Transcend Karma and Focus on the Future

The story goes that once upon a time two holy men were traveling together through the country. They came upon a lovely young woman who was sitting by the side of a stream, softly crying. When they asked what her troubles were, she told them that she was afraid of drowning if she tried crossing the stream, because she could not swim. One of the monks, without saying a word, knelt and picked up the young woman. He carried her through the water to the other side of the stream, where he climbed on the bank and gently set her down. Happily, she thanked him and then continued on her way, and the two monks continued on their path.

A little while later, the second monk asked his traveling companion why he had carried the woman across the stream. "We took a vow of chastity," he said. "It is forbidden for us to even speak to a woman, so clearly we should never touch one." The first monk looked at his companion and smiled. "When I got to the other side of the stream, you saw that I put her down. Why are you still carrying her?"

The same question applies to every one of us today. Are there things in your life that you have been carrying around, which you should have put down long ago and left behind? Do you harbor feelings of anger, regret, disappointment, despair, or other negative feelings that apply to people, events, or situations that you are not involved in anymore? Why are you so unkind and dispassionate towards yourself? Your life can be equated to the concept of a boat taking you from one side of a river to the other. As the ferry glides across the surface of the water, it leaves behind a wake. This wake should represent your past. And in the same way that a boat's wake doesn't have anything to do with propelling the boat forward, the past moments of your life do not drive you towards your future. What's done is done - as long as you will let it be done. If you continue to look backward you may not be able to avoid running into icebergs and other potential disasters that could jeopardize your entire journey through life. Clinging to the past and daydreaming about the future keeps you from being able to pay your karmic debt and get on with your life. If you simply let got and attend to the current moment, you can witness the path you are traveling, free of further karma, and free of reactions that are still holding you back to the past.

Relax and arrange your body into the meditative posture most comfortable for you. Focus on your breathing, and be conscious of yourself feeling and witnessing the entry, retaining, and exhaling of life-sustaining oxygen. Let your body create a comfortable rhythm of simply being. Begin to visualize, in your mind's eye, the life of your great grandparents. Witness them as infants, having events take place throughout their lives, and then giving birth to your grandparents. Visualize the lives of your grandparents, being born, going through various events of their lives, and then giving birth to your parents. Watch with your mind's eye as your parents go through the events throughout their lives that eventually led to your birth.

Still relaxing, focusing on your breathing, as clearly as you can, allow the events of your life to be displayed on the screen of your mind's eye, like a movie. Do not react emotionally, physically, or mentally; simply watch the events as they unfold. Be as unattached emotionally as the monk who carried the woman across the water to the other side of the stream. And just like that holy man, purposely put down and leave behind all the events in your past that have led you to being here, in the present. Realize that your past is just that - your Past. You are now riding in the ferry of your life, and if you look backward into the wake of your past, you will be reattaching yourself to the people who came before you, and to your own karma of the past, along with all the suffering, despair, and sadness that may be attached to it.

Instead of dwelling on past karma, look ahead. Enjoy the ride, anticipating the joy of the future and your intended destination, and live happily ever after.