How To Be Free From Karma And Addictive Behaviour

This is what the Buddhists talk about when it comes to karma; controlled by habitual behavior and conditioned responses, which also seems to be a good definition of addiction. We can also take this to the level of personality and self-identity. A set of behaviors and traits that repeat over time are identified in psychology as a personality, and it is easy to confuse the personality with the person. But personality is just the habit of acting and reacting in a certain way.

Buddhists say that the root of suffering and the basis of being controlled by karma is the belief in a fixed personality that is who you really are and trying to protect that personality from harm and to acquire things that bring it pleasure. Literally attachment and aversion based on a fictional belief in who you are. The antidote to addiction is always contentment. Finding contentment comes from meditation and finding completion in the present moment, without the need for anything extra or anything to be removed.

You can find an enlightened way of being through meditation; First, punch a hole in your usual responses by being the detached witness. This naturally connects you to love and wisdom, the natural scents of non-judgmental witnessing.

The first step to recovering from karma and addictive behavior is to at least suspect that there may be a better way to find happiness than constantly chasing your desires and acting compulsively. That is why enlightenment is taught, to give people hope that a better way of existence exists. Before you can experience it for yourself, it actually takes a little faith and trust that what others have found, you can find too. Trust that there is more happiness to be found in enlightenment than in acquiring the things you crave.

The wisdom that comes from being a silent witness is sensitive and creates an ever new understanding of what is happening in the moment. This current centered intelligence is available to us at any time, but is overwhelmed by the usual habitual responses and therefore never gets the chance to express itself. Seeing every moment as new and fresh brings back to our lives a sense of childlike joy and an inner bliss that chasing your addictions can never compare to.

The way of meditation is to break this cycle of habitual response and get in touch with the sensitivity of natural intelligence. Taoists call this the Tao, a way of being in a ‘Flow’ – attuned to universal forces. This path is not a small, egocentric path, but a universal path that accesses a universal intelligence that contains so much more wisdom than our learned or conditioned responses. You are literally supported by the universe.

Even if you cannot fully embrace or connect with the wisdom of open awareness in the present moment, the act of silent witness provides the inner space and detachment from compulsive actions so that you can make wise choices until you are ultimately fully can be guided by intuitive actions. intelligence.

Another way to say it is; when you can become the consciousness of the sky, you are no longer affected by the passing weather.

A Buddhist practitioner Andrea Pema describes it this way: “Most people rely on the thinking mind as their primary source of decisions. But the thinking mind is based on fixation on thoughts, which creates karma and further connects the thinking mind to the subconscious conditioning. Many decisions are based on feelings that are merely a reproduction of certain conditionings.

There is another source of intelligent decisions; If we have learned in our meditation to be open, aware and thought-free, we can stay in this clear space – silent yet awake, and make decisions from this conscious clarity. It is pure knowing without any thought process intervening. We simply stay in this space and work spontaneously with whatever the present moment brings.

The key is to really know the difference between being controlled by karma (habit energy) or remaining in open natural awareness. Habit can be comfortable and initially stepping outside of karmic responses can be challenging and uncomfortable, and there is a period of withdrawal from giving up the things you crave in an attempt to find satisfaction. But eventually through training you become accustomed to a naturally open consciousness and this becomes the norm; it is an expansive and natural way of being. This natural way of being also automatically includes love and harmony. Nothing else needs to be added. You can finally overcome the compulsion to chase future fulfillment and come home to the natural state of enlightenment.

The natural way is driven by spontaneity and intuition and has no ‘doer’ – there is no ‘self’, there is only the action of inaction. In other words, it’s simple and non-contrived. Since there is no fixed self, only the open space of natural consciousness, no one can be harmed by karma, nor is there any need to exploit others to benefit an imagined self. The enlightened way of being comes from a sense of completion and contentment, and actions arise spontaneously from this wholeness. Because you don’t want anything in the world, you are free from karma and can finally truly enjoy every moment.

Chad Foreman is the founder of The Way of Meditation and has been teaching meditation since 2003, determined to bring authentic meditation practices into the lives of millions of people in the modern world. Chad is a former Buddhist monk who lived in a retreat hut for six years and studied and practiced meditation full-time. He now has over twenty years of experience teaching meditation. Chad likes regularly
Meditation retreats on the Sunshine Coast, Australia
Online meditation coachingprovides three online programs – The 21 Day Meditation Challenge to gradually guide people from the basic principles of mindfulness and relaxation to profound states of consciousness.
Breathwork to help manage stress and go deeper into meditation and
The bliss of inner fire This is a Buddhist tantric method to clear energy blockages and connect with the clear light of bliss. You can also get Chad’s free ebook now Insights on the go.