[2025 May DCTB Mindfulness Tip]
Within each of us there is always a pull to action, otherwise known as our karmic duty. Karma is an elegant system of continuous creation. Every moving piece within creation has a duty – a pull to action that arises in response to the system as a whole. From droplets of water to birds to people to the earth itself, everything is engaged in a cosmic dance of transformation. If we allow ourselves to move in alignment with our karmic duty, we experience the effortless flow of Eternity. Beyond any sense of duality or separation, we simply do what needs to be done from a place of joyful peace and wonder.
When we claim ownership of karma by being identified as a separate self, we create “personal” karma that keeps us trapped in our ignorance. We create the illusion of control and enter into the game of blame and guilt. Our intellect reasons that if only we could understand the big picture, then we will know what to do. We come up with plans and schemes to maintain a semblance of control. We define ourselves and the world within narrow parameters. This process only strengthens the conviction that we are somehow separate from the dance.
Instead of being in the flow of the river of Reality, we spin in eddy currents or get stuck in stagnant backwater pools. These traps lead to suffering and confusion. The little whirlpool seems to be the entire world, until finally the debris shifts and a torrent unleashes the river once again.
The relative world cycles through creation and destruction, revealing patterns within patterns too vast to comprehend. This endless play of existence and non-existence is not good or bad; it simply is.
We exist, and therefore we have a place here. We have a karmic duty to fulfill. Sometimes we get a glimpse, a feeling that provides a clue of what we are doing in this strange world. And sometimes that spins us deeper into ignorance as we claim ownership of the karmic duty we were brought into existence to accomplish. Instead of acting purely, we add layers of confusion and clinging that cause us and others pain. Pride is a powerful poison that is difficult to resist.
Other times we are lost in despair and clinging stuck in the eddy or backwater pool, and we cannot figure out our next move. Many times, we just want someone to tell us what to do. As we spin in confusion or become frozen by fear, we often think we need to perform grand actions to feel better. But life is actually an orchestra of micro-movements.
To find our way, we approach life with humility – the openness to see what is, without our judgments of what we think should be. This releases the hold of ignorance. To let go of the worry and burden of suffering requires a great deal of trust. Trust in ourselves and trust in the dance of samsara and nirvana – of the relative and the ultimate dimensions of reality.
We begin by simply noticing what we are spontaneously doing. We are breathing. We are seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, and tasting this world. Our heart is beating. None of these micro-movements are happening because we are making them happen. In this simple connection to the senses, we recognize we are not the doer, but rather we are being done.
All of existence, including us, is in constant motion. If we trust that movement, we will find the quiet pull of our karmic duty. It might be a tiny action, like the tap of the triangle that punctuates the melody of life’s music at the right moment. Sometimes our task is challenging and makes us stretch our minds or bodies beyond our comfort zone. Among all the choices before us, there is always one little step that is a bit brighter than all the rest. That is the way. We don’t need to see fireworks or make big jumps; we simply reach towards the glimmer of Light.
There is a quiet satisfaction that comes from doing something that needs to be done. The satisfaction is not born from seeking a desired outcome or reward. It comes from seeing a need and fulfilling it. In doing so, we experience connection with unfiltered Reality. We understand we are all in this unfolding creation together. This is the gift and teaching offered by karmic duty.
When our vision is clear, we notice what needs to be done and we intuitively know if we are the one to do it. With practice, the brightness becomes more obvious and we see Light manifesting as Love. We notice life seeking life. We become awareness aware of awareness. As we recognize our Buddha-nature, we automatically do what needs to be done in service of our karmic duty, in service of Enlightenment manifesting as this world.
The Path of Trikaya Buddhism guides us towards the recognition of our Buddha-nature. It is the way beyond the suffering created by our attachment to our ideas of self and the world. We journey together, providing each other a mirror so we can see where we are stuck in our own minds. Throughout it all, we laugh at the absurdity and celebrate the diverse beauty that we are.
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