(Prologue: I’ve got first-hand experience that a real understanding of the laws of karma can substantially change our lives for the better. I created this weblog to share information and personal experience with others. May it be of benefit!)

The point……is that we are creating future actions. We can change the course. We are not stuck in our karma. (Class Four, page 86 of the Sutrayana Transcripts)

In previous posts (March 1, 8, 15 and 22, 2009) and on my webpage called Karma’s Big 12 I have discussed the factors that go into creating and maintaining our personal karma.

But we also need to know how we can change our karmic stream.

There are many ways to talk about how to do this.

For today’s post I have chosen what are known in Shambhala Buddhism as The Four Dignities: Tiger, Lion, Garuda and Dragon. To me, they represent the power of good intention.

The role of intention (our motivation, purpose is central in creating our karma – without intention there is no volitional action. Without volitional action, there is no creation of karma. There are only two situations where we are not creating karma: sleeping and meditating. Otherwise, we are engaged in volitional actions.

We can have positive intention or negative – each type produces corresponding karmic effects. <source: Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche>

and

Our intentions create our reality. We each create our own personal realities by what we focus on and intend to happen for our experiences. Therefore we have an enormous responsibility to choose our intentions carefully.<source: Wayne Dyer>

Without intention there is no volitional action. Without volitional action, there is no creation of karma. There are only two situations where we are not creating karma: sleeping and meditating. Otherwise, we are involved in actions.

We need a kind of “insurance policy” so that when we meet with negativity, we meet it with the Four Dignities.

There are many descriptions of the Four Dignities. The description I offer here is taken mainly from a document I received in May 2004 and reflects the theme of this post: how to change our karmic stream by consciously setting our intention every day from one based on confusion to one based on wisdom. The words in <   > are my notes.

The Tiger

The Tiger represents discernment. This is the quality of contemplating and thinking about our actions, the quality we call meek. The Tiger is totally aware of karma. Every decision has repercussions for the future. We need to contemplate whatever we do.

The Tiger is not paranoid; it is just careful, aware of what is going on, and deciding what to do. We ask ourselves: “What is it that I want to do? If I make certain decisions, I will get certain outcomes. That is the law of karma — the basic flow of nature.”

This quality of mindfulness is not arrogant. It is meek. We have enough calmness of mind to reflect on our life.  Knowing what to do, the Tiger has confidence, which is inner strength and peace. Confidence brings further inspiration, exertion and stability.

The Lion

The perky Lion has the quality of coming to a decision. We know what to do.  We understand virtue.  When we make a decision, we ask ourselves, “Will what I do benefit others?  Will what I say help others?” If we decide to gossip or to say or do something aggressive, the reality is that the gossip and aggression will come back to us.. The Lion represents the point in the cycle where we determine our own actions. This is the leap that perky makes.

The Lion is high on the mountain, in the meadows. There is a sense of joy. The way we are leading our lives feels good. We feel lighter. We are released from confusion. We are no longer harming ourselves and others.

The snow lion is delighted because it knows that the virtue of thinking of others brings happiness, while the nonvirtue of self-absorption brings about the setting sun <neuroses; treadmill existence>.

The Garuda

The Garuda is outrageous. The most outrageous thing we can do in this world is to have wisdom and contentment. Outrageousness is appreciating what we have. Being content brings joy in our lives.

The Garuda has gone beyond the conventional way of doing things, which is to be totally fixated, totally attached. We are always wanting something.  We are always hoping it will work out, fearing that it won’t. If we are always holding on, then we will always be suffering, always be discontent, always be anxious. We have to let go, dig deeper and look at the nature of reality <“emptiness; insubstantiality>.

The Garuda understands reality, understands emptiness <i.e. things only exist in terms of causes and conditions, which themselves are changeable>, understands selflessness <going beyond “self” and “other”>. True freedom, true liberation, comes from egolessness.

The Dragon

The Dragon is the complete sense of inscrutability. It is the Great Eastern Sun……It oblierates confusion, petty mind, and cowardice. It is its own nuclear energy source…— the expressive power of basic goodness…genuine compassion….  We are fundamentally awake. We are fundamentally enlightened. We can sit here and have confidence in that, contemplating our good fortune.

Understanding the nature of everything <insubstantiality>, we are no longer fooled by appearances. <i.e. we see appearances as being like an illusion, and understand that they are not ultimately “real” in the sense of permanent, ongoing, solid.>

We visualize the sun in our heart. The warmth radiates outward.  We are here, leading a good life, trying to help others.  We are fundamentally enlightened. This is the final stage of realizing our true, basic goodness.

The descriptions above are based mainly on a talk on The Four Sessions of Basic Goodness. If you want to read more, please click here.

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