1 00:00:04,610 --> 00:00:07,384 Why is my life the way it is? 2 00:00:07,384 --> 00:00:10,157 (Sounds of birds singing and a bell) 3 00:00:11,269 --> 00:00:17,366 This world it is the way it is because we are the way we are. 4 00:00:18,766 --> 00:00:21,065 (Bell sound) 5 00:00:22,834 --> 00:00:26,380 And we are the way we are because there is Karma 6 00:00:30,530 --> 00:00:34,742 Karma Bond to the Past and Future 7 00:00:36,065 --> 00:00:37,445 (Sound of birds chirping, bells ringing, and a dog barking) 8 00:00:42,019 --> 00:00:47,335 Every morning we wake up to a new day. 9 00:00:55,181 --> 00:01:01,596 but every morning we also wake up to our old life. 10 00:01:02,996 --> 00:01:05,963 To the life that we have created. 11 00:01:08,206 --> 00:01:10,325 (forest sounds as the monk walks through it) 12 00:01:11,340 --> 00:01:12,379 Last week. 13 00:01:12,379 --> 00:01:14,965 Last year 14 00:01:14,965 --> 00:01:17,898 Last life 15 00:01:17,898 --> 00:01:21,349 This is our Karma. 16 00:01:21,349 --> 00:01:23,664 We cannot escape it. 17 00:01:40,831 --> 00:01:41,645 (Chanting) 18 00:01:41,706 --> 00:01:46,425 Karma is a sanscrit word. It means "action". 19 00:01:47,656 --> 00:01:51,941 We can easily see some of our Karma. 20 00:01:52,894 --> 00:01:55,533 Let's just think what we did. 21 00:01:55,871 --> 00:01:57,233 Yesterday. 22 00:01:57,448 --> 00:01:59,087 Last year. 23 00:02:00,118 --> 00:02:02,699 In our childhood. 24 00:02:05,345 --> 00:02:07,367 Or in our last life. 25 00:02:07,552 --> 00:02:11,339 If we can remember that. 26 00:02:12,278 --> 00:02:16,743 What ever we did, this is our Karma. 27 00:02:17,281 --> 00:02:19,839 This has become our life. 28 00:02:20,454 --> 00:02:22,474 Now. 29 00:02:33,556 --> 00:02:37,131 The Buddhist says "Life is about suffering". 30 00:02:45,777 --> 00:02:49,995 Very often we create suffering. 31 00:02:49,995 --> 00:02:51,298 For ourselves 32 00:02:51,298 --> 00:02:55,817 or for others. We know that. 33 00:02:56,401 --> 00:02:59,001 We say bad things. 34 00:02:59,016 --> 00:03:00,763 We're impatient. 35 00:03:00,855 --> 00:03:02,724 We hurt. 36 00:03:11,982 --> 00:03:14,825 We do create suffering around us. 37 00:03:14,856 --> 00:03:21,387 This means we fill our own world with suffering. 38 00:03:24,987 --> 00:03:28,702 How can we expect to find anything else in this world 39 00:03:28,748 --> 00:03:32,086 other than suffering? 40 00:03:35,394 --> 00:03:40,026 We will find exactly what we had previously provided. 41 00:03:40,065 --> 00:03:43,565 We can create our own hell, 42 00:03:43,672 --> 00:03:47,440 but we can just as well create heaven. 43 00:03:56,314 --> 00:03:59,188 (People talking, market and traffic sounds) 44 00:04:12,912 --> 00:04:14,906 Wherever we look in this universe, 45 00:04:14,906 --> 00:04:18,702 there is cause and effect. 46 00:04:18,702 --> 00:04:22,279 Nothing ever happens out of thin air. 47 00:04:26,648 --> 00:04:30,272 This law of cause and effect also applies 48 00:04:30,318 --> 00:04:32,217 to our destiny. 49 00:04:32,217 --> 00:04:36,038 To the way our life evolves. 50 00:04:36,069 --> 00:04:40,046 Whatever we do, whatever we even think 51 00:04:40,046 --> 00:04:43,036 will have some effect on our life. 52 00:04:43,036 --> 00:04:47,038 Even if just a tiny little bit. 53 00:04:49,407 --> 00:04:51,741 Our thoughts and feelings 54 00:04:51,895 --> 00:04:56,363 form the world within us. 55 00:04:57,717 --> 00:04:59,393 Our words and actions 56 00:04:59,393 --> 00:05:04,057 form the world around us. 57 00:05:17,918 --> 00:05:22,325 We are constantly shaping our world. 58 00:05:23,633 --> 00:05:28,600 And we are shaping our life, little by little. 59 00:05:29,923 --> 00:05:33,826 Because for every cause, 60 00:05:33,964 --> 00:05:37,707 there must be an effect. 61 00:05:45,042 --> 00:05:47,647 Karma cause and effect 62 00:05:51,847 --> 00:05:53,884 (Birds chirping) 63 00:05:54,807 --> 00:05:56,383 Whatever we do or think 64 00:05:56,383 --> 00:06:02,627 shapes our world, a tiny little bit. 65 00:06:04,057 --> 00:06:07,269 Be towards greed and anger 66 00:06:07,730 --> 00:06:12,452 or be it towards love and kindness. 67 00:06:14,529 --> 00:06:18,005 We can increase suffering in our world 68 00:06:18,005 --> 00:06:20,797 or we can prevent suffering. 69 00:06:21,289 --> 00:06:26,675 It is up to us. 70 00:06:37,874 --> 00:06:40,165 So our actions directly affect our world. 71 00:06:40,180 --> 00:06:44,153 Our own as well as other people's world. 72 00:06:44,707 --> 00:06:49,252 Because from a Buddhist perspective all is one. 73 00:06:49,252 --> 00:06:52,618 Nothing is separate. All is connected. 