Page 37 - EH57

TEACHINGS | EASTERN HORIZON 35

receiving the results. It is because you have previously created the cause and so it
makes more sense to be angry at the cause of your problems than the agent.

We must learn to accept the fact that all the conflicts and unhappy experiences are the
result and fruition of our past deeds and that the other person who actually hurt you
is merely a condition for the ripening of the seeds we have long sowed. Our suffering
diminishes when we learn to accept it with reason rather than trying to resist. It is a
law of nature that resistance causes misery.

In many cases we are responsible for our own pain and hurt. Our minds are so
conditioned by negative patterns that pain and hurt becomes like an addiction. Even
small external problems can be totally overwhelming. For example, some one's casual
remark about us, without any intention to hurt us can cause us to perpetuate the
disagreeable feeling, when we repeatedly think about the incident in many different
ways. This results in a deep sense of hurt and in some cases may cause a nervous
breakdown. Then we may hold a grudge, and generate bad feelings for a long time.
Originally the criticism might have been quite minor. For example, it could be a few
disagreeable words but we continue to relive it millions of time in our minds, going
through the events over and over again. Even though the person has gone off, we
continue to delve on the past events.

Another example is whenever we are in a conflicting situation we must realize that
things happen because of many causes and conditions. It is a human tendency to point
to one cause and blame it. Then we develop anger but if we think more carefully, we
will understand that things happen because of many causes and conditions.
Of course, with some people we find it easy to communicate, because we have karmic
links with them from the past. With others communication may be more difficult.
This does not imply that they are awful, or that the unpleasant relationship with them
will last forever. We may be surprised to find that, once the results of our previous
negative actions related to such people are exhausted, our relationship with them
changes completely.

The Buddhist approach is to explore more deeply into the root cause of the problems.
It is mentioned that the main cause of this world and its inhabitants can be traced
back to space particles as mentioned in a Tantra text. So, what makes one object
animate, and have experience of pain and pleasure, is due to consciousness and
karma. The karma comes from neither the blessing of the Buddha nor from the Gods,
but from karmic imprints which arise due to conflicting emotions of our untamed
mind.

It is generally said that there is collective as well as personal karma. As an example,
our present world came into existence as a result of our collective karma, whereas
our personal karma manifest in a person’s shape, size, and life’s experience. Another
explanation of karma is that if one had to remain at a particular place for ten years,
it is also the result of one's karma. Karma comes into existence through our mental