Purifying Negative Karma

I had earlier written about karma and rebirth. These concepts in Vajrayana Buddhism are very much connected. In my opinion, we cannot understand, no less accept, karma without understanding rebirth.

Karma is cause and effect. Nothing mysterious or strange. It is just simply the word used in Sanskrit to explain the direct connection between the what we do, say, and think to the results. Helpful actions result in creating positive karma. Harmful actions result in creating negative karma

Rebirth is critical because karma with us to future lives. Its not over when we die. Whatever we have done, said and thought not only has an impact on this lifetime but also our future lifetimes.

When we are born, we carry the karma from past lives. So even if we live a pure life from this birth, we can still have unfortunate circumstances arise. These are the result of karmic seeds planted from past lives.

So the question always comes up. Do we have any choice? Will we ultimately suffer the consequences of every harmful act, word, and thought we have ever had from this life as well as all past lives? Fortunately, the answer we can delete negative karma before it sprouts. Yes we do have a choice.

We can purify negative karma. Either karma is purified or it will come to fruition. The same is true when it comes to positive karma as well. Good deeds always have positive results.

Khenpo Choga Rinpoche teaches that the best way to purify negative karma is through our positive thinking, positive words, and positive actions. He is always emphasizing the positive thinking as the start. “Positive thinking” is a tricky matter because there has been so much overuse of the concept by many self-help gurus. When we say it, it has a little different meaning.

First, we need to explain what is meant by thinking. In any situation, we can choose how we think. This moment to moment thinking is to which Khenpo Choga speaks. He says every fraction of a second, we have new thought. We cannot have two thoughts at the same moment. Only one. So in each moment the choice is to maintain positive/beneficial thinking.

Positive thinking from a Buddhist perspective can be summarize into 5 kinds:

Renunciation – Renouncing our self directed, self-focused desires and aversions to the material world.
Compassion – Wish for all sentient being to be free from suffering
Faith – Faith in teachings that lead to awakening
Love – Wish for all sentient beings to be happy.
Wisdom – Awareness with egoless effort to beneficial activity in every situation.

All starts with our thinking and our intentions. The focus of Buddha’s teachings are always place on our intentions and what we are thinking.

Traditionally, a formal way to delete negative karma is with purification practices such as that of Vajrasattva. Simply stated there are 4 “powers” to be applied. First, we call on the power of support from deity or deities manifesting positive attributes. Second, we use the power of regret – regret of the negative actions, words, and thinking we have done in the past. Third, we apply the power of promise – promise to never do such again. Finally, we apply the power of practice – The practice of positive, helpful and beneficial deeds with our body, our speech, and our minds (thinking).

Khenpo Choga Rinpoche’s teachings on deleting negative karma (with positive thinking) goes to the heart of even a purification practice. We can sit down and follow steps 1,2, and 3, however, the real work comes when we get off our seat and set into the world of unpredictable situations. Can we really keep our promise to never do negative actions and have negative thinking? Can we maintain the intention to help all sentient beings be free from suffering and have happiness?

It all comes back to positive thinking…in any situation…in every situation….in every moment.

Many Dharma Blessings,

Geoff