전생을 알면 현생에서 행복하게 삽니다 ⎮ 부처님 말씀 ⎮ 불교 명언 ⎮ 인생 조언

0:01Are you lying in bed tonight , unable to

0:03easily close your eyes ? When you turn

0:08off the lights and stare up at the

0:10ceiling , thoughts you pushed aside

0:12because you were busy during the day

0:14begin to surface one by one . Worries

0:17about your children , your husband , and

0:20the aches and pains all over your body .

0:23And sometimes , this thought also finds

0:25its way to you . What on earth did I do

0:29in my past life to make this life so

0:31exhausting ? Others seem to live so

0:35comfortably , so why are there so many

0:38obstacles in my path alone ? I know that

0:42feeling . Those who have lived their

0:45whole lives for others are the ones who

0:48harbor this question deep in their

0:49hearts . After getting married , caring

0:53for in-laws , raising children , and

0:55supporting your husband , you thought

0:58you could finally catch your breath ,

1:00but now your body aches , your

1:02children’s lives are complicated , and

1:05a corner of your heart feels hollow and

1:07empty . Then , when someone says in

1:11passing , " It’s all your past karma , "

1:13that statement sits in your heart like

1:16a stone and just won't go away . Some of

1:20you may have even visited a place known

1:22for being accurate to ask about your

1:24past life . After hearing stories that

1:28you were a general or a court lady in a

1:31past life , or that you owed a great

1:33debt to someone , did you feel lighter

1:35on your way home ? Most of the time , it

1:39feels even heavier . This is because you

1:43come to believe there is no way to fix

1:45what has already passed . There are

1:48times when you sit alone in a dark

1:50living room after finishing the evening

1:52dishes , aren't there ? The house that

1:55was once bustling is now so quiet that

1:58you can only hear the ticking of the

2:00clock . When the children's rooms are

2:03empty , your husband has fallen asleep ,

2:06and even the sound of the television is

2:08off , the years you have lived suddenly

2:11come rushing back all at once . I worked

2:14so hard , so why does one corner of my

2:17heart still ache ? At times like that ,

2:21the word " past life " easily enters our

2:24minds and takes root . But what I want

2:28to tell you today is a little different

2:31. The Buddha taught us a much more

2:35certain way to know our past lives .

2:39There is no need to spend money , and no

2:42need to travel far . And when you truly

2:46understand your past life through that

2:49method , fear disappears , and your

2:51present life becomes radiantly bright

2:53instead . This is because a past life is

2:57not a chain that binds us , but rather a

2:59map handed to us so that we may live

3:02well here and now . If you know how to

3:05read that map correctly , you can even

3:07change your destiny . Before we begin

3:10our main story , let me say a quick word

3:14. If you find this video helpful ,

3:17please press the subscribe and like

3:20buttons , and set up notifications so

3:22you can receive new videos immediately .

3:26Now , let's take a deep dive into the

3:29logic of how knowing your past life

3:33changes your present . First , let's take

3:37a quiet look at what happens in our

3:40minds when we hear the word " past life .

3:42" When people hear stories about past

3:46lives , their minds generally flow in

3:49two directions . One direction is

3:52resignation . It's karma from a past

3:54life , so there's nothing I can do . It

3:57is a state of mind that gives up ,

3:59thinking there is no choice but to

4:01endure this life as it is . Another

4:05branch is fear . Did I commit some grave

4:09sin without even knowing it ? When and

4:12how will I be punished for it ? It is a

4:15heart that trembles with anxiety every

4:17single night . Although resignation and

4:21fear may look different on the surface ,

4:24they share the same root . Both treat

4:28the past life like a final verdict that

4:30cannot be changed . Just as a judge’s

4:35gavel seals a decision that cannot be

4:37overturned , they believe that what was

4:40destined in a past life cannot be fixed

4:42in this one . I would like to tell you

4:46the story of a devout woman living in

4:48Gurye , Jeolla-do . She lost her husband

4:51when she was young and raised three

4:54children on her own . She sold rice

4:58cakes at the market , waking up at dawn

5:00to go to the mill and returning late at

5:03night to pack lunches for her children .

