You Make Your Karma
We say karma, but actually karma is our mind habit, the usual way that we do things. So if, every morning, you have to have a cup of coffee before you start work, if you do that everyday everyday, then that creates a very strong habit. And if one day there is no coffee, then it will feel very difficult. Because that’s your habit, and it's very hard to break your habit.
But when you practice you are changing your habit. So for example if you go for a meditation retreat, and there is no coffee, you can’t drink coffee. You're sitting there thinking “I want coffee. There is no coffee.” Then what can you do? Then you just have to come back and pay attention to your breath again. Then again this thought: “I want coffee, I really need coffee.” But you can’t get up and go and get it, so you just have to.. ahhh. [Imitates resting into a meditation position.] But what that is doing, is that by taking the energy that normally goes into coffee, and putting that energy into just being aware of what’s going on, you're not putting any more energy into that coffee so much. Then if you do that for some time, then slowly slowly slowly this, I need coffee thing isn’t so strong for you. It may appear and you see it and go “OK. No coffee today, that’s fine." So then at that time already you are starting to transform your karma. This is a very simple example but that’s really changing your habits. So you can do this with any of your habits.
So in Buddhism we have a saying “You make your karma.” If you keep thinking “I’m very sad,” “This is not a good situation, I have a very bad life,” then you make that happen. But practice means mind revolution. Just seeing things as they are. Then if you see things clearly for what they are, and if you accept the situation, then your karma starts to change. Because you're not indulging in the habits of your negative thinking or negative habits. And slowly slowly things start to change.
If you don’t hold your own opinion, if you don’t hold your condition, if you don’t hold your situation, and you just practice, then slowly you digest everything and it becomes your wisdom.