Question asked by Kiko Cordero
Dear Pastors,
My friend and I were wondering if the "stream of consciousness" has a beginning or starting point. I am a Buddhist and I believe our current manifestation is a direct result of our karma. However my friend asked me if we have a point of origin in which our karmic balance begins at zero, having no negative or positive karma. If we are always a result of our previous karma then it would seem we have no starting point as our existence would be impossible without having lived before. I am having a difficult time understanding this concept. I have looked and not found anything regarding this topic. Thank you for your time.
Dear Kiko Cordero,
There is a long answer and a short answer to your question. But I will give you the short answer. According to the Buddha, it is inconceivable to find a first cause for life or anything else. The beginning of samsara is indiscernible. It is like a cycle. There is no “point of origin” that we can refer to and say “that is the point where I began and at that point I began to create karma”. We cannot find the beginning but we can create a beginning. How? We can draw a circle and draw a line on it. That line is the beginning and the end of the circle. Similarly, we can start our life with this life. Do not worry about our past lives. This precious human life that we have is the result of good karma created in previous lives. Since life is short, we must live meaningfully by practising the Dharma diligently, with integrity and sincerity, and make the most of this life to liberate ourselves from suffering and the causes of our suffering.