Cause and Effect

We've all heard of the concept of cause and effect. But whilst we might understand it intellectually, we don't always live it as an experience. So, for example, despite knowing that eating too many donuts makes us feel full, we might still repeat the act, perhaps even quite often. Or maybe we're routinely rude or offhand to one particular person, only to be surprised that they're not terribly friendly in return. In fact, if we really examine our life, we'll find countless examples of us doing things repeatedly that don't necessarily lead to a healthier or happier life. Nowhere is this more true than in the mind. So much of our thinking, our conditioning, and the way we react to thoughts in the mind is habitual and it's been going on for a long time. So, even though we have a sense that it's not helpful to get involved in the storylines, we're perhaps not quite sure how to step out of it, so we repeat it over and over and over again. Cause and effect in action. But as we begin to meditate, we start to see these patterns more clearly. In seeing the patterns, we're able to catch ourselves a little earlier, knowing the effect of following that thought or thinking about that thing. It is much more to do with us being aware and at ease, genuinely curious in the causes of both happiness and unhappiness. Understanding cause and effect as an idea is interesting. Knowing it as an experience is life-changing....