Into the Heart of Life Read Online Free PDF

pattern. I don’t mean that our life patterns are already woven. We are continually weaving. That’s the whole point.
    The Buddha said that karma is intention. This means that the seeds we sow are influenced not by the actual overt action, but by the motivation behind that action. Whenever we do anything, we can always justify it to ourselves. We always have high and moral reasons for doing whatever we do, and we can usually think of excuses for much of our conduct. But what is the real, underlying reason for what we do and say and think? Because it is that, the genuine reason, not the reason by which we justify ourselves, which is going to color and influence the kinds of seeds that are being sown. That’s one reason why mindfulness is so emphasized in Buddhist practice: we have to become aware not only of the superficial actions, thoughts, and ideas, but of what is really going on underneath. In order to make things very simple, Buddhist psychology divides these motivations into what are called the six roots; three negative roots and three positive roots are seen as underlying incentives for all our actions. Although it’s a great simplification, it’s amazing how such classification does actually clarify what we do and say and think.
    The three negative roots are our old friends the three poisons. That means basic delusion or confusion, greed or desire, and anger or hatred. Any action we perform with an underlying motivation of delusion, greed, or ill will is negative, and it will result eventually in negative effects. Actions we perform with the opposite of that are traditionally known as non-delusion, non-greed, and non-ill will. That means we engage in actions with understanding, or clarity of mind; detachment, or generosity (the opposite of greed is generosity, which means wanting to share and to give, rather than to keep it all for oneself); and loving-kindness and compassion. These three wholesome roots will eventually bring a very good harvest. Therefore, it is necessary for us to understand what we are doing and why we are really doing it, and to allow as much clarity into the situation as possible.
    From a Buddhist point of view, we have all lived countless lifetimes in so many different forms—as male and female, as human beings and as animals, as spirits, and as all sorts of things. There is almost nothing we haven’t done at some time. This is one reason why we’re so connected with all beings—we’ve shared their experiences at some time, even though we’ve now forgotten them. Sometimes we are high, sometimes we are low; sometimes we are poor, sometimes we are rich; sometimes we are very clever, sometimes we are stupid. We’ve done it all. Sometimes we are nice people, and sometimes we’re absolutely awful. Who are we to condemn when we have probably experienced everything at some time or another?
    And because we have planted so many diverse seeds, even if in this lifetime we’ve been really good people, it may be that we have to experience the results of a crop which we sowed at some previous time, one which was very negative. So, despite the fact that we’re very good people—we’ve always been kind and generous—we may yet have a life which is difficult and full of problems, maybe a life with ill-health, or with people cheating us, or whatever. We may feel that this is very unfair: “I’m such a nice person, how can this happen to me?” The reason is that we were not always nice people. Sometimes, we’ve been horrible people. Therefore we have to experience the fruition of those past actions. And we should be grateful, because if we respond with a positive mind now, we transform them from hardship into a teaching on the path, as a way of learning patience and cultivating compassion for the sufferings of others, too. Then we not only plant good seeds for the future, but we exhaust the bad seeds of the past.
    I had a friend who had breast cancer. On the whole, I’m sure she had been a