Karma Is A Picture Show

…of the two truths

Every day – at every moment – karma presents a situation that, in the first instant, is absolutely neutral; it is an experience of pure lights, sounds, tastes, smells, sensations. Depending on the individual, this then gives rise to a mental response (more or less). Karma is the result of previous actions which expresses itself in the present moment: if we remain neutral, no further karma is produced. We usually don’t notice the absolute, neutral state as we have become well and truly caught up in the picture. Just like going to the cinema – if we can step back a little we will recognise and learn something, and find freedom from the screen upon which we are fixating. We are in the present moment more frequently than we think, but that present moment-ness turns into a vacant state.

If we understand that everything is impermanent, we may find beauty both in the situation, and within ourselves. It is in the very understanding that everything is impermanent that the beauty of absolute reality is revealed.

In the autumn, the leaves fall. It’s part of nature’s impermanent beauty. If we are too preoccupied with our fixed view of life, we will miss the beautiful changing of colours. It is the impermanence that is beautiful: if it always stayed the same, we wouldn’t notice anything. Thank goodness for impermanence! A moment’s meeting with another is open and beautiful…after that, fixations close in!

Karma is showing us our reactions and our secondary ‘self’ nature. These reactions are the demon’s tools for imprisoning us (pure awareness) in a samsaric state. This is why the relative world is so important in order to realise absolute reality. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. It is all in the simplicity of spontaneous presence – not being too preoccupied with the next moment!

It is precisely because of recognising impermanence
that absolute reality is known
That is the unity of the two truths!

We are imprisoned by things that have no permanence,
kept in an illusory prison by our belief that everything is solid and real.
Once we recognise the impermanence of the conventional world,
the prison walls collapse.

We may still have to play our part in the game
because we could appear crazy 😉