Let’s look at the simple principles of karma. Buddha’s view, his observation from his own experience – he didn’t make it up, it’s not coming from revelation, it’s not coming from on high, he’s not speculating, he didn’t have a dream or a vision: he’s telling you what he’s seen with his own intelligence – is that this law of karma is a natural law. I think it’s so important for us to realize this.
We’re used to the Christian view, so, of course, as soon as we hear “karma,” we hear it as another variation of punishment and reward, so deep in our being. And that’s the dualistic view: it all comes from “out there,” you know?
Now, if you’re Christian, that would be true. But the Buddha, he’s not a punisher and he’s not a rewarder. We don’t need punishing and rewarding, we don’t need creating – his view is different.
It’s a huge point psychologically. There is no concept in Buddhism of punisher and rewarder – there’s just not. You’re your own boss, you make yourself. As His Holiness says, “Karma’s like self-creation.”
The real experiential implication of karma is we start to take responsibility, we start to grow up. And we stop feeling guilty. Guilt is, “Oh, I’m a naughty girl, I’ll get punished.” Everybody has it. Don’t blame your Jewish mother or your Catholic mother: this is the view of ego-grasping, the dualistic view, you know? It’s a really important point.
The analogy would be – and I think this is so helpful – the analogy would be it’s like you go to your doctor, and she says, “Don’t smoke, Robina.” And when you ask, “Why not?” She will not say, “Because I say so, and if you smoke, I’m going to give you cancer.”
We know she doesn’t say this, and we would laugh if we did think that. But that’s what we think when we hear about karma. Do you hear my point? It’s automatic in us.
We’ve got to analyze the view of karma carefully and grow up, because we mostly misinterpret it. Basically it’s that everything we think and do and say is the very process that produces the person we become.
If you have faith in God, don’t blame God and get all nervous: happily do God’s will. You’d be a happy person if you do. Don’t do it out of fear – that’s childish. You’d want to please God, nothing wrong.
The thing is also, this is where forgiveness comes in, because the crucial point in Christianity is the only way to purify is God has to forgive you. This is incredibly powerful.
But you’re not trying to please Buddha here. Buddha would forgive you – I promise, he’s a nice person – but that’s not what purifies you. Your doctor will forgive you, but that won’t stop you from having cancer.
She’ll say, “You’ve got to still give up cigarettes, Robina. I’m sorry, you’ve got to do something about it yourself.” That’s the point here, you know?
Because we have the view of punishment and reward, we think if we don’t get caught, we get away with it. “Oh, my doctor’s not here,” and out come the Marlboros: “I won’t get cancer if she doesn’t see me.” This is beyond absurd, right? But that’s how we think about morality. We’re like babies, you know: “I didn’t get caught, I got away with it.” It’s quite deluded and quite infantile, but that’s how we are.
The karmic one is profound actually if we can really take it on board, and then you feel empowered. And what this means is in order to abide by the laws of karma happily, you need the instructions.
We need to know what to do and what not to do in order to turn ourselves into a happy, self-confident, compassionate person.
Look how we are with nutrition. We are all geniuses at nutrition: we know exactly which food, how many calories, how many this and vitamins this. We are so brilliant because we know we want the benefit. Same with karma – it’s mental nutrition, I promise.
If we think about karma with this attitude, you become more empowered, you become more self-confident, and you lessen your guilt, you lessen attachment, you lessen anger, you become more grown up. When we realize that it’s up to us the person we become, our life changes.