Direct Experience. The teachings of Buddha have as one of its fundamental tenets that these teachings should not be believed because of a teacher or because others follow the teachings or because of some rite or ritual. Repeatedly Buddha taught that one should come and see for oneself whether these teachings are true in one’s own direct experience. “Ehi Passika.” is the Pali term for “come and see” (for yourself). And this is what should be done to test whether these (or any) teachings have any useful purpose on the path to liberating freedom of letting go of greed (the wanting mind), hatred (the aversive mind) and Ignorance (mind that doesn’t see clearly). This is the test of whether any spiritual teaching is worth its salt!
Karma- Both Direct and Beyond Direct Experience. It does beg the question of whether there are things beyond our direct experience that also might lead to liberation from the afflictive emotions. Perhaps Karma is a teaching that has experiences that we can see directly as well as aspects that are beyond our direct experience. There are many teachings about Karma. Most of them define karma as “action”. In some teachings karma is meant to explain everything that happens and that our past actions (our karma) sets into motion a series of events that influences present situations. Some teachings imply that karma acts as a universal justice system that guarantees that we all get our “just desserts”. Buddha was a masterful teacher and defined karma in a slightly different way. Buddha defined karma as “intentionality”. It is the intentionality that moves us to act and it is our intentional actions that are put out into the world and have their effect (ripening karma). He taught that karma is just one of the many causes and conditions that influence events.
In an analogy adapted from a contemporary teacher Gil Fronsdal, karma can be described in this way: There is an ocean of causes and effects in the world and karma is one of the causes and conditions that influence results. Think of a lake with a floating white lotus blossom and a small frog sitting on the blossom. Now toss a rock into the lake and watch the wave flow out. Does the frog jump or not? Does the lotus blossom move? Probably it does if the rock was tossed close enough. Now pick up a handful of pebbles and toss them in. Many waves are produced each influencing other waves, the lotus blossom and the frog. The frog jumps (and another wave results). Which pebble made the frog jump? Now let’s all get into the lake and throw our pebbles. Do you see why Buddha said we can never figure out the complexity of how karma works?
The teaching of Karma wasn’t meant to explain everything that happens. If we get sick, get cancer, get assaulted and robbed, or have a roof leak or car problems, it may be just due to bad luck and nothing what so ever to do with any previous intentional actions on our part in this life or previous lives (if you are so inclined). The teaching of karma was meant to show us how intentions sow the seeds of pleasant and unpleasant results and teach us that we are responsible for our actions and their results. When we act from an intention of craving, anger, or delusion there are results. Some results are immediate. The moment we are angry there is an immediate physical effect in our bodies and we suffer. When we act on this anger the results of that action set in motion effects which lead to more unskillful states (if nothing else we have deepened our own habit of anger). In the same way when we act from a place of love and compassion we may experience the feeling of joy. That act has set in motion the circumstances for more skillful actions in the future (by our self and others perhaps). But exactly how this happens is beyond our direct experience. Buddha said we will go crazy if we try to figure how karma works. Unlike protons, electrons, neutrons, and bosons we haven’t yet discovered the “karmaton” which travels out from our actions and influences future results.
Rebirth- Beyond Direct Experience? What about things that are completely beyond our direct experience (at least for most of us), let’s say rebirth! What are we to make of this teaching? Can we suspend our disbelief? This doesn’t mean we believe in rebirth, but that we merely recognize that it may be beyond our direct experience. In 1968 there was a boy born in Sri Lanka named Dhammaruwan. In every way he was a normal baby. At 2-3- years old he began chanting ancient Buddhist Suttas in the Pali language. Pali is the language that the Buddhist scriptural texts were recorded. It is not spoken anywhere in the world except in scholarly Buddhist circles among experts who translate these texts, similar to Latin. At about 10 years old Dhammaruwan began remembering a previous life and in that life he was a chanting monk in Sri Lanka during the 6th century. As an adult he came to the US and taught at Meditation centers. In Sri Lanka his teacher was Bhante Gunaratana. Dhammaruwan now lives in Sri Lanka where he is a single parent raising two daughters. Fortunately when he was chanting these Suttas his parents recorded some of them. They are in a melodic framework that has never been sung or heard before. They last about 30 minutes nonstop. A link to a site where you can listen to his chanting is below. Check it out.
So what are we to make of this 3 year old boy chanting obscure Buddhist chants in an ancient language? Can we suspend our disbelief long enough to consider the possibility of rebirth even though it is beyond our own direct experience. It isn’t important whether you believe in rebirth or not but consider this following exercise. For the next few days examine what your life might be like if you did believe in rebirth. Might this change the way you rush around trying to get as many things done in a day as humanly (and beyond humanly) possible? Would a consideration of just the possibility of rebirth allow you to slow down just a little? What if we aren’t really going to run out of time at the end of this life? Is this a comforting thought? It’s just an exercise after all!
So perhaps we can bring the possibility of things beyond our direct experience into the realm of our direct experience and check it out or “Ehi Passika” as they say in Pali. May you be well, happy and peaceful in this life and perhaps the next !
Dhammaruwn chanting site: www.pirith.org/ Go to site and scroll down to the “Dhammaruwan Story.