74 00:06:52,618 --> 00:06:55,703 We are all connected. 75 00:06:56,073 --> 00:06:59,922 Our own future and the future of others. 76 00:06:59,922 --> 00:07:04,934 They interact like cogwheels in a clock. 77 00:07:04,934 --> 00:07:11,894 They are one. 78 00:07:21,006 --> 00:07:22,333 (Birds continue chirping. Piano sound) 79 00:07:22,856 --> 00:07:27,279 Let's see our life as a garden. 80 00:07:28,033 --> 00:07:30,235 If we take good care of it, 81 00:07:30,235 --> 00:07:32,570 it can be beautiful. 82 00:07:33,370 --> 00:07:36,665 Obviously, this will take time and effort. 83 00:07:36,695 --> 00:07:37,979 (water sound) 84 00:07:39,564 --> 00:07:42,325 And obviously there are a lot of things in our garden 85 00:07:42,325 --> 00:07:44,994 beyond our control. 86 00:07:45,409 --> 00:07:46,883 The weather, 87 00:07:46,883 --> 00:07:49,972 the seasons or maybe some other people 88 00:07:49,972 --> 00:07:54,088 whose intentions are different from ours. 89 00:07:54,365 --> 00:07:58,056 But, after all, we are the gardener. 90 00:07:58,641 --> 00:08:00,426 We will determine what our garden 91 00:08:00,426 --> 00:08:02,356 will finely look like. 92 00:08:10,951 --> 00:08:14,316 (Birds chirping and men chanting) 93 00:08:15,916 --> 00:08:19,708 Our present life is created by our Karma 94 00:08:19,708 --> 00:08:22,798 We cannot escape it. 95 00:08:27,506 --> 00:08:30,889 Since we have created suffering in the past, 96 00:08:30,889 --> 00:08:35,254 there will be future suffering too. 97 00:08:35,254 --> 00:08:40,830 The future is just the echo of our past actions. 98 00:08:41,091 --> 00:08:43,596 For a long time, we have been filling 99 00:08:43,596 --> 00:08:45,086 the world around us with our 100 00:08:45,086 --> 00:08:48,453 anger and greed. 101 00:08:49,669 --> 00:08:52,891 And now it is still there. 102 00:08:53,014 --> 00:08:55,757 For example, in the reactions and the feelings 103 00:08:55,757 --> 00:09:00,766 of the people around us, in various situations. 104 00:09:00,996 --> 00:09:04,101 The suffering we have previously created 105 00:09:04,101 --> 00:09:07,167 will now create new suffering. 106 00:09:16,499 --> 00:09:18,892 So, is there a way of actually prevent 107 00:09:18,892 --> 00:09:21,433 future suffering? 108 00:09:25,479 --> 00:09:30,119 Yes, there is. 109 00:09:31,135 --> 00:09:32,898 Our past unwholesome Karma is like 110 00:09:32,898 --> 00:09:36,018 a drop of dirty water on the bottom 111 00:09:36,018 --> 00:09:37,580 of a big jar. 112 00:09:38,334 --> 00:09:40,616 It is there. 113 00:09:41,170 --> 00:09:43,669 We cannot change it. 114 00:09:43,669 --> 00:09:46,860 We cannot remove it. 115 00:09:47,198 --> 00:09:50,089 But we can add clean water. 116 00:09:50,920 --> 00:09:55,548 Drop by drop. Little by little. 117 00:09:55,886 --> 00:09:59,511 After some time, the jar will contain 118 00:09:59,511 --> 00:10:06,261 almost perfectly clear water again. 119 00:10:14,199 --> 00:10:16,331 Since we cannot get rid of our 120 00:10:16,331 --> 00:10:21,322 unwholesome Karma, 121 00:10:21,322 --> 00:10:23,070 we need to dilute 122 00:10:23,070 --> 00:10:27,988 and thereby neutralize it. 123 00:10:29,741 --> 00:10:35,129 Rather than creating new suffering again and again, 124 00:10:35,129 --> 00:10:38,608 we need to prevent suffering. 125 00:10:39,347 --> 00:10:42,825 Therefore, we need to replace our anger 126 00:10:42,825 --> 00:10:48,191 and greed with love and kindness. 127 00:10:48,191 --> 00:10:54,230 We need to be in control. 128 00:10:54,230 --> 00:10:59,793 By meditating we learn to be mindful. 129 00:11:00,116 --> 00:11:03,390 We learn to be in control of our actions, 130 00:11:03,390 --> 00:11:05,978 our thoughts and feelings. 131 00:11:08,332 --> 00:11:10,403 So, finally, 132 00:11:10,603 --> 00:11:12,133 we will be able to create 133 00:11:12,133 --> 00:11:14,218 less suffering 134 00:11:14,557 --> 00:11:17,779 for us and for others. 135 00:11:29,936 --> 00:11:32,694 Our Karma is the bond that ties us 136 00:11:32,878 --> 00:11:36,532 to past suffering 137 00:11:36,532 --> 00:11:38,342 and that will create 138 00:11:38,342 --> 00:11:41,059 future suffering too. 139 00:11:47,136 --> 00:11:50,527 If we want to be free, we need to cut 140 00:11:50,527 --> 00:11:51,873 this bond. 141 00:11:52,596 --> 00:11:55,127 We need to prevent the creation of 142 00:11:55,127 --> 00:11:58,891 new suffering. 143 00:11:58,891 --> 00:12:02,763 So our life can be better 144 00:12:02,763 --> 00:12:05,115 next week, 145 00:12:05,115 --> 00:12:07,367 next year, 146 00:12:07,367 --> 00:12:10,548 next life.