze karma get upset. That's why I leave it alone. It's complex and profound. Trying to find its cause in my life is difficult enough, let alone trying to explain it at work in others' lives. Karma doesn't explain accidents? If something unpleasant happens, rather than automatically ascribing it to past life karma, can it be due just to carelessness and lack of attention now, rather than something we did in another lifetime? Of course, not being present creates present-moment karma. By our actions, we create our own past and future. If my house burns down, rather than past life karma, could it be that I needed to remember to turn off the gas stove? Forgetting creates (cause & effect) karma now. The best thing we can do is plant seeds of kindness and compassion this moment - and let them grow :-) An old old joke comes to mind: my dogma was run over by a karma. Best wishes, Ernest
Thank you for posting these videos, I want to become a buddhist but right now I dont have the time to go to any Classes so I read what is avaible on internet and your videos have been really helpful, I feel much better with myself now and hope to go deeper in my practice.
Dear the enthusiastic Buddhist, could you please explain the 31 living planes related to karmas? Especially, the karmas that lead to the 20 Brahma Rupa Datu and Arupa Datu realms... because they are less commonly talked...
Just want to say one thing about the ants in the walls. There is a great possibilty that they were looking for food and they needed the food outside! When I lived in some area's I put food outside for the critters although sometimes mice really like warm places to live and want to be inside. That is why I do not have cats inside my house and the cats roam around outside and control the mice if I am correct. Also, the little anoles or green lizards, I like them inside because they really control insects in my home and I do not kill the little lizards.
Karma gets you when you're weak. When you're still doing your evils and are at your prime, Karma can't do much but to sit back; your energy force is just too strong for her to do anything. When you're old, weak, or out of life's force of intent that helps you during your glory days of power, Karma will slowly come to take what is hers.
So if I mistreat someone, am I relieving their Karma? It would seem there is no end to Karma and suffering if to relieve your Karma meant hosting it in another
No, you seem to misunderstood. If you mistreat someone, you have already done and created bad karma for yourself. As to how to end all sufferings, refer to her website, I am sure you can find the answer, refer to her video on 4 Noble Truths.
How does a naive four year old change her karma in order to meet favourable conditions? In the meantime should she stay away from dogs? What could have been the complex and misunderstood cause and effect that ended with the holocaust both for the perpetrators and the victims? Alan.
THe logical explanation is that there are no previous lives just as there is no loving personal god looking after you. Your questions show both of these. Thanks.
@enigma the covid-19 pandemic proved your point, considering that so many people from developed countries got killed despite that their countries got affected later.
Hello Mindah - Lee. Thank you for another excellent video. I have one question, if we experience karma from several lifetimes ago, and as 🇦🇺🙏🥃we are not reincarnated but reborn as a new person, how are we still responsible for something someone did several lifetimes ago who were different people?
Mindah-Lee you cant possibly believe that everyone is acting in ignorance of what they do and everything that is happening or not happening is a consequence of something we did in previous lives? I agree with most of presented ideas, and yes clearly negative attitude begets negative energy (bad luck), yet this is not the answer to everything!
Stealing leads to losing wealth? Brazilian politicians disagree! If Karma is the law of cause and effect, then it's natural like: I'm typing, then you can read this. Also, we all understand that our suffering has a cause within our minds. But, if a little girl was bitten by a dog, the cause was: she was wanting to play with the dog. When it comes to the four noble truths and the eight fold path, I'm a buddhist. But about karma and rebirth: it seems to me that there are false beliefs about it. As buddha reportedly said: "Don't believe it just because people believe it."
Well, you can't really say that it is the main cause. If you really study buddhism, Buddha also suggest the concept of rebirth. Therefore the deeds that you did in the previous life could affect the life that you are living now. The concept of cause and effect in Buddhism is much wider than that, not isolated in one life time. And yes, the suffering comes within our minds. We can feel pain, but it is up to us ourselves whether or not to suffer because of it. It is mostly how you view things that will get you away/keep dwelling in suffering.
Brazilian politicians need to be very aware of what they do, say, and of their relationships with other people. At any moment, everything can crumble. Even if they don't get punished by their behaviour by law, their personal relationships are unstable, and their minds are saturated with defilements, of desire, anger, ill-will, pride, jealousy and ignorance. Their ego is so powerful that they are totally unable to cope with any kind of problem, and are extremelly fragile to failure and threats of any kind (and you can be sure they receive a lot of threats). There is no escape. It's a life full of lies, danger and futility. It's actually very miserable. See how they talk to each other. They just lie and scream at each other. How can they have good relationships with family and friends?
I get it. In this case the Kamma is the result from the "actions of the mind". Stealing is an action born out of greed and delusion, an unwholesome action because it is born out of unwholesome states. It's clear that the bad consequence for them is suffering from the defilements, instead of poverty in an afterlife as some buddhists believe.
