In Search of Karma
Rev. Mark Stringer
First Unitarian Church of Des Moines
2/9/03

Chalice Lighting (13^th century Chinese poet, Wu-Men)

“Ten thousand flowers in spring,

the moon in autumn,

a cool breeze in summer,

snow in winter.

If your mind isn’t clouded by

Unnecessary things,

This is the best season of your life.”

Meditation for 2/9/03

Creative Spirit, Spirit of Life

That which is greater than all but present in each

Forgive us for our impatience.

Sometimes it is difficult to believe that what we do matters. 
No matter how much we try to be good people,
no matter how we try to understand and love our neighbors,

our good intentions can seem to go for naught. 

When we feel pain

Or discover suffering in the world--

The inequities, the imbalances, the insanity--

We can sometimes want to give up

To escape from the harsh reality of our lives
so we won’t have to care.

And yet, the escape is never a true release

For the world will keep spinning

And the injustices will keep occurring

The healthy will fall ill, the poor will be persecuted

And the promises of youth may go unfulfilled.

So may we discover amidst the disappointments of our lives

The courage to keep going

To do what we can to be gentle with ourselves and with each other

To look past the pessimism always threatening to pull us down…

And toward the optimism that is at the core
of every act of goodness this world has ever known.

In the days ahead, as our country prepares for war,
We will remember and hold in our hearts
 those on all sides of this conflict:
The leaders anxious for a resolution, violent or peaceful--
may they find a stillness to see the impact of their actions.
The soldiers waiting for instructions—
may they find a stillness in the face of uncertainty and turmoil.
And all the innocent people in between—
may we find a stillness to remember
that we are all members of one great human family,
a family who shares one home, this blue green ball of earth,

A family desperate for safety and hungry for peace.

 Amen.

Readings

Our first reading this morning is from American Buddhist nun Pema Chodron:

“…Karma can easily be misunderstood.  People get into a heavy-duty sin and guilt trip, feeling that if things are going wrong, that means they did something bad and they’re being punished.  That’s not the idea at all.  The idea of karma is that you continually get the teachings that you need in order to open your heart.  To the degree that you didn’t understand in the past how to stop protecting your soft spot, how to stop armoring your heart, you’re given this gift of teachings in the form of your life, to give you everything you need to learn how to open further.

“I saw a cartoon that describes this.  A head of iceberg lettuce is sitting in a garden saying, “Oh, no, how did I get in this vegetable garden again?  I wanted to be a wildflower!”  The caption reads, “Oscar is born again as a head of iceberg lettuce in order to overcome his fear of being eaten.”  One can think from a bigger perspective than this whole notion of reward and punishment.  You could see your life as an adult education course.  Some of the curriculum you like and some you don’t like; some of what comes up you find workable, some you don’t.  That’s the curriculum for attaining enlightenment.  The question is, how do you work with it?’”

The second reading is from Jon Kabat-Zinn, author of the meditation manual Wherever You Go There You Are:

“I’ve heard Zen masters say that daily meditation practice could turn bad karma into good karma.  I always chalked this up to a quaint moralistic sales pitch.  It took me years to get to the point.  I guess that’s my karma.

         “Karma means that this happens because that happened.  B is connected in some way to A, every effect has an antecedent cause, and every cause an effect that is its measure and its consequence, at least at the non-quantum level.  Overall, when we speak of a person’s karma, it means the sum total of the person’s direction in life and the tenor of the things that occur around that person, caused by antecedent conditions, actions, thoughts, feelings, sense impressions, desires.  Karma is often wrongly confused with the notion of a fixed destiny.  It is more like an accumulation of tendencies that can lock us into particular behavior patterns, which themselves result in further accumulations of tendencies of a similar nature.  So, it is easy to become imprisoned by our karma and to think that the cause always lies elsewhere—with other people and conditions beyond our control, never within ourselves.  But it is not necessary to be a prisoner of old karma.  It is always possible to change your karma.  You can make new karma.  But there is only one time that you ever have to do it in.  Can you guess when that might be?”

Sermon

One of the more interesting aspects of getting to stand before you and speak about various topics related to this life we share is that often when I have begun working with a topic, it will repeatedly surface.  This week, as I have worked with the concept of karma, I have been in the presence of several people who have used the concept to describe something in their lives.  One friend told me she believes her struggles to accommodate the desires of her ailing mother are increasing her good karma.  Another claimed that passing by a prime parking space one day would improve one’s parking karma for another day. Channel surfing recently, I even came across an episode of Friends, in which Chandler says to Phoebe, “You believe in that karma crap, don’t you?” To which Phoebe replies, “Yeah, by the way, good luck in your next life as a dung beetle.”

