The reflection on karma is meant to give rise to confidence — that you have it within you that you can do this. If your habits are unskillful, you can change them. You approach the present moment with certain intentions, and then you’ll find what you’re looking for.

"Then there’s that reflection on karma. That’s where our refuge is. If you look at it, it says: “We’re owners of our actions, heir to our actions, whatever we do for good or for evil, to that will we fall heir.” And you can focus either on the good or the evil. Karma is scary. There are a lot of things we do that are unskillful and will bear results, one way or another. It’s so easy to slip and forget. That’s one of the reasons why you want to be mindful.

But there’s also the good side to karma — there’s a lot of good that you can develop with your actions. When the Buddha teaches karma, that’s what he focuses on — the good that can be done. This is why the reflection on karma is meant to give rise to confidence — that you have it within you that you can do this. If your habits are unskillful, you can change them. They’re not written in stone. Past karma doesn’t control everything. In fact, your primary experience is what your intentions are right now.

When the Buddha analyzes the causes for suffering, he lines them up so that old karma, which is your experience of the senses, actually comes after your intentions. In other words, you approach the present moment with certain intentions, and then you’ll find what you’re looking for. If you don’t find what you’re looking for, you just keep looking until you get it.

This means that your present intentions have a lot of power. You want to make the most of that."

~ Thanissaro Bhikkhu "Karma as an Island"

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