When you realize that what you’re doing right now is the important part of kamma, and that you’re free not to do something unskillful, then you can realize you don’t have to give into your impulses. That’s when you escape.

"When you realize that what you’re doing right now is the important part of kamma, and that you’re free to do something skillful or not, then you can look into your impulses right now that would try to get you to do something unskillful, and you can say, “I don’t have to follow these.” You can pry into them, look into them, see what’s their allure. And then you can compare the allure with the drawbacks, gain a sense of where the compulsion came from, and realize you don’t have to give into it. That’s when you escape."

~ Thanissaro Bhikkhu "A Generosity of Spirit"

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