Of course, when working with a topic, I also inevitably think about my own experience with it.  I’m not sure when I first became aware of the concept of karma…probably when I was in college.  No doubt a friend of mine told me what he knew—probably something from a world religions class or a beginner’s guide to meditation—and then I figured I knew enough to use the term.  Isn’t life simple at the age of twenty? 

While working as a waiter years ago I began a habit I liked to believe was nurturing my karma.  When dining out, I began leaving bigger tips for the wait staff.  Previously a straight 15% gratuity man, I made the conscious decision to leave tips that totaled twenty percent of the overall bill…and then a dollar or two more.  Each time I pulled out the extra money from my wallet, or wrote the larger amount on the tip line of the credit card receipt, I would remind myself why I was being so generous:  I was doing it to be kind, yes.  And I was doing it because I wanted to pass on the good feelings I had experienced when I received a larger-than-expected tip from a customer.  But I know another factor of my decision to leave bigger tips was that I believed that what goes around, comes around.  I believed my generosity might someday be repaid…if not to me, than to someone else.  I believed my choice to leave bigger tips  was good for my karma.

Now that I no longer wait tables, I still leave generous tips…and I still like to think that I am building good karma by doing so.  But as I have thought about karma this week, I have had to consider just what I, and others, might be talking about when we say “karma”?  Do we really think that there is someone/something somewhere that tallies all of our good and/or generous deeds and then somehow redistributes them to us and to those we love?  Or is karma a concept we embrace because it can take the place of the predestination or divine judge that our UU theologies often deny?  In other words, could it be that we hold on to karma as a motivating concept because it is a kindler, gentler form of justice than a puritanical God who would sit in judgment of its creation?

So this week, I went in search of karma with a focus on the following questions: What might people be talking about when they talk about karma?  How does karma fit into different religious perspectives?  And what can the concept of karma teach us regardless of where we are theologically?

First of all, what is karma?  Simply translated, karma is the Sanskrit word for “action.” Derived from the word kri, which means “to do, to plan, to execute,” karma also means “that which is caused and causing” which implies that no action is independent: Each time we act we do so as part of a bigger network of causes and we set the stage for future reactions or events.

The concept of karma can be found in Eastern philosophies and religions including Jainism, Hinduism, and Buddhism, though it means something different in each.

Jains believe that karma is something to be avoided because it can weigh down the soul like a coat of clay. To Jains, karma is the word for subtle matter that accumulates whenever they act against any of their guiding principles of non-violence, non-possessiveness, or non-absolutism.  Jains acknowledge that human life is inevitably destructive, but they strive to live their lives in such a way as to cause as little harm as possible.  When they do cause harm, they believe their soul is burdened with karma, which holds them back from their goal of accessing higher consciousness.  A quote from a Jain text explains this well.  It reads: “Those who acquire wealth by evil deeds, by adhering to principles which are wrong, fall into the trap of their own passions and are fettered with karma until they sink further down.” (Uttaradhyayana Sutra 4.2)  From the perspective of Jainism, the crooks who once worked at Enron must be up to their necks in karma about now.  A comforting idea to those of us who believe that people who make life difficult for others should be burdened by their own disregard. 

For Hindus, karma is the moral and physical law of cause and effect by which people create their own future destiny by accepting responsibility and accountability for their own thoughts, words, and deeds…individual and collective.  Hindus see every action as karma, and believe the cumulative effect of these actions will have profound effects in this life and in the lives to come.  While a person cannot escape the law of karma, she can utilize karma to her advantage by using judgment and clear-minded reason.  To Hindus, karma is not our fate; it is not an excuse for blind acceptance of the status quo, as though our lives cannot be changed or impacted by our decisions.  On the contrary, the law of karma is actually an incentive to lead a moral and ethical life.  While Hindus acknowledge that we cannot change the circumstances of our past, they trust that we can impact our present and our future through the decisions we make. Hindus believe that each individual soul reincarnates through many births and deaths until all of the karmic results, good and bad, are resolved.  Working with and learning from one’s karma, therefore, is the means by which one can achieve moksha (or salvation from the endless cycle of birth and rebirth). 

Now I’ll humbly admit I have only marginal interest in the idea of reincarnation—even if I have lived before, I don’t recall my past lives and would not be able to do anything about them even if I did.  But I do appreciate the notion that our eternal souls—if we do in fact have them—have the chance to keep coming back until we get it right.  Our souls then are kind of like Rocky Balboa, who believes at the end of Rocky that he will not get a rematch, only to discover that a sequel will offer him another opportunity.

