A lesson from master:
Karma is accumulated by 3 entities that made who we are. The mind, body and spirit. Each area creates a cycle of karma in its own karmic space.
Mind is one area that leads to creation of more karma or it can eliminate past karma. (Both creation and cessation.) Hence, intellectual understanding of spiritual knowledge is needed as a vehicle to reduce and to totally eliminate any negative cycles of karma.
With too much accumulation of karma, it becomes a blockage to become in-sync with the spiritual space where all hidden mysteries of our existence resides. Hence, clearance of karma is essential if one wants to enter entirely into the spiritual space.
Thus, the complete understanding of own mind is the most essential and foremost important subject.
All creation and elimination of karma can start from either one entity; the mind, body, and spirit. Each area will affect and imprint onto one another.
All births are from the accumulation of karmas.
First, understand that Karma takes shape and get into an autonomous cycle based on the input within our mind, body and spirit. Like all nature, there is a cause and effect, a chain cycle.
For example in the nature. With water and fire, a chain water cycle occurs within the physical space. The fire evaporates the water, condensation takes place and become water again. As long as the input of the elements are still in place, the cycle is unstoppable.
Water >> Heat >> Condenses >> Water >> Heat >> Condenses >> Water… (It is infinite.)
Same goes for the mind, body and spirit. For example, as we all know now that anger can lead to more anger, and will lead one to a revengeful state, the input of anger creates a cycle that becomes accumulative and unstoppable.
The physical – Mind & Body Karmic State:
Anger >> Revenge >> Anger >> Revenge >> Anger>> Revenge (It is infinite.)
Creating a cycle of unconscious negative karma.
When you seek revenge, others will seek revenge on you too. (It is a physical level karma that imprints on all 3 states of mind, body and spirit. However, the input starts from the state of the mind.) Such accumulation becomes accumulated imprint on the spiritual state that then leads to deeper unconsciousness.
So, a negative cycle happens from the mind first, then it gets imprinted onto the body, and the nervous system gets affected deeply and leading to more bad choices, and then leading to sickness. That is how many major illness occurs.
Therefore, consciously dealing with the mind has always been the core teachings of Buddhism.
The input on the Body State.
We are what we eat. Certain foods can subtly lead us to a deepen unconscious state triggered by the effects of the food in our nervous system.
Hence, it is best to avoid certain food if one wants to stay at a more heightened conscious state. So, for example it is taught that one should avoid alcohol, drugs and even foods that will heighten the state of the nervous system.
Foods like garlic, sugar, salt, certain spices and certain meats should be eaten in moderation. Or should be totally avoided 5 hours before meditation.
Eating the wrong food may potentially lead one to a deepen unconscious state and thus creating a karmic cycle that becomes unstoppable. The effect is usually subtle but accumulative.
Most of us are no longer sensitive to these effects on our nervous system and mind, since certain foods have been our staple diet since young. Our entire system has been conditioned to handle the effects, and most of us are unconscious about it.
Now, just look at your own eating habits, the food you prefer. It was an unconscious conditioning through the nervous system. This, by itself is a karmic cycle.
Eg. Alcoholism >>> Triggers Nervous System >>> Affecting Judgments >>> Leading to unfavourable actions.
One state leading to another and then to another , and finally creates a non stop cycle.
Remember this, once the state of nervous system is heightened through any sensual form, it will be hard for one to get by with anything less than what was being previously experienced. Hence, leading to a non-stop cycle of seeking for the same or better experience. Thus, sensual pleasures were taught to be best avoided. The expectations will increase each time and will lead one to deep state of unconsciousness. The cycle will only get bigger if one does not choose to be conscious.
“Be watchful of life, don’t avoid everything in life.”
In master’s teachings, awareness and watchfulness of the state of body and mind is more important than avoidance. If you are willing to simply practice awareness and watchfulness of your own state of mind, you will find that it is so much easier than avoidance. Avoidance keeps one unconscious, watchfulness creates and raise consciousness.
The spiritual state of karma
This is where it all begins, the spiritual state. Before your very first birth as a living organism, you were just a consciousness within the spiritual state, the spiritual space. (Evolving from a living organism to human) We were all part of the cosmos that gets separated by series of cause and effects (karma) . Consciousness by itself is a sort of “Matter” but it is not perceivable by the limited ability of our senses. It is our entire nervous system and senses that has blocked us from “seeing” the spiritual consciousness and the truth.
The nature of our mind determines a result or judges based on the stimulus received by our senses. (The physical state of our senses.)Hence, it is difficult to study or to research about consciousness because it is beyond the capabilities of our senses.
In a way, whatever is imprinted onto the consciousness or the spiritual state can be seen by the non-physical third eye when we learn how to enter into the spiritual state.
The truth of all existences resides in the spiritual space.
At the beginning, an accumulation of karma started from the spiritual consciousness and then created the physical state. It is just like how elements of the air, fire, earth, water and metal combines to create the physical state. The interdependency of one another is the karmic structure, without one or the other, the physical state dies off.
All 3 entities of the mind, body and spirit are interdependent on one another, without one or the other, the structure collapses and the body and mind die off, leaving only the accumulated imprints on the spiritual consciousness. These imprints on the consciousness recreates a new physical body and mind once again through a new cycle. (Rebirth.)
All forms of rituals work within the spiritual space or the spiritual state. Whatever changes that occurs in the spiritual space can “inter-affect” the karma of the mind and body, hence leading to a new karmic cycle.