5:07Just when her children had grown up and

5:09gone their own ways , allowing her to

5:11finally breathe a sigh of relief , her

5:14youngest son's business failed , leaving

5:16him with heavy debt . That was when

5:19someone said this to her . That in her

5:24past life , she took much from others ,

5:26which is why she has no luck with her

5:28husband or children in this life . After

5:32hearing those words , she lost her smile

5:35for several years . She felt that

5:38nothing she did would work out anyway ,

5:41and even when good things happened , she

5:44couldn't enjoy them , fearing that

5:46something bad would soon follow . A

5:50single remark about a past life had

5:52trapped the rest of her life in the

5:55shadows . There was another person , too .

5:59An elderly person living in Andong ,

6:02Gyeongsang-do , was , conversely , gripped

6:04by fear after hearing about their past

6:07life . If a dream was even slightly

6:10unsettling , they would toss and turn

6:12all night , convinced their past karma

6:14was catching up , and whenever a

6:16grandchild caught a cold , they would

6:18worry if the karma had been passed down

6:20to their children and grandchildren . To

6:24soothe that anxiety , they bought

6:26talismans from here and there and spent

6:28a considerable amount of money on

6:30rituals to ward off misfortune , but

6:32their heart was never at ease . This is

6:36because fear is like a bottomless jar

6:38that can never be filled . Both the one

6:43who resigned and the one who lived in

6:45fear lost their present moment in the

6:47face of the word " past life . " Because

6:51of their past lives , they could not

6:54smile today and could not sleep tonight

6:57. However , this is the exact opposite

7:00of what the Buddha intended when

7:02teaching the law of cause and effect .

7:06The Buddha did not speak of karma to

7:09frighten us , but to teach us to become

7:12masters of our own lives . Therefore ,

7:17these two people's lives can certainly

7:19be changed . This is the very problem we

7:23must solve . Knowing about past lives is

7:27not inherently bad . The problem lies in

7:30misunderstanding and misusing the

7:32concept of past lives . A kitchen knife

7:35in the hands of a skilled mother

7:37creates delicious food , but if held

7:39incorrectly , it can cut one's own hand .

7:43Understanding past lives is just like

7:45this ; if held correctly , it becomes

7:47wisdom that enlivens the present , but

7:50if held wrongly , it becomes a blade

7:52that stabs oneself . Hearing the same

7:56story of a past life , some people

7:59collapse , while others rise anew . The

8:03difference lies not in the content of

8:06the past life , but in the perspective

8:08through which one views that story .

8:11What I wish to speak about today is

8:13precisely that perspective . Then , why

8:16do people end up holding their past

8:19lives incorrectly ? There is only one

8:23reason . It is because they view karma

8:26as words carved into stone . Like an

8:29inscription on a tombstone that never

8:32fades and remains through wind and rain

8:34, they believe the karma of a past life

8:37can never change . In fact , believing

8:41this can be comforting in some ways . If

8:45you blame your difficult life on your

8:48past life , you don’t have to struggle

8:51anymore . If you believe that everything

8:54is predetermined and that your efforts

8:56are futile , you end up letting go of

8:58the work you need to do today . However ,

9:02that comfort is only temporary . While

9:06you sit idly by , life gradually becomes

9:09heavier and your heart grows narrower .

9:14The moment you believe it is carved in

9:17stone , those words truly begin to

9:19harden like stone . But the karma taught

9:23by the Buddha is not like words carved

9:26in stone ; it is more like seeds sown in

9:29the ground . Just because a seed is sown

9:32does not mean it will grow exactly as

9:34it is . It needs sunlight , water , and

9:39fertilizer to sprout . If you do not

9:43water it , it dries up , and if you plant

9:46other seeds too densely nearby , it

9:48loses its vitality and grows weak .

9:52Karma is exactly the same . There is a

9:55teaching in the Sutra of Cause and

9:56Effect . If you wish to know about your

9:59past life , look at what you are

10:01receiving in this life ; if you wish to

10:03know about your next life , look at what

10:05you are creating in this life . In this

10:08one passage , the most certain way to

10:11know your past life is contained . It

10:15means there is no need to look far if

10:17you want to know about your past life .

