‘To tell the cause from the past lifetime, just look at what is being

received in the present.’

Karmic hindrances in this lifetime have been accumulations through

many kalpas. Karma virtuous and evil alike are results of what were

committed ourselves. No one else is to blame. From a realistic perspective,

heaven might seem blamable, but, at the end of the road there

are always traces of hope. Work without tire. There is always a way out.

From the Buddhist perspective, cause and effect though a never-ending

cycle, emulating the Buddha is the practice of cultivating blessedness

and cultivating wisdom, transferring the power of blessedness to enemies

and friends together with debtees through many lifetimes, and even

partaking occasions of offerings and deliverance. The purpose of it

all is at least enabling light retribution for heavy transgression, if not

altogether turning evil cause and evil effect into virtuous result.

Arduous as life is, it may also end up as perfect training ground—

accessory condition—for practitioners.

Further, a survivor of chronic pain certainly knows how to resolve all

calamities and, atop that, how to repeat the names of the Buddhas and

bodhisattvas, chant the sutra and the dharani, leave the past for the

future, work for a positive life, cultivate blessedness and wisdom, and

follow a path of brilliance.

Just remember to commit no evil, practice all good, and purify the mind.

For such is Buddhism.

Don' t feel bad about the environment being too rough and tough or

about having to walk around with the label of underachiever. For the

eight distresses—namely, birth, aging, sickness, death, separation from

the beloved, confronting the abhorred, goals unattainable, and all the

ills of the five skandhas—are facts of life.

Seek to repent in elimination of past karma. For one light alone suffices

ripping 1,000 years of darkness off a cell. In repentance, first, know

own transgression, with all the greed, anger, and ignorance in mind

and killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying, and consumption of

intoxicants in act; and second, be determined never to commit the

same again. There is no way of knowing what evil cause had been from

past lifetimes, but constant abidance by the precepts and discipline

will in time bring about amendment and turn things around.