The afterlife is a concept related to the 5 agregates (of course it's previous to buddhism, and came from hinduism, but the 5 agregates is a buddhist explanation). If it doesn't seem plausible to you, don't worry. You can also see the consequences of actions and volitions in very concrete examples from daily life, like I showed you. Understanding causes and consequences through many lives requires understanding the concept of "being", and anatta, that Mindah explains in another video. From the point of view of ultimate reality, there is not an experiencer of karma, so the seeds and fruits could be understood as having no "actor". You could also look at the other 4 causes, or niyamas.
In the case of the girl bitten by a dog, the parents were probably not very careful with her, thus it's a karmic consequence for them. If in her previous life she wished to be born in a home with parents of certain and certain characteristics, or if she was that kind of parent to her previous child, then that volition or disposition could be the cause of the accident. But nothing has one single cause, the more we think of it, the more causes we find. That's why thinking about previous karma is not a wise thing to do, because we cannot prove it, nor we can exaust its possibilities.
buddhism jainism r like brother of hinduisim all the great philosophies of ancient asia and indian subcontinent nirvana or moksha is the ultimate goal :) btw which country r u from maam ?
I just started to take an interest in Buddhism, but where do I start?Or, how do I start practicing this religion and applying it to my daily life?I have so many questions.
yes everyone can be a Buddhist if you refuges to Buddha, Buddha Dhamma and Sangha these three, but no study Buddhism you can not believe that these three so you should first study on Buddha teaching. if you can not believe that these three, you're not Buddhist.
I think there is a vague form of Karma, even over the span of lifetimes, but I don't buy the specifics. Creating negative energy can will create negative results. I don't think however, that if you kill in animal then in the next life in animal will bite you as a direct retaliation.
This is very dangerous explanation. I have listen to several similar explanation and some of the comments were awful. E.g. one person written, that if a child is raped, that is because the child brought it on himself/herself, otherwise the person raping him/her wouldn't feel the want to rape him/her. So the criminal is doing favour to the child, giving him/her opportunity to heal old karma. These explanations are giving opportunities for bad people to carry on doing bad things and excusing it with karma.
Difficult for me to understand Karma. What about people living in the third world? Victims to the evils of greed and racism. Is their suffering due to karma? Do they deserve the destitute life they must live out?
Karma does not work that way, even though it is present in that essence. Allowed me to give an illustration, lets say I'm somebody who drive carelessly. I don't stopped at stop signs. My actions is creating a situation for me waiting for the right conditions to unfold. I may get pulled over and get tickets. I may get into car accident. I may hit someone and go to jail. That is Karma unfolding this life time. Because I behaved badly this life time, my karmic energy may continue on with me to my next life. And I may live badly as my past life. If you paddle a bike just because you have stopped paddling does not mean the energies dissipate right away. The energy still keeps you and your bike in motion until that energy is exhausted.
Karma is not about deserve. Try to put it in another way and ask, is it fair to think that these unfortunate people you mentioned just happened by chance, bad luck or planned by a god ?
@@truth8307 @Yeejtsim Lauj Ok some time has passed now and I think I understand a bit better. That suffering is caused by karma, but it is not anything personal. It is just the collective actions of human kind causing such events of suffering? And some people suffer or benefit from these things - not because of personal "deserving" but from happenstance ?
For me it is very difficult to understand too. Sometimes I think that how come the Buddhist students can talk about 'bad' and 'god' karma and which one they mean in the time of speaking. Some examples I don't get is: lets say if I will be very nasty to a person and I will threaten the person that I am going to kill him/her. Did I created bad karma? The person I am threatening happens to be Buddhist monk/nun. I am actually creating good karma, as ordinary person might get very scared and monk or nun might feel very grateful for having me in their life, so they just successfully practised their detachment from their body and realised that they felt peace. Or I will see a homeless person, I don't know how to help and I am in rush in the same time. I will pull some cash from my pocket and give it to him/her. Did I created a good karma? Maybe I created bad one, as I am hurrying I jump into a bus and then I see the homeless person being approached by several hooligans beating him up and taking the money from him/her, so he/she has no money, is being beaten and I feel awful. What karma is who going to get? Or if I am struggling to control my anger and I keep shouting at people, then I can think, "I can't control it so it might be their karma, they very possibly were shouting at someone, so now it is ok that I shout at them, as they carry it from their past life? I don't get it, it sounds very not right, almost like it is ok that people suffer, we should feel sorry for them, but they actually brought it on themselves anyway :(.