10:20The life I am receiving right now is a

10:23mirror reflecting my past life . The

10:26people by my side now , the joys and

10:30pains I experience now , and what is and

10:33isn't held in my hands right now . All

10:37of them are the sprouted forms of the

10:40seeds I sowed in my past life . And it

10:43does not stop here ; the next part of

10:45the passage follows . If you wish to

10:48know your next life , look at what you

10:50are creating now . This teaching is

10:53truly precious . The Buddha does not end

10:57at simply telling us about our past

10:59lives , but immediately turns our gaze

11:02back to this very moment . It means that

11:06the past life is for looking into a

11:08mirror , while the future is to be

11:10created by my own hands . Please , think

11:14about it . No one cleans a mirror just

11:17because there is dirt on the face

11:19reflected in it . You must wash your own

11:22face for the reflection to become clean

11:25. If you are unhappy with what you see

11:28in the mirror of your past life , do not

11:31blame the mirror ; simply wash your face

11:34now . Then , the reflection in the mirror

11:38will change accordingly . This is the

11:41true meaning of understanding one's

11:43past life . Do not try to change the

11:46mirror , but wash your face from this

11:48moment on . If you do just that , you can

11:51change your destiny as well . Now , we

11:55will examine the flow of how karma

11:57turns from seed to fruit , broken down

12:00into three stages . Once you understand

12:04this flow , you will naturally realize

12:06why you can live a new life even while

12:08carrying the karma of your past . The

12:12first stage is the stage of sowing

12:14seeds . In Buddhism , karma is divided

12:18into karma of the body , karma of the

12:21mouth , and karma of the mind . Pushing

12:27or helping others with your hands is

12:29body karma , hurting or comforting

12:31others with words is mouth karma , and

12:34hating or cherishing someone in your

12:36heart is mind karma . We live our lives

12:40sowing these three types of seeds

12:42countless times every day . A curt word

12:46to your daughter-in-law on the phone in

12:49the morning is a seed , and a warm

12:51glance at an elderly person collecting

12:54waste on the street is also a seed .

12:57Among these three , the one the Buddha

13:00viewed as the most significant is the

13:02karma of the mind , the karma created by

13:05one's intentions . This is because the

13:09body and mouth only move after the mind

13:11acts first . Even if you greet someone

13:15with a smile , if you feel hatred inside

13:18, that hatred becomes a seed planted

13:21deep within you . Conversely , even if

13:24you do not say a word , if you wish for

13:27that person's well-being in your heart ,

13:30that kind intention is sown as a good

13:32seed . Therefore , the field you must

13:36look after first is the field of your

13:39own mind . In the Cula-kammavibhanga

13:42Sutta of the Majjhima Nikaya , there is

13:44a scene where a young man asks the

13:46Buddha a question . " World-Honored One ,

13:49we are all born as humans , yet some

13:53live long while others die young , some

13:56are sickly while others are healthy ,

13:59and some are poor while others are

14:03prosperous . " " Why do such differences

14:07exist ? " The Buddha replied as follows :

14:11" Beings are the owners of their karma ,

14:14heirs to their karma , born of their

14:17karma , related to their karma , and have

14:20their karma as their refuge . " " It is

14:24karma that distinguishes beings as high

14:27or low . " Hearing these words might feel

14:30frightening at first . However , reflect

14:34upon them carefully . Who did he say is

14:37the master of karma ? It is none other

14:40than yourself . It is not the heavens ,

14:44nor a deity , nor your ancestors . I am

14:48the master . Being the master means you

14:51can manage it according to your own

14:54will . You may not be able to control

14:57how others live , but you can certainly

15:00change how you live your own life . That

15:04you are the master of your own law is

15:06the most daunting , yet simultaneously

15:09the most hopeful , truth . The second

15:12stage is the ripening of the seed . A

15:16seed that is sown does not immediately

15:18become fruit . In between , there must be

15:22a time for ripening and conditions that

15:25make it ripen . In Buddhism , the seed is

15:28called ' cause ' and the conditions that

15:31make it sprout are called ' circumstance

15:33' . Only when these two meet does the

15:36fruit of karma finally bear . Think of

15:40the kimchi-making our mothers used to

15:42do every year . Even when using the same

15:45cabbage , the taste of the kimchi varies

15:47from house to house . The taste depends

15:51on how much it was salted , how it was

15:54seasoned , which jar it was stored in ,

15:58how deep it was buried , and how cold

16:01that winter was . If the cabbage is the

16:05seed , then the salt , seasoning , jar ,

16:08and winter weather are all conditions .

16:12Even if the cabbage is already set ,

16:14depending on how you arrange the

16:16conditions , the kimchi may turn sour ,

16:19or it may stay crisp and flavorful

16:21until the following spring . The karma

16:24of a past life is the same . The seeds

16:28sown in a past life are already inside

16:31of me . There is no way to undo those .

