“People are Karma-producing machines. That is all we do and all we have ever been doing,” said Jeff Goin, a resident teacher at Vajrarupini Buddhist Center. Karma is the belief that for every action there are effects that occur because of this action. Twenty-five students listened to Goin teach the introductory class, Advice for a Happy Life , based on the teachings of Atisha, a spiritual guide from India. Goin taught on contentment, the third class of a six-part series. “Contentment is happy acceptance of any circumstance we are experiencing. We all want to feel good, to have happiness and contentment. Often we think, ‘I’m a good person. I don’t kick puppies. Why do bad things happen to me?’ It is because of Karma.” Goin said once the students understand Karma, they can understand how the world works and become content. “Karma is built up over multiple lifetimes as you make decisions and later feel the effect of these previous actions. What happens to us is the result of these countless lives before us. Often thousands of years can pass before we will feel the effects of our previous actions. Here lies the key to contentment. If the things you desire do not come, it is due to Karma a long time ago. So keep a happy and relaxed mind. If we are unhappy about someone who is yelling at us, we might as well be unhappy at the tide of the ocean. If we are mad that someone swindled us, we might as well be mad at clouds that bring rain. If you experience praise or blame, if you are poor or have abundant resources, you can be content knowing, I just created the Karma to experience this.”
Full Article: Vajrarupini Buddhist Center