What about if someone else's karma influences our life? eg. someone steals something from us. Is that believed to be the consequences of our own actions somehow? Thanks very much for the video. :)
Sorry I'm referring to the four year old girl you mention being attacked by a dog. Possibly as a result of cruelty to animals in a previous existence. Alan.
Great video Mindah. This is a bit off topic but even though we perceive time as being linear, in reality, that may not be the case. It's one of the those illusions we human beings operate under. Perhaps what's considered past lives could be lives being played out all at once. It sounds weird, but there are stranger things that happen in the world of quantum physics. Just a thought. :) I don't know how that would play out when it comes to karma. But I do appreciate the essence of engaging in wholesome acts, thoughts, and deeds. I don't think someone has to believe in past lives to appreciate how our actions affect us and especially those around us. That's why the practice of mindfulness and the Four Great Efforts is paramount.
But do you agree Mindah that you don't necessarily have to believe in past lives to believe in karma? After all, actions can have consequences. For example, by lying and being dishonest, a person creates the conditions in which they considered untrustworthy by other people.
Can I just say that I am finding your videos to be incredibly helpful. Buddhism has been creeping into my life over the past few years and this year I have been diving completely in to Buddhism and dedicating myself to it.
Thankyou for the videos. They have been wonderful for clearly things up for me and helping me on my way.
Edward Astill
I have found your channel few days ago and it is really good. I share with my son. Keep on doing the good work. May you live long with good health so you may do more good job for humanity.
You have helped me to forgive my past and let go of my past , and be compassionate to my enemies ! Thank you again ! Keep up with the videos ! I just subscribed ❤️
Vicky Francis and t
vicky ,before we incarnated in this world, we agreed to meet everything that we have met in our life, we also agreed to deal with them in love and not hate. but the beings that send us here, helps us along , by sending spirit guides to assist us , and also bring some of our situations to an end, and give us the opportunity to start over. we should grab these opportunities to start over , realizing that, everything that happen to us, happened so that we could be a higher consciousness being. and live in a higher consciousness plane . if we harbour hate in our lives, then we may have to face it again , until we finally come to the understanding . so please see bad things that happen in your life as, stepping stones not stumbling blocks, peace and love to all.
You have no enemies and also the enemy is inside your own mind not the external world.
I've been interested in learning more about Buddhism for several years. I've listened to other teachings, but your's seem to resonate with me. I love the way you explain things with examples of modern situations. Thank you so Much!!!
We are so lucky to have internet that if we are interested in anything, we can get so much Buddhist knowledge from reliable sources. I prefer to get Buddhist knowledge from watching videos of venerable teaching. This Buddhist gentle lady do know her stuff. I have subscribed to her channel.
Doing positive karma right now by leaving a positive comment. Great video!
I'm a sri lankan guy was very happy about your explanation thanks
Ants:)
As a child I used to eat ants. I enjoyed the taste of them and I liked the idea that my parent called them Sugar Ants.
In Native America way of life, this is the Ant Nation and eating them made them a part of me. As an adult I asked the Ant Nation to take pity on me and I apologized for eating them. They now help me when I need help and I always do my very best to help them when ever I can. I even share my food with them.
Thank you for sharing.
May you continue to be blessed.
Sincerely,
Cynthia S.Howland
Karma translated to English means “Your own doing” in sanskrit.
"In India, it is believed Karma is a built-in moral law or law of retribution, in other words - punishment.
This means that, whether the things you are doing, which are good or bad, have consequences that you must inherit."
Alan Watts
May all be free from suffering and live in Happiness, and peace.
Namaste ^-^
The Universe is a vast
non-living space, with stars,plannets,galaxies.
An unseen imagined law here is a man made non living beiing unseeable, inmoveable entity which, creeps into planet Earth.
@@dr.anantchaudri1118why do you want to imagine anything ?
I found your explanation about karma and the law of cause and effect was very good and concise. I have been learning about Buddhism teachings and have tried to utilize them in my life for more than 30 years.
this channel is so helpful compared to the dozens of "mindfulness as productivity/secular tool; buddhism as historical curiosity" type youtubers who make videos on buddhist topics. such awesome content even in 2021! thank you.
Karma. (Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, Winter Retreat of 2008)
In Buddhism we speak of karma as the threefold aspect of action; thinking, speaking and acting. When we produce a thought, that thought can change us and can change the world in a good way or in a bad way. If it is right thought, if that thought is produced in line with right thinking, then it will have a healing, nourishing effect on our body and on the world. Just by producing right thinking you can change the world. You can make the world a better place to live, or you can transform the world into hell. That is karma, action; this is not something abstract. For example, the economic crisis is born from our thinking. There is a lot of craving and fear, and the value of the dollar, of the euro is largely created by the mind. Everything comes from the mind. That is why thinking is action and speaking is action. Speaking can release tension and reconcile, or speaking can break relationships. Speaking can destroy someone’s hope and cause that person to commit suicide. Physical action is also energy.
