Published Saturday, 16 April 2022
Even those who live wholesome lives
can experience suffering
so long as their acts have not yet borne direct fruits.
However, when the fruits of their actions ripen
the joyful consequences cannot be avoided.Dhammapada v.120
It takes faith to trust in the law of kamma. However, since faith is not as showy as insight, some meditators ignore its place in practice. We are not talking here about naive belief, which easily gets us into trouble. Matured faith takes a lot of work. Perhaps we feel inspired to put effort into developing mindfulness and understanding, but forget to pay attention to that which actually motivates us. Faith is like the juice in the tank. Regardless of how good our car might be, without fuel we won’t get very far. We wouldn’t sit on a chair if we didn’t trust it would support us. We are unlikely to feel really relaxed around someone if we don’t trust them. Trust and faith are powerful motivators. Just because we don’t have all the answers to life’s many complex questions, does not necessarily mean we are failing. Trusting in true principles – Dhamma – and waiting for an answer can sometimes be exactly the right approach.