0:00:04.610,0:00:07.384 Why is my life the way it is? 0:00:07.384,0:00:10.157 (Sounds of birds singing and a bell) 0:00:11.269,0:00:17.366 This world it is the way it is because we are the way we are. 0:00:18.766,0:00:21.065 (Bell sound) 0:00:22.834,0:00:26.380 And we are the way we are because there is Karma 0:00:30.530,0:00:34.742 Karma Bond to the Past and Future 0:00:36.065,0:00:37.445 (Sound of birds chirping, bells ringing, and a dog barking) 0:00:42.019,0:00:47.335 Every morning we wake up to a new day. 0:00:55.181,0:01:01.596 but every morning we also wake up to our old life. 0:01:02.996,0:01:05.963 To the life that we have created. 0:01:08.206,0:01:10.325 (forest sounds as the monk walks through it) 0:01:11.340,0:01:12.379 Last week. 0:01:12.379,0:01:14.965 Last year 0:01:14.965,0:01:17.898 Last life 0:01:17.898,0:01:21.349 This is our Karma. 0:01:21.349,0:01:23.664 We cannot escape it. 0:01:28.338,0:01:31.823 Karma Our Life 0:01:39.884,0:01:41.153 (Chanting) 0:01:41.415,0:01:46.425 Karma is a sanscrit word. It means "action". 0:01:47.656,0:01:51.941 We can easily see some of our Karma. 0:01:52.894,0:01:55.533 Let's just think what we did. 0:01:55.871,0:01:57.233 Yesterday. 0:01:57.448,0:01:59.087 Last year. 0:02:00.118,0:02:02.699 In our childhood. 0:02:05.345,0:02:07.367 Or in our last life. 0:02:07.552,0:02:11.339 If we can remember that. 0:02:12.278,0:02:16.743 What ever we did, this is our Karma. 0:02:17.281,0:02:19.839 This has become our life. 0:02:20.454,0:02:22.474 Now. 0:02:26.679,0:02:30.052 Karma Whatever we did. 0:02:33.759,0:02:37.485 The Buddhist says "Life is about suffering". 0:02:45.777,0:02:49.995 Very often we create suffering. 0:02:49.995,0:02:51.298 For ourselves 0:02:51.298,0:02:55.817 or for others. We know that. 0:02:56.401,0:02:59.001 We say bad things. 0:02:59.016,0:03:00.763 We're impatient. 0:03:00.855,0:03:02.724 We hurt. 0:03:07.228,0:03:11.188 Karma We create suffering. 0:03:11.742,0:03:14.825 We do create suffering around us. 0:03:15.532,0:03:21.387 This means we fill our own world with suffering. 0:03:24.987,0:03:28.702 How can we expect to find anything else in this world 0:03:28.748,0:03:32.086 other than suffering? 0:03:35.394,0:03:39.680 We will find exactly what we had previously provided. 0:03:39.680,0:03:43.202 We can create our own hell, 0:03:43.341,0:03:47.440 but we can just as well create heaven. 0:03:51.791,0:03:55.367 Karma Heaven or hell. 0:03:57.751,0:04:00.204 (People talking, market and traffic sounds) 0:04:12.912,0:04:14.906 Wherever we look in this universe, 0:04:14.906,0:04:18.702 there is cause and effect. 0:04:18.702,0:04:22.279 Nothing ever happens out of thin air. 0:04:26.648,0:04:30.272 This law of cause and effect also applies 0:04:30.318,0:04:32.217 to our destiny. 0:04:32.217,0:04:36.038 To the way our life evolves. 0:04:36.069,0:04:40.046 Whatever we do, whatever we even think 0:04:40.046,0:04:43.036 will have some effect on our life. 0:04:43.036,0:04:47.038 Even if just a tiny little bit. 0:04:49.407,0:04:51.741 Our thoughts and feelings 0:04:51.895,0:04:56.363 form the world within us. 0:04:57.717,0:04:59.393 Our words and actions 0:04:59.393,0:05:04.057 form the world around us. 0:05:17.918,0:05:22.325 We are constantly shaping our world. 0:05:23.633,0:05:28.600 And we are shaping our life, little by little. 0:05:29.923,0:05:33.826 Because for every cause, 0:05:33.964,0:05:37.707 there must be an effect. 0:05:45.042,0:05:47.647 Karma Cause and effect 0:05:51.847,0:05:53.884 (Birds chirping) 0:05:54.807,0:05:56.383 Whatever we do or think 0:05:56.383,0:06:02.627 shapes our world, a tiny little bit. 0:06:04.057,0:06:07.269 Be towards greed and anger 0:06:07.730,0:06:12.452 or be it towards love and kindness. 0:06:14.529,0:06:18.005 We can increase suffering in our world 0:06:18.005,0:06:20.797 or we can prevent suffering. 0:06:21.289,0:06:26.675 It is up to us. 0:06:32.228,0:06:35.558 Karma We shape our world. 0:06:36.173,0:06:40.165 So our actions directly affect our world. 0:06:40.180,0:06:44.153 Our own as well as other people's world. 0:06:44.707,0:06:49.252 Because from a Buddhist perspective all is one. 0:06:49.252,0:06:52.618 Nothing is separate. All is connected. 0:06:52.618,0:06:55.703 We are all connected. 0:06:56.073,0:06:59.922 Our own future and the future of others. 0:06:59.922,0:07:04.934 They interact like cogwheels in a clock. 0:07:04.934,0:07:11.894 They are one. 0:07:16.913,0:07:19.869 Karma All is one 0:07:20.685,0:07:22.148 (Birds continue chirping. Piano sound) 0:07:22.856,0:07:27.279 Let's see our life as a garden. 