There is individual karma that has an effect on everyone. Everything that happened to you happened to the world. You produce that thought, you are affected by that thought, and the world is also affected by that thought. There is also collective karma. During this twenty-one-day retreat, the friendship, the joy, the healing, the transformation is the work of everyone. Each one of us contributes through our practice, through our insight, through our speech. In Buddhism, we do not believe in a God that arranges everything, but we don’t believe in coincidence either. We believe that the fate of the planet depends on our karma, on our action. It does not depend on a God, it does not depend on chance, it depends on our true action. Karma is the dynamic force that underlies everything. I think that scientists will have no difficulty accepting this.
Man is present in all things and all things are present in man. Man just arrived yesterday in the history of life on earth. Looking into a human being, we can see our non-human elements, namely our animal ancestors, our vegetable ancestors, and our mineral ancestors. In our past life we were a cloud, and we were a rock. Even in this moment, we continue to be a cloud, we continue to be a rock. There is a mountain in us, do you see? There are many clouds in us, do you see?
In a former time, we were fish, we were birds, we were reptiles. And our ancestors are fully present in us, in the here, in the now. We continue as a reptile. We have many reactions that belong to the reptile species. We want to say that we are created by a God in his image. But in fact, we have many ancestors. When a fish swims happily in the water, it is very proud of its talent for swimming. And a fish has the right to say that God must be the most wonderful swimmer in the world. And a rose can say, “God is the most beautiful rose in the world, because he has created me like this.” If you are a mathematician, you tend to think God must be the best mathematician in the world. Your notions of God are anthropocentric. If you are a gay person, you may think that God is the best gay person in the world. Why not? The fish has that right, the rose has that right, so we all inter-are. We continue our ancestors in us now. We are human, but we are at the same time a rock, a cloud, a rabbit, a rose, a gay, a lesbian. We are everything. Let us not discriminate or push away anything, because we are everything. Everything is in us. That’s the right view.
If we see that everything is in man and man is in everything, we know that to preserve other species is to preserve ourselves. That is deep ecology, that is interbeing. That is the teaching of the Diamond Sutra. A good Buddhist should be an ecologist, trying her best to preserve the environment, because to preserve the environment is to preserve yourself. Man contains the whole cosmos.
On the phenomenal level there seem to be birth, death, being and non-being, but ontologically, these notions cannot be applied to reality. Birth and death are just notions. The true nature of a cloud is the nature of no birth and no death. The scientist Lavoisier says that nothing is born, nothing dies. He agrees completely with this teaching. A cloud manifests as a cloud. There is no birth of a cloud, because before being a cloud, the cloud has been the tree, the ocean, the heat generated by the sun. To appear as a cloud is only a moment of continuation. And when a cloud becomes a river, that is not death, that is also a continuation. We know that there is a way to continue beautifully, and that is to take care of our three aspects of karma - thinking, speaking and acting.
Being and non-being are more wrong views. Non-being is a wrong view, but being is also a wrong view. The absolute reality transcends both being and non-being. Before you are born, you did not belong to the realm of non-being, because from non-being, you cannot pass into being. And when you die, you cannot pass from being into non-being. It’s impossible. To be, or not to be - both are wrong views. To inter-be is better.
The dynamic consciousness is called karma energy. Karma energy is not abstract. It determines our state of being, whether we are happy or unhappy. Whether you continue beautifully or not so beautifully depends on karma. It’s possible to take care of our action so that we don’t suffer much now and we will continue to do better in the future. There is the hope, the joy.
I think this is one of the best summaries of karma I've come across. Thanks for making this video!
Thanks for posting this video...it really helped me understand Karma. By using plain English, you really allow Buddhism to be understood easily.
Karma is very very complex, so I'm glad to hear that is the starting place. We learn about karma in very simplistic bits, like chewable bites, so that we can understand it according to our individual capacities. However, the first point of error that needs clarification comes at 10:44 when Ms. Kumar says “there are no coincidences.” Actually, this is swinging the pendulum too far in the opposite direction from the materialist view that says "everything is random coincidence." The law of karma, does include recognition that sometime events are not karmic in origin but are coincidental by the functioning of other laws. In Buddha Dharma, there are five "laws" of how reality works, and the law of karma is only one of the five. What we call apparent "coincidence" can arise by the workings of the other 4 laws.