16:36However , it is I who decides in this

16:39life what conditions those seeds meet

16:41and how they ripen . This is the most

16:45important secret of karma . The past

16:49life gave the seed , but I create the

16:51conditions now . Depending on what

16:55conditions you set from now on , the

16:57same seed can become a completely

16:59different fruit . That is why you can

17:02change your fate . In the Agama Sutra ,

17:05there is a salt parable that explains

17:08this very simply . The Buddha said : If

17:11you put a handful of salt into a small

17:14bowl of water , the water becomes too

17:17salty to drink . But if you put the same

17:21handful of salt into a large river , the

17:24water does not become salty at all and

17:27can be drunk freely . Likewise , a person

17:31who has not cultivated their body and

17:33mind suffers greatly from a small evil

17:36deed , but a person who has

17:37well-cultivated their body and mind

17:39experiences the effects of the same

17:42evil deed lightly and moves on . What

17:45does this parable tell us ? The handful

17:49of salt from a past life is already

17:52fixed . But I can decide for myself the

17:55size of the water in which that salt

17:58will dissolve . If your mind is narrow

18:02and small , the salt enters a bowl-sized

18:04vessel , and life feels entirely salty

18:07and bitter . However , if you broaden

18:10your mind and accumulate good deeds ,

18:13your mind becomes a great river , and

18:16even if the same salt enters , you can

18:18let it flow away without barely tasting

18:21it . Although you cannot eliminate the

18:24karma of a past life , you can expand

18:26the vessel that holds that karma as

18:28much as you want from now on . The third

18:31stage is the stage of receiving the

18:33fruit . When seeds meet the right

18:36conditions and ripen , they finally bear

18:39fruit . This is called karmic

18:42retribution . Ancient masters taught

18:45that the timing of this fruit bearing

18:48comes in three ways . There is fruit

18:51received in the same life it was sown ,

18:54fruit received in the next life , and

18:57fruit received in lives far in the

18:59future . Therefore , some things I

19:04experience now are the fruits of seeds

19:07sown in my youth , while others are

19:10fruits carried over from past lives .

19:14This is why such things happen . Some

19:18people feel sad , wondering why

19:20blessings do not come to them even

19:22though they have lived a good life .

19:26Conversely , there are times when those

19:29who are harsh to others seem to live

19:32well . However , this is because the time

19:35for the fruit to ripen is different for

19:37everyone . Just as a persimmon tree

19:40planted in spring does not immediately

19:43bear fruit that autumn , good seeds also

19:46need time to ripen . Just because you

19:49cannot see it now does not mean it is

19:51not there . The good seeds you have sown

19:55are silently taking root deep in the

19:57earth , waiting for their time . There is

20:02something you must keep in mind here .

20:05The moment you receive the fruit is the

20:08very moment that karma ends . Just as a

20:12debt document is torn up when a debt is

20:14paid , once you receive the retribution ,

20:17that karma is finished . Yet , when

20:20people receive the fruit , they often

20:22feel resentment . They grit their teeth ,

20:26asking why it had to be them , or why it

20:28had to be now . Then what happens ? The

20:33old debt document was torn , but it is

20:36as if you are stamping a new one called

20:39resentment . The place where you receive

20:43your retribution becomes the place

20:44where you create new karma . Think of a

20:48jar platform . When you open a soybean

20:52paste jar and see mold on top , some

20:55people get upset and throw the whole

20:58thing away . However , a mother who has

21:02managed a household for a long time

21:05quietly removes only the moldy top and

21:08lets it air out on a sunny day . Then

21:12the soybean paste regains its deep ,

21:14original flavor . It is the same when

21:18painful retribution arrives . If you

21:21throw it away in anger , new wounds are

21:23created , but if you quietly remove it

21:26and let the sunlight in , the karma

21:28clears up right there . Thus , there is

21:31the stage of sowing seeds , the stage of

21:34meeting conditions and ripening , and

21:36the stage of receiving the fruit . Once

21:38you know these three stages , you

21:40realize that the karma of your past

21:43life is not an irrevocable verdict . In

21:47the first stage , we can choose new

21:50seeds ; in the second , we can provide

21:53new conditions ; and in the third , we

21:55can change our attitude toward

21:58receiving the fruit . In all three

22:02stages , there is a place where my own

22:04hands can reach . Because even though

22:07the past is already gone , this very

22:10moment is still in my hands . So , you

22:14can change your destiny . Then ,

22:17specifically , what should you do and

22:20how ? I will tell you four ways to

22:23transplant the wisdom of knowing past

22:25lives into your current life . I hope

22:29you can hold at least one of these in

22:31your heart before you go to sleep

22:33tonight . First , accept what you are

22:37receiving right now without resentment .

