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Dharma Thoughts

Human suffering has its origins in two sources --- those severe weather conditions, rising sea levels, forest fires,
that are cosmic and beyond our control and those that carbon emissions, extinction of animal species and so
we ourselves have created. Many people who do not on. People all over the world, especially the young are
have a clear understanding of the working of karma beginning to take the matter seriously and we can only
tend to blame all our misfortunes on whatever mistakes hope that world leaders will be able to muster enough
we have made in the past. The Buddha clearly states political will and demonstrate the intelligence to
that this claim is not entirely correct. According to him, change the course of impending disaster. According to
the universe operates according to five natural laws, Buddhism, this can be done if we collectively focus our
namely minds on it.

Utu niyama --- climate The second kind of human suffering is partly of our
Bija niyama --- genetic own making. The Buddha teaches that we can transcend
Kamma niyama --- moral the first kind of suffering with understanding and
Citta niyama --- psychological patience, by not succumbing to self pity and despair
Dhamma --- cosmic in the face body of the inevitable: ‘when body is sick,
do not allow the mind to be sick as well’. The second
These laws are closely linked in a complex web but type of suffering results from the actions of humans
manifest themselves and predominate when the right themselves. Since it is caused by humans, it follows
conditions come together. Because of the influence of that humans can end it. The entire teaching of the
these other laws the working of karma does not always Buddha rests on the primary truth that since all actions
follow rigid predictable sets of rules. If there is a originate in the mind, naturally they can be ended by
tsunami or earthquake for example, not everyone who is controlling the mind:
affected can be said to be playing out his or her karmic
past. It could even be simply being in the wrong place Mind is the forerunner of all states
at the wrong time. Geologists tell us that this is not the Mind created are they
first time that the world has faced natural calamities. If one thinks with a wicked mind
Millions of years before humans even appeared the Wicked actions will follow
planet was completely frozen over like a giant snowball Just as the wheels of a cart
while at another time it was struck by an asteroid which Follow the hooves of the ox (Dhp 1)
wiped out ninety percent of the life forms. Clearly these
events had little to do with karma. Buddhists believe It is interesting to note that this profound truth is
that we are not entirely at the mercy of external cosmic enshrined in the preamble to the UNESCO charter:
forces. Humans have the power to develop their minds
to such an extent that they can exercise control over “Since it is in the minds of men that wars are created
the other laws. For example weather or other natural It is in the minds of men that the fortresses of peace
occurrences can be controlled to a certain extent at Can be built”
least through the power of the mind. Many so called
‘miracles’ can be attributed to the power of the mind The Buddha states that all our suffering originates from
over matter. What was deemed miraculous a few years three mental states namely, Lobha, Dosa, Moha (Greed,
ago can be achieved through the advances in modern Hatred, Ignorance). Rather than blame suffering on
technology. a divine law giver, Buddhism declares that Ignorance
--- not knowing things as they really are --- is the root
Easily the problem of greatest concern for the entire cause of all our problems. Obviously each individual’s
world which affects every inhabitant on the planet is actions contributes to the behaviour of a community
climate change. Everyday we are bombarded with news which means that if we want to solve the problems of
of the imminent dangers posed by rising temperatures, the world we must begin with the individual. Problems