Deep within our store consciousness, are all the seeds of all our past thoughts, speech, and deeds. There are seeds of kindness and seeds of treachery. Seeds of suffering and seeds of happiness. Some are large and strong, while others are small and weak.
While we cannot alter the fact that we planted these seeds and carry them with us through innumerable lifetimes, we can choose which seeds to nurture and which to leave untouched.
We can choose to water the seeds of delusion and ignorance, and our suffering will increase. Or, we can tend and care for the seeds of awakening and wisdom, and thus be closer to happiness and liberation.