Buddhists hold an understanding of karma similar to that of Hindus, though they do not believe in the existence of an eternal soul waiting to be reborn.  Instead, Buddhists believe that there are planes of existence or metaphysical realities between which we pass on our karma to new life when we die.  The goal of Buddhist practice is Nirvana, or the state in which the flame of all cravings and attachments has been extinguished. For Buddhists, the concept of karma is a component of one of the fundamental doctrines of their philosophy, the law of causal condition.  This law states that all phenomena in the universe are products of complicated causes and effects; therefore all things in the universe have no existence on their own, but are defined by their ever-changing relationships to everything else.  Karma is the application of this law to individuals: our acts of will--our choices and the thoughts that accompany them—impact our perceptions of ourselves and others and therefore influence the direction and meaning of our lives…particularly the degree to which we suffer or liberate ourselves from suffering.

To a Buddhist then, karma is both the way things are and the way we choose to respond.  Karma is the law of cause and effect that reminds us that our actions are like drops in a pond…drops that create ripples that spread out in ever-widening bands…bands that will inevitably impact the ripples from the actions of others.  It is this understanding of karma that parallels the Unitarian Universalist principle to promote respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.

In Buddhist teaching, then, the law of karma is rather simple really.  It says that for every event that occurs, there will follow another event whose existence was caused by the first, and this second event will be pleasant or unpleasant according as its cause was skillful or unskillful.  Whether or not an action is skillful or unskillful depends on the state of mind that accompanies that action.   In Buddhist terms, an action is skillful only if it is not accompanied by craving, resistance, or delusions. 

As I apply the law of karma to examinations of my own life--particularly the impact of skillful and unskillful actions--I can clearly see its truth and wisdom.  Here’s just one recent example.  I share it with the hope that it may help you reflect on your own actions…whether they be skillful or unskillful.

On a Friday morning this past December, not long after seven a.m., I was in my office at home doing some writing. The sky was just starting to color with the promise of the sunrise and I was enjoying my early morning surge of creative energy.  Suddenly I was jarred by a high-pitched whirr of what sounded like a high-powered vacuum cleaner, coming from my neighbor’s driveway.   I looked out the window and saw my neighbor using his gas-powered leaf catcher to suck up leaves that had been lying in his yard and driveway for weeks.  

There were probably many factors that joined forces in me that morning to drive what happened next.  One factor was my displeasure that someone would make so much noise before sunrise doing something that could easily be done at a later time.  Another factor was my memory of some of my previous interactions with this neighbor, times when he had been threatening and generally disrespectful…especially to Susan, who incidentally was still sleeping…if not for long.  And another factor was my craving to be right, to get him to understand how inconsiderate he was being.  

Now any reasoning individual could have seen that this was probably not the best time for me to approach my neighbor, but I was not fully in control of my reasoning powers.  I knew that I was in danger of allowing my anger to get the best of me…and yet, as if I was caught in the pull of his leaf catcher, I couldn’t help myself. In short, the stage was set for me to offer a seriously unskilled response and I didn’t disappoint.

As I stepped into my shoes, threw on my coat, and readied myself for the conversation to come, I was certain that I was in the right (always a sign of danger).  I figured all that I had to do was to offer the neighbor a few choice words and he would see the error of his ways.  How naïve I was! 

I walked outside without fanfare, but with purpose.  As I approached, he saw me coming and switched off the motor.  With the first words out of my mouth…my first opportunity to state my case with adult skill and reason…I chose to speak with the petulant attitude of a teenager berating his sibling.  My opening question was “Do you have to do that now?”  There was no way he could have lobbed back my opening serve, a piercing rhetorical strike meant to begin and conclude the conversation all in one blow.  He had to respond defensively.  Thinking back, I don’t know what else he could have done.  I wasn’t exactly leaving room for the creative interchange I talk so much about from this pulpit.  He quickly became exasperated, verbally throwing up his hands, as though I was infringing on his dignity by questioning why he had chosen to run a leaf catcher before sunrise.  When my opening serve did not result in the ace I had intended and foolishly expected, I was unprepared for his volley.  Caught off guard, I interrupted his defensive return by angrily responding, “The sun isn’t even up yet!”  He quickly repositioned himself for a counter attack in which he listed off all the things he does to be a good neighbor…most of which involved construction projects that to him are improvements, but to me, mostly seem like nuisances.  As he defended himself, I realized how hostile my opening remarks had been and I quickly determined the need to change tactics.  I no longer sought victory.  I just wanted the game to continue long enough for us to understand each other. But by now the tenor of the exchange had already been established and would not be easily altered. I explained that I knew I was coming across as a hothead, and he interrupted saying “You are not coming across as a hothead; you are coming across as a jerk.”

