Hey friends, welcome

to your Daily Mindful.

You know, few concepts are as

misunderstood as the concept of karma.

It's often perceived as this

kind of reward and punishment

system that's, you know, woven

into the fabric of the universe.

So people might assume that the more

good deeds they do, the more there'll

be rewarded with good fortune.

Some people might witness somebody

going through something painful

and say, it's just their karma.

They must've created this situation.

It's their fate.

So, you know, there's often this

feeling that the universe is judging,

condemning or elevating us for good

or bad deeds, but that's not quite it.

The word karma means action.

So it's a core concept in both Hinduism

and Buddhism that invites us to recognize

that all of our actions produce effects.

Now the understanding of karma

really helps us to become aware

that every the choice we make has

an effect, it leads to an outcome.

So when we dwell on a thought,

play out an emotion, indulge in a

desire, or take a particular action.

It has a ripple effect.

We set in motion a cause that will have

an effect in our lives and in the lives of

those around us and in some way our every

action ripples out and touches everything.

So in his book, The Wise Heart: A Guide

to the Teachings of Buddhist Psychology,

Jack Kornfield writes this, "A good

way to begin to understand karma is

by observing our own habit patterns."

So when we look at habit and

conditioning, we see and sense

how our brain and consciousness

create these repeating patterns.

If we practice tennis enough, we'll

eventually be able to anticipate

our next hit as soon as the ball

leaves the other players racket.

If we practice being angry all

the time, eventually the slightest

insult will trigger our rage.

These patterns are like a rewriteable CD.

And when they're burned in repeatedly,

the pattern becomes our regular response.

So, you know, modern neuroscience has

demonstrated this quite convincingly

that our repeated patterns of

thought and action actually change

our nervous system and our brain.

Now in the Buddhist teachings on

karma, the intention behind our

actions is of the utmost importance.

Actions taken with virtuous

intentions grow the seeds of

happiness and love in our lives.

Whereas actions that come from

intentions to harm or from greed or

hatred or selfishness will likely

move us and others towards suffering.

And again, all of our actions, whether

the virtuous or not, will ripple

out and affect everything around us.

So mindfulness enables us to choose

our intentions and our actions really

wisely and the inspirational message

of the teachings on karma is that

we're all connected, that our actions

and choices are a powerful force,

not only shaping our own lives, but

also helping to shape life itself.

All of our actions matter.

And the invitation of this teaching

is for us to take responsibility

for our actions and the quality of

our lives, to be custodians of our

bodies, our minds, and the planet,

and to keep choosing to follow a path

that can lead to kindness, connection

and genuine happiness and freedom.