Our pain and suffering is of our own making. It is never a punishment by someone else for any wrong we have done in the past. Perceptions here and now and forever on depend on the endless reservoir of metal constructs or imprints that are stored in our mind. Perception and actions now condition these past experiences either positively or negatively, which in turn serve as the springboard for future perceptions, thoughts and actions. It is never static. It is a dynamic votex - of past good and bad actions and the present.
Dharma Rakshita (982-1052 CE) was a teacher who composed the “Wheel of Knives - Instructions on Developing a Good Heart” that detail how actions dictate our lives, how karma plays out in our lives. He saw the connection between cause and effect with his vast knowledge, wisdom and insight. He details how our ego and its nature and our self-centered actions come back to affect us causing us pain and suffering. He described in verse past actions as knives in a wheel that afflict one negatively again and again and suggested actions that will neutralize the effect of each creating pleasant conditions.
I have here attempted condense some of the verses identifying current experience of suffering, its causes and the remedy for the end to that suffering by striking at the very heart of it, as said and intended by Dharma Rakshita. I have also stated two of my own at the very end of this condensation.
1.
Cause / Past Actions : Pursue comfort & pleasure
Effect / Present / Current Experience : Pain
2.
Cause / Past Actions : Pursue pain for others
Effect / Present / Current Experience : Surrounded by bliss
3.
Cause / Past Actions : Doing harm to the bodies of other people
Effect / Present / Current Experience : My body is stricken with some unbearable sickness
Remedy : From now on I shall take upon my own body all the sickness that comes to others
4.
Cause / Past Actions : Upsetting other people
Effect / Present / Current Experience : Feel pain inside of my own thoughts
Remedy : Take upon myself the hurt that other feel
5.
Cause / Past Actions : Burdening others financially of thieving, of stealing, of failing to share
Effect / Present / Current Experience : I find myself tormented by feelings of thirst & hunger
Remedy : From now on I shall take upon myself hunger & thirst of others
6.
Cause / Past Actions : Arrogance towards those who are less than me and forcing others to do my work
Effect / Present / Current Experience : I suffer under the service of another whose authority is more
Remedy : From now on I shall force my own body and life in to the service of others
7.
Cause / Past Actions : Mistakes I have made in different things I have said, divisive talk and such
Effect / Present / Current Experience : Unpleasant word from another comes and reaches my ear
Remedy : From now the only thing I will talk bad about it is what I say that's wrong
8.
Cause / Past Actions : Constantly seeing my world as something less than totally pure
Effect / Present / Current Experience : Anytime a single thing strikes me as unpleasant
Remedy : From now on I shall devote myself to seeing things only as purity
9.
Cause / Past Actions : Leading away those who were close to another
Effect / Present / Current Experience : Whenever I find myself with no one to help me, no friends of my own
Remedy : From now on I will never act in a way that makes others lose the ones who are close to them
10.
Cause / Past Actions : Giving up spiritual friends and associating myself with people who have no noble thoughts
Effect / Present / Current Experience : Spiritual kind of person likes me in the least
Remedy : From now on I will give up being close to people like this
11.
Cause / Past Actions : Speaking badly about real spiritual people
Effect / Present / Current Experience : Whenever someone threatens me, or anything like that, says I am bad when I am good
Remedy : From now on I will never say someone good is not, say something bad of others
12.
Cause / Past Actions : Laying to waste the things that others depend on
Effect / Present / Current Experience : When it happens that I suddenly lose all that I need to live on
Remedy : From now on I will always find ways to supply for others things they need to live
13.
Cause / Past Actions : Leading others constantly to do bad deeds
Effect / Present / Current Experience : When I can't think clearly, when I feel depressed at heart
Remedy : From now on I will avoid ever being a reason for others to do something wrong
14.
Cause / Past Actions : Obstructing the work of holy beings
Effect / Present / Current Experience : When the things I try to accomplish never seem to work out, and I feel upset to the core
Remedy : From now on I will give up ever being a hindrance to them
15.
Cause / Past Actions : Hypocrisy in the practice of the Dharma
Effect / Present / Current Experience : When no matter what I do my teacher never seems pleased
Remedy : From now on I will try to be less insincere with my spiritual life
16.
Cause / Past Actions : Not caring from my own side whether I am good, or how what I do affect others
Effect / Present / Current Experience : When everyone around me seem to criticize my every move
Remedy : From now on I will try to avoid doing any actions that are inconsiderate
17.
Cause / Past Actions : Wishing ill on others, splitting people into sides
Effect / Present / Current Experience : When it happens that, as soon as I bring together a group of people around me, they begin to strive against one another
Remedy : From now on I will never wish ill on others but only do them well
18.
Cause / Past Actions : Hiding within me thoughts to bring others harm
Effect / Present / Current Experience : When all those closest to me turn instead to enemies
Remedy : From now on I will try to lessen my tendency of planning to trip up others
19.
Cause / Past Actions : Breaking the rules and sullying myself by the act of wrongly using thoese things that were supposed to be used for Dharma
Effect / Present / Current Experience : When sickness comes to me Pneumonia, fevers of death, cancer, water filling my limbs
Remedy : From now on I will never do anything like stealing objects meant for Dharma use
20.
