This article is adapted from material used in a prison Dhamma talk.
Let us begin with five minutes of meditation.
Each of you has arrived here through different circumstances and choices in life. This is not a gathering to judge anyone or evaluate their past.
Today, through the Buddha’s teachings, we will look together at how to understand and reduce suffering in this moment, rather than remain caught in blaming the past or condemning ourselves.
We cannot undo what has already happened. But we can see what the mind is following right now. And the words and actions we choose now will influence our future lives.
Even though your body remains here, your mind does not have to remain caught in anger, fear, regret, and despair. When these states arise, you can learn not to follow them automatically.
What I am sharing today is not something you must believe without question. It is an invitation to look for yourself and see whether it helps you. Let us begin here, with the mind as it is now.
We all live under the influence of kamma. Our past words and actions, and the choices we have repeated, have influenced our present states of mind and circumstances. Of course, not every present experience is determined by past kamma alone. Many causes and conditions work together, including the condition of the body, our surroundings, and other people’s actions.
Within these conditions, reactions repeated over a long time can become strong habits, leading us to repeat similar thoughts, words, and actions even when we do not want to. We may feel bound to this flow of kamma, or even enslaved by it. Does this mean that we must be pulled along by it and carry suffering throughout our lives?
No. Kamma is not a fixed destiny. Even when past habits are strong, we can recognize them and cultivate a different direction.
Our past words and actions continue to influence our lives, but in this very moment we are also creating new kamma through intentional speech and action. The thoughts we continue to follow, and the words and actions we choose, gradually change the direction ahead.
We can follow anger and speak harshly, or recognize that anger has arisen and stop ourselves from speaking. We may become overwhelmed by despair, but we can also recognize it and return to the smallest right action available now.
As these small choices accumulate, old habits gradually weaken, and conditions that support a more peaceful, less painful life develop. In each moment, we can cause a little less harm, be a little more aware, and act a little more wisely. This is the beginning of the path away from a life driven by kamma.
The way to begin is simple. Be aware of and examine your thoughts, words, and bodily actions. Look for greed that tries to hold on, anger that pushes away, or delusion that does not see clearly. You can also notice the feelings and bodily sensations arising with them.
Even when harmful thoughts or impulses arise according to old habits, do not condemn yourself for having them or try to force them away. First recognize, “Ah, this thought has arisen.” Then practice letting it go without continuing to feed it, and refrain from carrying it into harmful speech or action.
Would you like to practice awareness here and now? Take a moment to notice what you are thinking. Once you recognize the thought, return to the present without continuing to follow it. A little later, notice again what thought has arisen. Repeat this three or four times.
By repeatedly watching the mind in this way, you begin to understand that a thought arising and acting on that thought are different things. You gradually become able to pause reactions that once followed automatically. At that point, another choice becomes possible.
Of course, old habits may be strong, and it may take time to pause. When that happens, first recognize that you are caught in the thought, and take three slow, comfortable breaths. If you remain caught in it, try rubbing your hands together and feeling the sensations, or slowly looking around, bringing your attention to your present bodily experience and surroundings. When the mind settles a little, return to what needs to be done now.
Change may appear gradually. One day, you may find yourself pausing in a situation that would once have made you angry, or choosing gentle words instead of harsh ones. As these moments accumulate, the direction of your life also changes little by little.
We cannot undo the past, but we can recognize the mind as it arises now and examine the words and actions that will follow. Continue patiently and steadily: recognize, let go, and cultivate wholesome choices. You can begin in this very moment.
Nancy Acord