1. Physical inorganic law (utuniyaama).
2. Physical organic law (biijaniyaama).
3. Law of kamma (kammaniyaama).
4. Law of the mind (cittaniyaama)
5. Law of the dhamma (dhammaniyaama)
For example, if we go skiing and an avalanche occurs, the karmic component that is not coincidental is that our action took us to the location of the avalanche, but it was not karma, but the inorganic laws of nature that determined when the snow would start to cascade and it is at least in part coincidence whether a rock gets caught up with the snow and hits us in the head. So while karma always does play a part in every situation, it is not karma ALONE that determines what occurs and the inorganic laws can add a non-karmic aspect to all events.
@Calis10X she did say karma is not the only factor, there are 4 others.
Great! Wonderfully explained.. In a world of so many people on youtube, spreading so many lies about Buddhism good to hear one person preaching what Lord Budhda said and not whats running through their minds...
Quin Kel You said truth .
I appreciate your concern...Please realizing that someone intend to tell a lie...someone has no intention to...But with his m isunderstanding about BUDDHA"S TEACHING..thinking that he knows the truth...it pretty good for you to aware this..TRY LOOKING FOR THE GENUINE BUDDHA"S TEACHINGS...FOR THE BEST RESULT...because all these will effect you...not only this world but also...next world..too..
I really appreciate your videos and the detail you share. Thank you! Very helpful! Namaste.
I HAVE TO USE THIS ON MY MIXTAPE. YOU MADE EVERYTHING CLEAR FOR MY LISTENERS. THANKS!!
graduating this evening with an A.A. in the Humanities and a certificate in Viticulture, enology, and winemaking! Meditating on your words...Namaste
I found your talk to be helpful. I had an influx of ants (not as numerous as yours it seems) My first thought was to put out ant bait- but I didn't have any, so then I thought- well- lets talk to them- so I did- crazy right?? I said that as long as I saw no more than 2 at a time in my kitchen that I would leave them be. That was last summer- for the whole season till they disappeared for the year- I saw only 2 at a time- in addition to my fanciful ways - I also determined a course of "non-entrapment" for them in that I kept all food stuff totally out of reach- ie- put my honey jar in a dish filled with water that they couldn't breach and all foodstuffs in glass jars or the fridge. I only did this as a result of my simple studies of Buddhism and to see how this course would work for me. This is the second summer and we are getting along fine- no poison..peaceful co-existance- if they are eating the framework of my home while all this is going on- I will deal with that later..LOL.
After listening to this video, I have been very conscious of my thoughts. I keep thinking about what you said -- that everyone of my thoughts is a seed that will ripen. Wow, that is powerful! Thanks!
Also share on Google+
Posting...Public
Ive been trying to convert to the buddhist religion. This vidoe and you explaining it to me has helped me very well so thank you😊
Fantastic video and awesome explanation, and hopefully no ants no more.
Thank you. I was able to help define to my friend the actual definition of verbal abuse of her husband
Thank you for this valuable lesson on karma.
I've been following your teachings and it's just like I always want to listen to you
I love listening to you Mindah-Lee... your smile brings pleasure with your teaching... thank you!
love the part about compassion when it comes to are mistakes thank you so much your so beauty in mind in spirit and body
The clarity with which you explain that thinking of bad karma ripening as 'punishment' opened a new door in my heart. Thank you. __/l\__
insert 'is incorrect' after punishment. :)
thankyou mindah, i have live in this life a bad karma of a precedent life.i had the luckiness to see what was the cause and for this i thank the universe..yes we are responsible of our thoughts, actions andspeechs..there is possibility to don-t pay the karma.when the object of it move with compassion with us...we mu8st have the knowlenge about things and the awarness.thank for give this to us...we all are here for learn and living our karma is a possibility to learn...there is not punition, there is to live what we have do for understand ❤ who decide when and how we pay our karma?
Greetings from Brazil. Thank you very much, Mindah, for making and posting this video. Very enlightening. Lots of issues on Karma clarified. Thanks again for making this available. 🙏🏻❤️
Oi Amigo, read this short Sutta; www.dhammatalks.org/suttas/AN/AN3_62.html
R Leakey Thank you 🙏🏻
This is amazing! Thank you so much for sharing this ! Many blessings and love to you ! ❤️
Thanks Mindah-Lee - great dhamma talk
Very wonderful lady 🥰🥰 I proud for you.
This excellent discussion parallels Colin Tipping's "Radical Forgiveness" (but instead of forgiving others, your discussion focuses on forgiving ourselves for having chosen that menu item. ) I really appreciate your video! thanks.
Very informative and great delivery. Thank you for making this video. Greetings from Toronto, Canada.
Karma;
"A reflection of the Perfect Balance of the Universe in each and every unique moment of Existence!"
Suffering;
"the liking and not liking of the inevitable!"
Very informative and insightful. Thank you, Mindah.
Thank you very much for your nice explanations. I have been looking for some time something as clear as what I listened today :)
Mindah-Lee, thank you for always giving such clear explanations, it really helps me to further my understanding and put me at ease, bless you!