Cause / Past Actions : Doing those things that I pledged to never do
Effect / Present / Current Experience : When suddenly I am stricken by migraines that wrack my body
Remedy : From now on I will avoid every non-virtuous act
21.
Cause / Past Actions : Following spiritual paths that are better left behind.
Effect / Present / Current Experience : When I find myself unable to understand a single thing
Remedy : From now on I will spend my time in learning and the rest in pursuing spiritual wisdom.
22.
Cause / Past Actions : Behaving in way towards the Dharma that blocks my future understanding
Effect / Present / Current Experience : When I find myself overcome by sleepiness as I try to do my spiritual practices
Remedy : From now on I will undertake any kind of hardship for the sake of my spiritual life
23.
Cause / Past Actions : Failing to think of the fact that I will not be here long and the many other problems of this vicious circle of life
Effect / Present / Current Experience : When my own mind seems o enjoy the mental afflictions within it and constantly wanders away
Remedy : From now on I will try to feel more tired of living here in the cycle of pain.
24.
Cause / Past Actions : Disregarding the laws of karma itself as well as the consequences of the things I do
Effect / Present / Current Experience : When all the activities that I begin go steadily down, then fail
Remedy : From now on I will try my best to collect good karma
25.
Cause / Past Actions : Of putting my hopes in the negative side of things
Effect / Present / Current Experience : When all the attempts I make to honor and offer to holy ones seem to go awry.
Remedy : From now on I will reject negativity
26.
Cause / Past Actions : Of not believing in the Buddha, an enlightened being
Effect / Present / Current Experience : When I find myself unable to seek the help of the Triple Gem
Remedy : From now on I will place myself only in the care of all three of the jewels
27.
Cause / Past Actions : Doing wrong deeds towards Angels and around the teachings of the secret word (sacred words?)
Effect / Present / Current Experience : When I am attacked by worries, by obstacles in my mind, when spirits come to haunt me
Remedy : From now on I will stop all negative thoughts that wander throughout my mind all day
28.
Cause / Past Actions : Forcing Lamas and such to leave behind their homes
Effect / Present / Current Experience : When I find I have no place to stay, wandering helpless here and there, like a bear lost far from home
Remedy : From now on I will never drive away someone from the place they live
29.
Cause / Past Actions : Failing to properly keep my pledges and other such codes
Effect / Present / Current Experience : When disasters like frost or hail or anything like that appear
Remedy : From now on I will keep my pledges and such pure clean.
30.
Cause / Past Actions : Failing to give to others and offer to the jewels
Effect / Present / Current Experience : When my want for things is great and I have nothing to pay for them
Remedy : From now on I will work hard to make offerings and to give
31.
Cause / Past Actions : Making holy images without taking proper care and of letting anger drive me in to a state of turmoil
Effect / Present / Current Experience : When I look ugly to others and those around me insult me for it
Remedy : From now on I will craft these holy images right and learn to endure with patience
32.
Cause / Past Actions : Allowing myself to wallow in negative states of mind
Effect / Present / Current Experience : When no matter what I do I find my peace of mind disturbed by likes and dislikes
Remedy : From now on I will reject all feelings of "you against me".
33.
Cause / Past Actions : Holding in m heart a harmful way of seeing things
Effect / Present / Current Experience : When whatever I undertake fails in the aim I'd hoped for
Remedy : From now on what ever I will do I will do for the sake of others
34.
Cause / Past Actions : Seeking ways to be important in a worldly way
Effect / Present / Current Experience : When I practice Dharma as much as I can but still cannot control my mind
Remedy : From now on I will only hope for freedom, devoting myself to it
35.
Cause / Past Actions : Failing to care for others' feelings, making friends with anyone I meet, pretending to be more than I am
Effect / Present / Current Experience : When I 2nd guess some virtuous thoughts I have had, and start to regret them
Remedy : From now on I will take great care in choosing those I associate with
36.
Cause / Past Actions : Thinking only of me, of pride, of hoping for recognition
Effect / Present / Current Experience : When another person weaves their wiles and totally misleads me
Remedy : From now on I will not let on to anyone all the personal qualities that I've been able to gain
37.
Cause / Past Actions : Failing to consider deep within my thoughts all the troubles the demons can bring
Effect / Present / Current Experience : When all the teaching and learning of Dharma that I do has degenerated in to feelings of liking and dislike
Remedy : From now on I will watch for things that can hurt my practice and give up all of them
38.
Cause / Past Actions : Repaying kindness that others have done for me with the very opposite
Effect / Present / Current Experience : When all things that I have done right suddenly turn in to something wrong
Remedy : From now on I will bow my head and with the utmost respect return each kindness granted
Here are my own:
1.
Cause / Past Actions : Treating both those around me and away from me badly, meanly, with stinginess. People around me are not happy.
Effect / Present / Current Experience : I look for happiness in their faces and find none
Remedy : From now on I will treat all being generously, give unselfishly, without seeking approval and appreciation, giving silently and anonymously
2.
Cause / Past Actions : Shouting to people around me and treating people around me with anger and hatred.
Effect / Present / Current Experience : I feel people around me are bad or against me or not loyal to me or not obedient to me. I feel irritated and angry.
Remedy : From now on I will treat all beings, whoever they are, kindly
No comments:
Post a Comment