What Goes Around Comes Around
If we observe carefully, we will find that even two siblings are different. They are brought up in the same family, but why their characters appear to be different? Why do some people enjoy comfort and other suffer? Why do good people who help others experience constant difficulties? Why are their hatred and killing in this world? Why do things happen?
Everything that happens to us is the result of what we thought, said or done in our past lifetimes. We reap what we sow, and we are merely responsible for our actions and that has nothing to do with others. Therefore, it is not the external force or supernatural being that determines the course of our lives. Neither a god nor a Buddha can undergo the consequences on our behalf. Some of us may wonder why we need to undergo such consequences in this present lifetime.
The Buddha told us that due to our deeds in our past lifetimes of what we had done, what we had thought and spoken. Therefore, we have to undergo such consequences in this lifetime. Owing to our present actions of what we do, think and speak, this will determine the consequences that we have to undergo in our future lifetimes. In other words, planting good causes will result in pleasant consequences and planting bad causes will result in unwholesome consequences. If we are stingy or we are too wasteful, we will suffer poverty as a result. If we hold back and do not pass on our informative knowledge to others, we will become ignorant in the future.
From another view of point, if we are kind and practice giving earnestly, we will receive wealth as a result. If we are willing to teach or share our knowledge without holding back any information, we will become wise in future. For those who lack security and courage, we try to encourage them to build up their confidence. Such actions will result in good health and long lives that we will obtain. If we care for others, we will be cared for. If we protect others, we will be protected. If we love others, we will be loved. All these actions are considered wholesome actions.