Is Your Mind Truly Yours? Karma Is Controlling Your Thoughts

Why do negative thoughts arise without our consent? Venerable Thich Chan Quang explains that the mind has two aspects: one is active and chosen by us, while the other is driven by karma. Understanding this distinction allows us to transform our inner world and live in peace.

A shocking case involving the murder of five family members stunned society. The perpetrator was a worker who had once received kindness from his employer. Yet, just days after committing the crime, he acted with ruthless cruelty, killing the entire family to steal their assets. What arose in his mind? What could compel a human being to overcome fear and even basic humanity to commit such a horrific act?

In an early-year dharma talk, Venerable Thich Chan Quang posed these questions and revealed a profound truth: our mind is not entirely ours. An invisible force—karma—is constantly pushing, influencing, and even controlling our thoughts.

The Mind Does Not Belong to Us

Venerable Chan Quang began with a very practical story. A Buddhist practitioner sent a message, crying because her mind kept generating impure thoughts, fearing she would fall into hell. The teacher simply replied, "Just patiently practice repentance." Why? Because she did not yet understand that those bad thoughts were not created by her true self, but were forced upon her by karmic forces accumulated over many lifetimes. He said:

"This mind does not belong to us. It is heavily influenced by karmic power. Do not assume that your thoughts are generated solely by yourself."

This may sound contradictory. How can our thoughts not be ours? The teacher explained that the mind has two qualities. One is active, where we use reason to weigh options and make choices. The other is passive, where we are compelled by karma to think in certain ways. For example, when you meet someone and suddenly feel dislike without knowing why, or when you love someone so deeply that you cannot stop thinking about them at night. This is karma leading the way.

Three Seconds to Draw a Knife

The teacher spoke of fights that break out during drinking gatherings. Friends and comrades sit happily together, but after a few words of argument, they draw knives and kill each other within three seconds. He asked:

"What happens in those three seconds? Karma pushes so strongly that there is no time for restraint; reason disappears. There is no active mind left to suppress anger. In those three seconds, the mind becomes passive, led by karma, drawing the knife to stab a friend."

This explains acts of brutality that seem unbelievable. Unwholesome karma from past lives acts like a stimulant, causing us to lose all wisdom and end our lives in prison. Therefore, keeping the mind in a state of peace is not just spiritual practice; it is protecting ourselves from the vortex of karma.

Cause and Effect Are Not Just One Fruit

The teacher used the image of a mango tree to explain cause and effect (karmic law). Planting a single mango seed does not produce just one fruit. That seed grows into a whole tree, with many branches, leaves, and fruits. When we perform a good deed, such as helping a poor family celebrate Tet, the result is not only wealth. It brings many other blessings: never suffering hunger, never losing dignity, and most importantly, the mind becomes altruistic and free from sorrow. He emphasized:

"Such cause and effect produces many branches. But among them is a precious branch: it returns to our own mind, reshaping our soul."

Thus, when we wish well for others, we become better first. When we bless each other with sincerity, blessings from merit return immediately. When we give Dharma books to others, our own mind naturally becomes holy. This is the wondrous law.

Our Choice Is to Sow Seeds

The teacher presented a scenario on the second day of Tet. You have three choices: visit your boss, go to the park, or go to the temple. If you decide using reason, you are sowing seeds. If you choose the temple, you direct your mind toward the Buddha's teachings (Dharma), and your life follows the stream of wholesome karma. Conversely, if an urge arises to go to a gambling den that you cannot resist, that is when bad karma is taking control. He said:

"When a thought arises with the strongest intensity and you cannot restrain it, your mind has fallen into a passive state, pressured by karma."

Therefore, we must actively sow good seeds by choosing good environments, good friends, and pure places. Every day, every moment, we can decide the direction of our mind.

Practice for Freedom

As the teacher taught, anyone entering the path of practice must go through a stage of struggling with negative thoughts. Do not despair quickly. Instead, patiently practice repentance, bow to the Buddha, do good deeds, and help others. We will gradually transform karma so it no longer controls us.

Today, as you read these lines, ask yourself: What is happening in my mind? Are any negative thoughts arising? Do not fear them, and do not let them sweep you away. Remember that they are merely karma, not you. With each wholesome choice, you become freer, creating a holy soul for yourself. Starting from this very moment, choose a pure place, a recitation of the Buddha’s name, or an act of love. This is the path to escape karma and find peace.