Hello. Thanks for your sharing. highly appreciate your talk!
+Mindah-Lee Kumar (The Enthusiastic Buddhist) I like the way you are bringing the Buddha's teaching in a more "straight forward language" . But...( Always a but. :-) As you probably now there are a LOT of different schools of Buddhism. As "Karma" comes from Hinduism.Not all of those accept the concept of Karma. Or do not think it is relevant.( certain Zen Buddhism traditions for example ) . Those who accept "karma " like the Tibetan schools. Do not link it with action- reaction. Action-reaction exists when one lives in the state of ( spiritual ) "ignorance" . You describe "Karma"quite well. But it is more the Hindu version. When the Buddhist ignorance veil is lifted, Action-reaction will then 'transform" into synchronicity. You talk about Japan. Which tradition did you practice? Just curious.
@@musicalparadox9199 you mean the word "karma" comes from Hinduism, isn't it ? The meaning of karma don't come from Hinduism. Karma exists in all cultures since the world exists or even before it.
I am Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhist, a member of Soka Gakkai International, chants Nam-myoho-renge-kyo and I am proud of it.
Thank you so much for answering all my question. :)
Very well explained. Though I think I could discuss about that for hours... so many questions...
Thank you for clearing out some of my confusions. Take care Mindah.
Thanks so much for these videos
Just want to add something now, have you ever been to a blueberry packing warehouse where there are conveyor belts that employees work on putting packages of blueberries in boxes in places like sorrento, fl? Or juice warehouses with conveyor belts where employees pack containers of orange juice in boxes also?
Hi!
Thanks for uploading these wonderful videos explaining about Buddhism in detail.
You are doing a great job..Keep it up..
your videos help me so much thank you :)
looking foreward to the next part :)
Agree with a lot of things you said but past life karma affecting the current one? Something to think about..
Excellent simple explanations. very very true. The action what you do at present moment will be ripen to the future, that is the cause and effect. It is not done by a self. where the conditions are ,it will arise. Theruwan saranai.
j
Thanks for another insightful video. People who try to analyze karma get upset. That's why I leave it alone. It's complex and profound. Trying to find its cause in my life is difficult enough, let alone trying to explain it at work in others' lives. Karma doesn't explain accidents? If something unpleasant happens, rather than automatically ascribing it to past life karma, can it be due just to carelessness and lack of attention now, rather than something we did in another lifetime? Of course, not being present creates present-moment karma. By our actions, we create our own past and future.
If my house burns down, rather than past life karma, could it be that I needed to remember to turn off the gas stove? Forgetting creates (cause & effect) karma now. The best thing we can do is plant seeds of kindness and compassion this moment - and let them grow :-) An old old joke comes to mind: my dogma was run over by a karma.
Best wishes, Ernest
Thank you for posting these videos, I want to become a buddhist but right now I dont have the time to go to any Classes so I read what is avaible on internet and your videos have been really helpful, I feel much better with myself now and hope to go deeper in my practice.
Ms. Kumar, well done. Thank you.
Excellent. Best explanation yet.
Dear the enthusiastic Buddhist, could you please explain the 31 living planes related to karmas? Especially, the karmas that lead to the 20 Brahma Rupa Datu and Arupa Datu realms... because they are less commonly talked...
Just want to say one thing about the ants in the walls. There is a great possibilty that they were looking for food and they needed the food outside! When I lived in some area's I put food outside for the critters although sometimes mice really like warm places to live and want to be inside. That is why I do not have cats inside my house and the cats roam around outside and control the mice if I am correct. Also, the little anoles or green lizards, I like them inside because they really control insects in my home and I do not kill the little lizards.
Karma gets you when you're weak. When you're still doing your evils and are at your prime, Karma can't do much but to sit back; your energy force is just too strong for her to do anything. When you're old, weak, or out of life's force of intent that helps you during your glory days of power, Karma will slowly come to take what is hers.
Hot Sauce yep
very helpful. I like the way you explain such complex topics.
I wonder if karma includes actions in online games
So if I mistreat someone, am I relieving their Karma?
It would seem there is no end to Karma and suffering if to relieve your Karma meant hosting it in another
No, you seem to misunderstood. If you mistreat someone, you have already done and created bad karma for yourself. As to how to end all sufferings, refer to her website, I am sure you can find the answer, refer to her video on 4 Noble Truths.
Well if they say abusive words and mistreat people the hurt will reflect back on them not the other person .
Such clarity. Thank you
I agree in my view with you...🙏🙏
very helpful teaching 🍓🍓
Love it! I totally get it now 😃 thank you 🙏
How does a naive four year old change her karma in order to meet favourable conditions? In the meantime should she stay away from dogs? What could have been the complex and misunderstood cause and effect that ended with the holocaust both for the perpetrators and the victims? Alan.
