One recent morning, as I was saying the Daily Recollection, these familiar words suddenly struck me like a sharp electrical shock:
“Whatever I do creates karma, and I shall surely experience this karma.”
I was saying the words, hearing the words, and comprehending the words in a way that I hadn’t before. All these processes were happening at the same time. It truly was like being zapped by an electrical charge.
Soon, I was laughing and smiling. The words suddenly seemed like a brilliant cosmic joke. Had I really not listened to those words before?
Yes, of course, I would surely experience this karma! The karma is inherent in the act of doing. More smiling. More laughing.
For example, when I am engaged in hate, I am the one incurring the damage of that hate, in addition to those around me. The process of hating is the karma. There is no later “pay off” for the hate. In other words, there is not a later time that I will “experience this karma.” The karmic process is the hating, and I am participating in that hate, and the effects are felt as the hate is happening. I noticed that this is all about maintaining ego and maintaining separation. “I” is engaged in a very selfish and small feeding frenzy that serves itself.
The realization about this flowed to the next lines of the Daily Recollection:
“The merit for all good acts I do freely offer to all beings.”
Yes, I thought, as I pondered this phrase. That is also my experience. When I am acting from compassion, all that is left is openness that extends lovingkindness to all beings in all directions. The effect of being expansive and loving to all beings flows through me and to me.
It is interesting that I often think about karma as “my karma” but that then I don’t put any ownership on compassion. My sense is that is because ego is concerned with reifying itself, claiming ownership, and exerting control. Compassion just is. From authenticity, there is no need to be concerned about who the compassion is for or whether the “good acts” belong to anyone. They are freely offered because there are no boundaries in Love. Being loving reaches everyone and all things. It is not owned or contained. I have no experience of wanting to keep loving acts for “myself.” It is interesting how ego loses interest in loving acts and tries to just move on to the next thing that can cause some suffering.
I have noticed that since my realization about karma and process, I have been paying close attention in a new way to everything that I do. Now, every action I take carries great importance in a way I hadn’t considered before. Every act feels like a thrilling opportunity.
“Whatever I do creates karma, and I shall surely experience this karma.
The merit for all good acts I do freely offer to all beings.
Dutiyampi, tatiampi, savaha; again and yet again, may it be so.”
Gassho
Lisa