Except he didn’t use the word jerk. 

He used a more descriptive obscenity not usually associated with ministers.  

He turned to go back into his house and I followed, literally pleading with him to not walk away.  We spoke for a few more minutes and eventually parted ways with little agreement reached and a lot of bad karma exchanged.  I went back into the house humiliated, regretful, and fearful that my impetuous actions would lead to future altercations between us. 

From the reading I have done this week, I believe a Jain would say that my fear was a product of the particles of karma I invited by being so reckless with my emotions.  Meanwhile, a Buddhist or a Hindu would tell me that the fear I felt was the unpleasant ripening of my bad karma, my unskillful decision to inflict pain through words.

But what would other religious perspectives say, even those which do not mention karma?  The Bible says “whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.”  (Galatians 6.7)  A proverb from a traditional African religion says “Ashes fly back in the face of him who throws them.” (Yoruba Proverb, Nigeria) And the Qur’an says “Whatever affliction may visit you is for what your own hands have earned.” (Qur’an 42.30)

Yes, most of the world’s religions have some teaching similar to the concept of karma, because these religions are all focused on the achievement of cosmic justice, or, in other words, the need for humans to treat each other with kindness and respect, even when we have been wronged.  This pursuit of cosmic justice, or balance, is at the heart of what I understand as karma, and is also what 19^th century Unitarian Ralph Waldo Emerson articulated in his essay “Compensation,” an essay which highlights how much his transcendental philosophy has in common with Eastern thought.   Emerson wrote, “All infractions of love and equity in our social relations are speedily punished.  They are punished by fear.  Whilst I stand in simple relations to my fellowman, I have no displeasure in meeting him.  We meet as water meets water, or as two currents of air mix, with perfect diffusion and interpenetration of nature.  But as soon as there is any departure from simplicity, and attempt at halfness, or good for me that is not good for him, my neighbor feels the wrong; he shrinks from me as far as I have shrunk from him; his eyes no longer seek mine; there is war between us; there is hate in him and fear in me.”

In the days since our encounter in the driveway, my neighbor and I have made some attempts to work out our differences…mostly through e-mail so as not to risk further misunderstandings.  The good news is that the bad karma--the unskilled actions and reactions we exchanged that December morning—will not solely determine our destiny…the bad karma is simply the ground upon which we will construct our future relationship. As Pema Chodron suggested in this morning’s reading, this karma is just another lesson in the curriculum that is our lives…   the curriculum that can teach us if we only open our hearts.  Yes, each time our paths cross we may be compelled to recall our childish exchange with regret.  And yes, we may wish that the ground upon which we will build were not littered with the wreckage of our past altercations.  But there is no way we can till up the past, no way we can simply bury what has come before as though it didn’t happen.  No one can.  Indeed, we can only work with the circumstances of our lives as they are…we can simply do our best to forgive ourselves and each other, to keep ourselves open to the possibilities, to pursue skillful responses, and to continue to try to do the right thing.

As we face another week of our President and his administration beating the drums of war, I think about our karma as a nation, about the actions we may soon be taking and the possible effects of the likely reactions.

I think about my own emotional reaction to my neighbor and the fear that resulted. 

I think about the difference between skillful and unskillful responses to problems. 

I think about the blinding power of arrogance and the danger of turning our backs on friends and allies. 

I think about the words of Voltaire who wrote, “In speaking against fanaticism, let us not imitate the fanatics: they are sick men in delirium who want to chastise their doctors.”

And I think about all the world leaders engaged in this crisis, wondering if some of them are so caught up in their own moral certainty that they can no longer see options clearly.

 I think about the karma of our nation and I remember the words of Carl Sandburg, who wrote:

“The single clenched fist lifted and ready,

Or the open asking hand held out and waiting.

Choose:

For we meet by one or the other.”

I think about the karma of our nation…and our world…this blue green ball we share…the only home we may ever know…and I hope we do the right thing.

I hope we do the right thing.

Either way, we will all have to face the consequences.

For that is our karma.

Bibliography

Mary Pat Fisher, Living Religions, (Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1997)

Pema Chodron, Start Where You Are, (Boston: Shambhala, 1994)

Ralph Waldo Emerson, “Compensation,” Essays: First Series (1841)

Carl Sandburg, “Choose,” Chicago Poems (Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1992)

Life Prayers, Elizabeth Roberts and Elias Amidon, eds. (San Francisco: Harper, 1996)

© Rev. Mark Stringer, First Unitarian Church of Des Moines  2-9-2003