0:07:28.033,0:07:30.235 If we take good care of it, 0:07:30.235,0:07:32.570 it can be beautiful. 0:07:33.370,0:07:36.665 Obviously, this will take time and effort. 0:07:36.695,0:07:37.979 (water sound) 0:07:39.564,0:07:42.325 And obviously there are a lot of things in our garden 0:07:42.325,0:07:44.994 beyond our control. 0:07:45.409,0:07:46.883 The weather, 0:07:46.883,0:07:49.972 the seasons or maybe some other people 0:07:49.972,0:07:54.088 whose intentions are different from ours. 0:07:54.365,0:07:58.056 But, after all, we are the gardener. 0:07:58.641,0:08:00.426 We will determine what our garden 0:08:00.426,0:08:02.356 will finely look like. 0:08:04.798,0:08:08.372 Karma Time and effort 0:08:09.526,0:08:13.670 (Birds chirping and men chanting) 0:08:15.916,0:08:19.708 Our present life is created by our Karma 0:08:19.708,0:08:22.798 We cannot escape it. 0:08:27.506,0:08:30.889 Since we have created suffering in the past, 0:08:30.889,0:08:35.254 there will be future suffering too. 0:08:35.254,0:08:40.830 The future is just the echo of our past actions. 0:08:41.091,0:08:43.596 For a long time, we have been filling 0:08:43.596,0:08:45.086 the world around us with our 0:08:45.086,0:08:48.453 anger and greed. 0:08:49.669,0:08:52.891 And now it is still there. 0:08:53.014,0:08:55.757 For example, in the reactions and the feelings 0:08:55.757,0:09:00.766 of the people around us, in various situations. 0:09:00.996,0:09:04.101 The suffering we have previously created 0:09:04.101,0:09:07.167 will now create new suffering. 0:09:12.420,0:09:14.957 Karma Suffering creates suffering. 0:09:16.711,0:09:18.892 So, is there a way of actually prevent 0:09:18.892,0:09:21.433 future suffering? 0:09:25.479,0:09:30.119 Yes, there is.[br] 0:09:31.135,0:09:32.898 Our past unwholesome Karma is like 0:09:32.898,0:09:36.018 a drop of dirty water on the bottom 0:09:36.018,0:09:37.580 of a big jar. 0:09:38.334,0:09:40.616 It is there. 0:09:41.170,0:09:43.669 We cannot change it. 0:09:43.669,0:09:46.860 We cannot remove it. 0:09:47.198,0:09:50.089 But we can add clean water. 0:09:50.920,0:09:55.548 Drop by drop. Little by little. 0:09:55.886,0:09:59.511 After some time, the jar will contain 0:09:59.511,0:10:06.261 almost perfectly clear water again. 0:10:10.076,0:10:12.942 Karma Drop by drop. 0:10:14.434,0:10:16.331 Since we cannot get rid of our 0:10:16.331,0:10:21.322 unwholesome Karma, 0:10:21.322,0:10:23.070 we need to dilute 0:10:23.070,0:10:27.988 and thereby neutralize it. 0:10:29.741,0:10:35.129 Rather than creating new suffering again and again, 0:10:35.129,0:10:38.608 we need to prevent suffering. 0:10:39.347,0:10:42.825 Therefore, we need to replace our anger 0:10:42.825,0:10:48.191 and greed with love and kindness. 0:10:48.191,0:10:54.230 We need to be in control. 0:10:54.230,0:10:59.793 By meditating we learn to be mindful. 0:11:00.116,0:11:03.390 We learn to be in control of our actions, 0:11:03.390,0:11:05.978 our thoughts and feelings. 0:11:08.332,0:11:10.403 So, finally, 0:11:10.603,0:11:12.133 we will be able to create 0:11:12.133,0:11:14.218 less suffering 0:11:14.557,0:11:17.779 for us and for others. 0:11:22.675,0:11:26.392 Karma Control instead of suffering. 0:11:29.900,0:11:32.694 Our Karma is the bond that ties us 0:11:32.878,0:11:36.532 to past suffering 0:11:36.532,0:11:38.342 and that will create 0:11:38.342,0:11:41.059 future suffering too. 0:11:47.136,0:11:50.527 If we want to be free, we need to cut 0:11:50.527,0:11:51.873 this bond. 0:11:52.596,0:11:55.127 We need to prevent the creation of 0:11:55.127,0:11:58.891 new suffering. 0:11:58.891,0:12:02.763 So our life can be better 0:12:02.763,0:12:05.115 next week, 0:12:05.115,0:12:07.367 next year, 0:12:07.367,0:12:10.548 next life. 0:12:15.651,0:12:19.732 Karma It is up to us 0:12:31.239,0:12:33.589 Everything wholesome. Nothing unwholesome. A Pure mind. 0:12:33.789,0:12:37.772 This is the past, present and future Buddhas' teaching. 0:12:42.564,0:12:45.764 A film by Jorg Dittmar 0:12:47.371,0:12:50.329 Spiritual Guidance Pra Acham Tippakorn Sukhito 0:12:52.914,0:12:55.883 Production Manager Mae Chee Brigitte Schrottenbacher 0:12:57.672,0:13:02.949 Narration Morgan Deare 0:13:03.456,0:13:05.156 Special Thanks 0:13:05.156,0:13:09.923 All Monks at Ban Sawang Jai, Kate Kamolmas Sringam, Jeffrey Wahl 0:13:11.978,0:13:15.062 Music Kosinus 0:13:16.418,0:13:23.772 Start February 2012 in Thailand at Ban Sawang Jai, Pak Chong