THe logical explanation is that there are no previous lives just as there is no loving personal god looking after you. Your questions show both of these. Thanks.
@enigma the covid-19 pandemic proved your point, considering that so many people from developed countries got killed despite that their countries got affected later.
You may have covered this elsewhere but I will note it anyway. Karma is not strictly individual. It exists on other levels as well.
Thank you for this video.
Hello Mindah - Lee.
Thank you for another excellent video.
I have one question, if we experience karma from several lifetimes ago, and as 🇦🇺🙏🥃we are not reincarnated but reborn as a new person, how are we still responsible for something someone did several lifetimes ago who were different people?
love it on karma
Thank you very much for this video!!! Great! And yes, our mistakes are mostly because of ignorance. 🤫
13:42 patient acceptance.❤💲
Mindah-Lee you cant possibly believe that everyone is acting in ignorance of what they do and everything that is happening or not happening is a consequence of something we did in previous lives? I agree with most of presented ideas, and yes clearly negative attitude begets negative energy (bad luck), yet this is not the answer to everything!
Very clearly explained
Thank you very much.
Excellent explanation----thank you! >subscribed
Both Budhism and Hinduism agree with law of karma . Institute has to be set up in south asia to enlighten people
I like your videos.
Thank you. very clear.
Love your mind and videos!
Stealing leads to losing wealth? Brazilian politicians disagree! If Karma is the law of cause and effect, then it's natural like: I'm typing, then you can read this. Also, we all understand that our suffering has a cause within our minds. But, if a little girl was bitten by a dog, the cause was: she was wanting to play with the dog. When it comes to the four noble truths and the eight fold path, I'm a buddhist. But about karma and rebirth: it seems to me that there are false beliefs about it. As buddha reportedly said: "Don't believe it just because people believe it."
Well, you can't really say that it is the main cause. If you really study buddhism, Buddha also suggest the concept of rebirth. Therefore the deeds that you did in the previous life could affect the life that you are living now. The concept of cause and effect in Buddhism is much wider than that, not isolated in one life time.
And yes, the suffering comes within our minds. We can feel pain, but it is up to us ourselves whether or not to suffer because of it. It is mostly how you view things that will get you away/keep dwelling in suffering.
Brazilian politicians need to be very aware of what they do, say, and of their relationships with other people. At any moment, everything can crumble. Even if they don't get punished by their behaviour by law, their personal relationships are unstable, and their minds are saturated with defilements, of desire, anger, ill-will, pride, jealousy and ignorance. Their ego is so powerful that they are totally unable to cope with any kind of problem, and are extremelly fragile to failure and threats of any kind (and you can be sure they receive a lot of threats). There is no escape. It's a life full of lies, danger and futility. It's actually very miserable. See how they talk to each other. They just lie and scream at each other. How can they have good relationships with family and friends?
I get it. In this case the Kamma is the result from the "actions of the mind". Stealing is an action born out of greed and delusion, an unwholesome action because it is born out of unwholesome states. It's clear that the bad consequence for them is suffering from the defilements, instead of poverty in an afterlife as some buddhists believe.
The afterlife is a concept related to the 5 agregates (of course it's previous to buddhism, and came from hinduism, but the 5 agregates is a buddhist explanation). If it doesn't seem plausible to you, don't worry. You can also see the consequences of actions and volitions in very concrete examples from daily life, like I showed you. Understanding causes and consequences through many lives requires understanding the concept of "being", and anatta, that Mindah explains in another video. From the point of view of ultimate reality, there is not an experiencer of karma, so the seeds and fruits could be understood as having no "actor". You could also look at the other 4 causes, or niyamas.
In the case of the girl bitten by a dog, the parents were probably not very careful with her, thus it's a karmic consequence for them. If in her previous life she wished to be born in a home with parents of certain and certain characteristics, or if she was that kind of parent to her previous child, then that volition or disposition could be the cause of the accident. But nothing has one single cause, the more we think of it, the more causes we find. That's why thinking about previous karma is not a wise thing to do, because we cannot prove it, nor we can exaust its possibilities.
buddhism jainism r like brother of hinduisim all the great philosophies of ancient asia and indian subcontinent nirvana or moksha is the ultimate goal :) btw which country r u from maam ?
What is the difference between reincarnation and incarnation
Forget them, reincarnation is illogical and impossible as nothing stay permanent except for Dhamma knowledge.
I just started to take an interest in Buddhism, but where do I start?Or, how do I start practicing this religion and applying it to my daily life?I have so many questions.
yes everyone can be a Buddhist if you refuges to Buddha, Buddha Dhamma and Sangha these three, but no study Buddhism you can not believe that these three so you should first study on Buddha teaching. if you can not believe that these three, you're not Buddhist.
