What is Affinity?

Question: What do you mean by affinity? By conditions?

Response: An affinity is a favorable relationship. (Enmities are unfavorable relationships.) Conditions are the situations we encounter. Affinity and condition are the same in Chinese, yuan.

For innumer­able lifetimes, we have been creating affinities. When we meet someone and instantly like him, it is due to good affinities from past lifetimes. Instant dislike is due to bad affinities. Actually, we have affinities with all beings. As the Buddha said, all beings have been our parents.

If in our daily interactions with others and situations, we accord with af­finities and conditions, we will be happy. But our contentment will vanish if we seek affinities. As affinities or conditions arise, act on them; but when they are absent, do not try to force some­thing to happen, for to do so will end in frustration. In such cases, the conditions, whether favorable or unfavor­able, to resume past relationships have not matured. The time is not yet right.