For all of us who have pondered the profound questions of, “why am I here on earth” and “what I am meant to do,” the following teaching from Pema Chödrön is a necessary watch.

What I love so much about Pema’s teaching in this video is her simple clarity and her humility.

Pema tells us, “When I am being mistreated…it’s really an opportunity for me to see this is my karma ripening.”

However, Pema admits that this teaching often doesn’t go over well. Because of course, when we are hurting, we don’t want to feel like we are also to blame for the pain. Pema so compassionately mentions in this video—that of course, she would never want anyone to feel that way.

However, Pema goes on to tells us that she “buys” this teaching that we have incarnated before and that we will incarnate again—and therefore what we do in this life matters karmically.

Pema explains, “I realize that whatever is happening to me is my karma ripening, and this is an opportunity to just be finished with it, have it burned up, have it transformed, like those seeds never have to come up again, because of the way I am working with what is happening to me now.”

What karmic opportunity is presenting for you, right now?

Aspiring to Open-Heartedness from Shambhala Publications on Vimeo.

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Author: Ruth Lera

Editor: Sarah Kolkka

Images: Elephant archives