I suggest you start with the 4 Noble Truths or check out her website.
I think there is a vague form of Karma, even over the span of lifetimes, but I don't buy the specifics. Creating negative energy can will create negative results. I don't think however, that if you kill in animal then in the next life in animal will bite you as a direct retaliation.
You clearly misunderstood.
Thank you it was really helpful
Brilliant!
love your words on abuse
This is very dangerous explanation. I have listen to several similar explanation and some of the comments were awful. E.g. one person written, that if a child is raped, that is because the child brought it on himself/herself, otherwise the person raping him/her wouldn't feel the want to rape him/her. So the criminal is doing favour to the child, giving him/her opportunity to heal old karma. These explanations are giving opportunities for bad people to carry on doing bad things and excusing it with karma.
Excellent
Do you have a book?
Difficult for me to understand Karma. What about people living in the third world? Victims to the evils of greed and racism. Is their suffering due to karma? Do they deserve the destitute life they must live out?
Karma does not work that way, even though it is present in that essence. Allowed me to give an illustration, lets say I'm somebody who drive carelessly. I don't stopped at stop signs. My actions is creating a situation for me waiting for the right conditions to unfold. I may get pulled over and get tickets. I may get into car accident. I may hit someone and go to jail. That is Karma unfolding this life time. Because I behaved badly this life time, my karmic energy may continue on with me to my next life. And I may live badly as my past life. If you paddle a bike just because you have stopped paddling does not mean the energies dissipate right away. The energy still keeps you and your bike in motion until that energy is exhausted.
Karma is not about deserve. Try to put it in another way and ask, is it fair to think that these unfortunate people you mentioned just happened by chance, bad luck or planned by a god ?
@@truth8307 @Yeejtsim Lauj Ok some time has passed now and I think I understand a bit better. That suffering is caused by karma, but it is not anything personal. It is just the collective actions of human kind causing such events of suffering? And some people suffer or benefit from these things - not because of personal "deserving" but from happenstance ?
For me it is very difficult to understand too. Sometimes I think that how come the Buddhist students can talk about 'bad' and 'god' karma and which one they mean in the time of speaking. Some examples I don't get is: lets say if I will be very nasty to a person and I will threaten the person that I am going to kill him/her. Did I created bad karma? The person I am threatening happens to be Buddhist monk/nun. I am actually creating good karma, as ordinary person might get very scared and monk or nun might feel very grateful for having me in their life, so they just successfully practised their detachment from their body and realised that they felt peace. Or I will see a homeless person, I don't know how to help and I am in rush in the same time. I will pull some cash from my pocket and give it to him/her. Did I created a good karma? Maybe I created bad one, as I am hurrying I jump into a bus and then I see the homeless person being approached by several hooligans beating him up and taking the money from him/her, so he/she has no money, is being beaten and I feel awful. What karma is who going to get? Or if I am struggling to control my anger and I keep shouting at people, then I can think, "I can't control it so it might be their karma, they very possibly were shouting at someone, so now it is ok that I shout at them, as they carry it from their past life? I don't get it, it sounds very not right, almost like it is ok that people suffer, we should feel sorry for them, but they actually brought it on themselves anyway :(.
What about if someone else's karma influences our life? eg. someone steals something from us. Is that believed to be the consequences of our own actions somehow? Thanks very much for the video. :)
I don’t think so , I have had someone steal from me a few x s
And I have never stole from anyone ever
Your very good.
Perhaps the ants are a metaphor of something you need to do, be or create in your life.
Sorry I'm referring to the four year old girl you mention being attacked by a dog. Possibly as a result of cruelty to animals in a previous existence. Alan.
Great video Mindah. This is a bit off topic but even though we perceive time as being linear, in reality, that may not be the case. It's one of the those illusions we human beings operate under. Perhaps what's considered past lives could be lives being played out all at once. It sounds weird, but there are stranger things that happen in the world of quantum physics. Just a thought. :) I don't know how that would play out when it comes to karma.
But I do appreciate the essence of engaging in wholesome acts, thoughts, and deeds. I don't think someone has to believe in past lives to appreciate how our actions affect us and especially those around us. That's why the practice of mindfulness and the Four Great Efforts is paramount.
But do you agree Mindah that you don't necessarily have to believe in past lives to believe in karma? After all, actions can have consequences. For example, by lying and being dishonest, a person creates the conditions in which they considered untrustworthy by other people.
Hello I meet a new friend In Germany she always tell me many things about karma and I smile because I don't believe what she said.
people misunderstand karma
🙏💕Thanks God 😇🙏👼bless you 😄
Huh ? Thanks God ? 🙄🙄
Thank you