Knowing, But Not fully Understanding

When we read or hear that our thoughts and actions will have consequences that we will have to bear in the future, many of us say, “Yes, that’s right” and nod in agreement. And while we are reading or listening, we believe and accept. But, how long will we remember and how well will we understand after the book is closed or the speaker has ceased speaking?

We do not truly understand. We have been told, but we cannot remember, we cannot do, and we cannot change. So easily we fall back into those comfortable bad habits of desire and attachment, selfishness and anger. We try: We want to do what is good. We sincerely do not want to hurt another person, put ourselves first at the expense of others, or be consumed again by our anger. But as time passes, we slip back into forgetting.

Maybe, in this age of almost instant communication, we have become desensitized to wrong doings. What’s a little bit more anger? A little bit more hate? A little bit more gossip? A little bit more falsehood? Besides, everyone is doing it. Stealing. Coveting. Lying. People argue, “Surely, the law of cause and effect does not apply to little indiscretions.” But it does. It is a universal law, which means it applies 100 percent—not 60 percent or 80 percent—of the time. In our desensitization, we conveniently rationalize that certain wrong actions are OK to do, and that only certain wrong actions are truly wrong. And so we end up with our own little law of cause and effect. And we end up with knowing—but not fully understanding.

Our old habits blind us to remembering the principle of cause and effect. Maybe, if we can be reminded right away, or just before we do anything wrong, that a wrongful action is forthcoming, maybe we can stop our old bad habits. If only we can, just like when we hit our fingers with a hammer (the cause) we feel pain (the effect), feel the consequences right away, maybe we will stop all our wrongdoings.

The fear of instant repercussions, in this case, instant throbbing pain in the finger, will surely stop further causes. Alas, most times we do not have such instant reminders. And so we slip back again and again, further and further. To knowing, but not fully understanding.

Comments

[Jan W]

Venerable, thank you for this teaching. I need to pay attention to the facts of my actions. I know when I'm about to commit an indescretion, but sometimes I go ahead and commit the negative act anyway. Later, I regret it. In the last week, I have only committed one that I knew I should not have committed. I know this is an improvement for me, but it is not good enough. An idea came that touching my watch, (or touching the beaded bracelet that you have given us as a chanting tool) when such a moment arises may help me to pay attention and do the right thing.
Question: If I include my email address, will others reading the blog has access to it?

[Venerable Wuling]

Excellent idea. Touching our mala, that bracelet of beads, can serve as a gentle “hammer” to remind us of the infallibility of casualty. What we are about to do will have repercussions, we just don’t know when or in what form.

In answer to your question, no, when you enter your email on the form for writing a comment, the email address will not be made public.