Life and Kamma

At one time I knelt in front of my teacher and complained. Nothing new in this, but I felt my life to be very difficult and unrelenting. I was married with two small children, a huge mortgage, three jobs to pay for everything and no end in sight. I felt exhausted and wanted to be free from this situation. I asked my teacher if I could run away from all this, ordain as a monk and live a simple life.« Of course we can ordain you easily anytime you want,’ he said, ‘but this is not your kamma now. Right now, your kamma is to be with your family, to take care of them, to serve them and find the Dhamma here. When you do this, you will understand properly. »

My teacher had a way to speak that would always touch my heart. Listening to his words it became obvious , the Dhamma life, the true Dhamma life, is not about running away until everything is easy, it is about facing our difficulties and using them for our own liberation.

It may be a much more romantic idea to sit in a cave in the Himalayas contemplating the navel, but it is much more realistic to meet the consequence of our actions and use them as they present themselves moment by moment.

Without our suffering, how could we end our suffering ?

Our life is the mirror of our mind and it will always bring good results if we use it wisely. Knowing what to do and what to leave undone. When to speak and when to be silent. What to empower and what to let go of.

There is a time to be a monk or a nun, and a time to meet our worldly kamma. Being married brings responsibilities. Being a parent brings responsibilities. Being a student of Dhamma brings responsibilities. Once we recognise this everything is practice and we use our ordinary daily life as our path.

As a disciple of Dhamma and of my teacher I heard these beautiful words and saw the problem. It wasn’t the situation, it was my relationship to the situation ! Once I changed, everything changed.

In that moment I resolved to be the best husband that I could be, the best that father I could be, the best disciple that I could be.

Complaining has no value at all. Running away from life's difficulties is endless, for wherever we go we will always meet ourselves, the originator of these difficulties. Now, with Dhamma understanding we can see the truth and use this very moment for our own liberation.

May all beings be happy.