A Buddhist answer to the question behind a hard year.
The job was secure until it wasn’t. The plan was sound until the funding moved. The rent went up anyway. If you live and work anywhere around Washington DC right now, you may have caught yourself asking a question you would not say out loud: what did I do to deserve this? Buddhism has an answer, and it is not the one most people expect. Karma is not punishment and it is not fate. It is cause and effect, and it runs in both directions. Your present may reflect past karma. Your future is yours to determine.
Karma is not destiny
The two get confused constantly, and the difference matters. Destiny means the outcome is already decided and your job is to accept it. Karma means something else entirely. Karma is the accumulated weight of your own thoughts, words, and actions, which makes it your own responsibility, and which means it can still be changed by effort. That is the whole difference between a verdict and a starting point.
Join Chief Priest Rev. Sakabe this Sunday for an Introductory Lecture on Karma and Buddhism. Everyone is welcome, and no background in Buddhism is assumed.
Date: Sunday, September 20
Time: 2:00-3:15 pm EDT
Location: Myosenji Temple, 310 University Blvd West, Silver Spring, MD 20901
Format: In person or by livestream. Livestreams are not recorded. Register to receive the link to Sunday’s livestream.
Call 301-593-9397, text 240-681-9397, or email info@nstmyosenji.org with any questions.
**Please note ALL times are Eastern Standard Time (ET). Also, we do not record live streams for future viewing. We do hold our Introductory meetings monthly so if you miss one of the lectures you can attend next month.