Kathok Rigzin Chenpo Rinpoche
Before any misfortune strikes, there is always a sign. An omen will appear for sure. It is only that the person doesn’t notice it, but the sign of the impending misfortune will definitely arise beforehand.
Where does the sign arise? In one’s own mind. What happens in the mind? The virtuous thoughts diminish. When kindness, compassion and purity of mind are fading away, this means that your misfortune is going to ripen soon. The misfortune is not caused by others, it is caused by oneself.
We should not blame others. We always ascribe the problem to others. But actually, it is one’s own problem. If you did not already have the past negative karma as a cause and if you did not have your present non-virtuous frame of mind as a condition to trigger the cause, it would not be possible for the misfortune to ripen.
The teachings of past great masters often mention that when merit is about to be exhausted and misfortune is about to arrive, the first thing that happens is that a non-virtuous thought arises. This refers to a strong non-virtuous thought based on attachment, aversion or ignorance or the mental poisons.
This non-virtuous thought is like a spark that sets off the blazing fire of related past negative karma, then misfortune happens to you.
All of us have encountered many problems and obstacles in our lives. If we observed ourselves carefully, in every single case, before the misfortune struck, there would surely be a negative thought or non-virtuous mentality preceding it.
Our mind-state was most certainly in an unhealthy or unbalanced state. Maybe you had created very heavy karma of anger or desire during that period, or you may have repeatedly committed such karmas, accumulating a snowball effect. You created these negative karmas very eagerly. Thus, your enthusiasm for these negative acts quickly activates similar negative karma from past lives.
If we are presently encountering many obstacles and difficulties, we should not heap non-virtue upon non-virtue. Instead, it is time for us to confess our negativities. If we make confessions and purify sincerely, the present sufferings can become a positive condition for bringing future happiness and good fortune.
Sometimes, just before a great merit ripens, we may meet some misfortune too. Whether this misfortune brings about future good fortune depends on how you react to the suffering.
In your time of greatest pain and sorrow, if you are able to retain your faith in the Triple Gems, correct your mistakes of body, speech, mind and perform strong confession and purification instead, then this suffering becomes a good condition for future great fortune and happiness.
If instead you blame others, complain a lot and indulge in your sorrows, then you accumulate a lot of non-virtues such as anger and dissatisfaction etc, due to this, the suffering could be extended indefinitely.
In such a case, the misfortune will no longer be a herald of coming good fortune; it is not even a purification of your negative karma, because you are continuously creating further negative karma with your attitude and actions.
