We want long life, health, beauty, power, wealth, status, and wisdom. But they do not appear randomly or by chance. It is not luck that one is healthy, nor by a lack of luck that another is foolish. Although it may not be clear to us now, such inequality among beings comes about due to individual karma. Each person having once acted and performed deeds eventually reaps the fruit of such actions (even if they are only verbal or mental).
There is great hope in this message, even if we habitually say someone is being unfairly "blamed." If we ourselves experience short life, sickliness, ugliness, insignificance, poverty, low status, or foolishness and one does not like it, there is something one can do.
It is not by chance! It is not random! It is not without many causes. Of all the causes that conspire and yield for us misfortune, the most important is how we conduct ourselves, how we respond (rather than habitually react), how and whom we question, what we develop as a result.
Our future is always in our hands, even if we refuse to steer. If we give away our control, that is also a choice that has consequences for us. How great is the Dharma, this enlightened teaching of truth, that it reveals what we can do to make things better! There is relief now, and great results in the future when we will have no idea what we did right, just as now we have no idea what we did "wrong" that is bringing about our suffering.
To be able to make the "right" kind of karma now is a great blessing. To hear/read/know the Dharma is not an accident, but it is often taken for granted and wasted. Knowing what karma to make much of and what to abandon and disregard is the mark of a wise person. For one is no longer drifting aimlessly, but takes the wheel of life and steers with direction, sharing in the co-creation of the future, enjoying some measure of control over what is to come. And in this very moment, one has available great joy due to that. The Buddha explains.
We have a choice, if only we knew it
1. Thus have I heard. On one occasion the Buddha was living in the city of Savatthi at Jeta's Grove, in Anathapindika's Park.
Then Subha a brahmin boy, Todeyya's son, went to the Enlightened One and exchanged greetings. And when the courteous and amiable talk was done, he sat respectfully to one side and said:
2. "Master Gautama, what is the reason [cause], what is the condition, why is it that inferiority and superiority are met with among human beings? For one meets with short-lived and long-lived, sick and healthy, ugly and beautiful, insignificant and influential, poor and rich, low-status and high-status, foolish and wise people. What is the reason, what is the condition, why is it that superiority and inferiority are met with among beings?"
3. "Brahmin, beings are owners of karma (actions, deeds, intentions), heirs of karma, they have karma as their progenitor, karma as their kin, karma as their resort. It is karma that differentiate beings according to inferiority and superiority."
4. "I do not understand the detailed meaning of Master Gautama's utterance spoken in brief being explained. It would be good if Master Gautama taught me the Dharma so that I might understand the detailed meaning."
"Then listen, brahmin, and heed well what I shall say."
"Even so, Master Gautama!" Subha the brahmin replied. And the Buddha explained:
5. "Brahmin, here some man or woman is a killer of living beings, murderous, bloody-handed, given to blows and violence, merciless to living beings. Due to having performed and completed [undertaken and carried out] such deeds, on the dissolution of the body, after death, that person reappears [is reborn either spontaneously or in the more familiar way through the intermediary of parents] in a state of deprivation, in an unhappy destination, in perdition, even in one of the great hells.
If, on the dissolution of the body, after death, instead of reappearing in a state of deprivation, in an unhappy destination, in perdition, or hell, one comes again to the human state, one is short-lived wherever one is reborn. This is the way that leads to short life, that is to say, to be a killer of living beings, murderous, bloody-handed, given to beating others and violence, merciless to living [sentient] beings.
6. "But here some woman or man, having abandoned the killing of living beings, abstains from killing living beings, lays aside the rod and lays aside the knife, is considerate and merciful and dwells compassionate [with heart trembling and following along with the hearts of those who suffer] for the welfare of all living beings.
Due to having undertaken and carried out such actions [mostly of abstaining from doing harm], on the dissolution of the body, after death, one reappears in [a state of abundance], a happy destination, [in the human world, a fortunate place], even in an exalted heavenly world.
If, on the dissolution of the body, after death, instead of reappearing in a happy destination or in one of the many exalted heavenly worlds, one comes again to the human state [the lowest of all the fortunate states of rebirth], one is long-lived wherever one is reborn. This is the way that leads to long life, that is to say, to have abandoned the killing of living beings, to abstain from killing living beings, to lay aside the rod and lay aside the knife, to be considerate and merciful, and to dwell compassionate [with heart open and responsive] for the welfare of all living beings.
7. "Brahmin, here some man or woman is one who strikes beings with hands or with clods or with sticks or with knives. Due to having undertaken and carried out such actions, on the dissolution of the body, after death, one reappears in a state of deprivation... If instead one comes to the human state, one is sickly wherever one is reborn. This is the way that leads to illness, that is to say, to be one who harms beings with one's hands or with clods or with sticks or with knives. More
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