Is Nature Fair

The Buddha gave a small collection of teachings called the ‘Five Subjects for Frequent Recollection’ (A 5.57). The first of these is: ‘I am of the nature to age.’ The second is: ‘I am of the nature to sicken.’ The third is: ‘I am of the nature to die.’ The fourth is: ‘All that is mine, beloved and pleasing, will become otherwise, will become separated from me’; and the fifth is: ‘I am the owner of my karma, heir to my karma, born of my karma, related to my karma, abide supported by my karma; whatever karma I shall do, for good or for ill, of that I will be the heir.’

This reflection helps us to develop equanimity, upekkhā, in relationship to our lives. It counteracts the feeling that the gods are being unkind, or that if we do something harmful maybe we’ll get away with it; if nobody notices, we won’t get caught and punished. At the other end of the scale, if we do something good and are worried that we won’t get any beneficial results for it, that we won’t be rewarded or there won’t be a good result, we’re equally the heirs to those good actions too, born of them and abide supported by them. Whatever actions we do, of those we will be the heirs. This is cause and effect. In a way it’s just as inexorable as physics, chemistry and biology. It’s just the way the natural order works, and although these reflections can be very challenging or sobering, they are also gloriously realistic; something in the heart relaxes and says: ‘This is just how it is, this is the natural order of things.’

This reflection by Ajahn Amaro is from Who Is Pulling the Strings? pp. 30-32.