22:41According to the law of karma ,

22:43everything I receive now is a mirror of

22:46my past life . If so , the suffering you

22:50are experiencing now is also a way of

22:52repaying debts from your past life .

22:56When a creditor comes knocking on your

22:59door , if you lock it and hide , the debt

23:01remains and interest accrues . However ,

23:05if you open the door and ask , " Are you

23:07here ? " " I should pay you back . " And if

23:10you calmly pay it off , the debt ends

23:12that very day . When your

23:15daughter-in-law hurts your feelings ,

23:17your child acts indifferent , or your

23:20husband says something that scrapes at

23:22your heart , try thinking this to

23:24yourself in that moment . " Ah , I must

23:27have caused this person this much hurt

23:30in my past life . " " Today , I am paying

23:34off one debt with this . " The moment you

23:37set your heart this way , a strange

23:39thing happens . The resentment that

23:42flared like fire inside your chest

23:44gradually subsides , and the other

23:46person's words no longer sting as

23:49deeply as before . A woman living in

23:52Gyeonggi-do lived with her

23:55mother-in-law for 30 years . Her

23:58mother-in-law was exceptionally

24:01sharp-tongued ; whenever she served a

24:03meal , the mother-in-law would complain

24:05it was too salty or that the side

24:08dishes were insincere , never letting it

24:10pass easily . Every time , the woman

24:14would grit her teeth and secretly wipe

24:17away tears in front of the sink . Then

24:21one day , after hearing this teaching at

24:23a temple , she began to repeat to

24:25herself , " I paid off another one today ,

24:28" whenever her mother-in-law said

24:30something harsh . At first , she did it

24:34forcedly , but after a few months , her

24:37heart truly hurt less , and after a few

24:39years , she even began to see the

24:41loneliness hidden behind her

24:43mother-in-law's harsh words . It is said

24:47that the last words her mother-in-law

24:49said before passing away were , " Thank

24:51you for everything . " And , " I am so

24:54sorry to you . " There is a saying like

24:58this in the Buddhist scriptures .

25:00Resentment is never resolved by

25:02resentment . It is resolved only when

25:05you let go of the resentment . This is

25:08an eternal and unchanging truth . If you

25:12try to untie a knot that came from a

25:14past life with resentment , the knot

25:16only tightens further . It is like

25:20pulling on a tangled ball of yarn ; it

25:23only gets more tangled . How did our

25:27mothers untangle a ball of yarn ? They

25:31didn't pull on it , but let it hang

25:33loosely and then carefully unraveled it

25:36strand by strand . Accepting is

25:38precisely the act of letting go of that

25:41tension . You must let go of the tension

25:44for the knot to loosen . Of course ,

25:47telling you to accept doesn't mean you

25:49should force yourself to endure

25:51everything . You should be able to say

25:55when something is unfair , and know when

25:57to quietly step away from situations

26:00that harm you . But doing all those

26:04things without planting new seeds of

26:07resentment in your heart — that is

26:10acceptance . It means doing what must be

26:13done , yet keeping your heart as calm as

26:16someone paying off a debt . By doing

26:19just this , the karma carried over from

26:21your past life will quietly resolve

26:23itself one by one in this life . With

26:25this one mindset , you can even change

26:27the tangled , complex relationships

26:29between people . From now on , hold onto

26:33this phrase instead of resentment . " I

26:36have paid off one more thing today . "

26:39Second , cultivate the habit of

26:41repentance before you sleep . Many

26:45people feel that repentance is

26:47something heavy and difficult . You

26:51might think you need to bow 3,000 times

26:54at a temple or kneel before a great

26:57monk . However , the true meaning of

27:01repentance is very simple . It is

27:04recognizing your mistakes and turning

27:07your heart toward never repeating them .

27:11In the Thousand Hands Sutra , there is a

27:13verse about repentance . " Sin has no

27:17fixed nature and arises from the mind ;

27:20if the mind vanishes , the sin vanishes

27:22as well . " " When both sin and mind vanish

27:27and become void , this is called true

27:30repentance . " I do not know how great a

27:33comfort these words provide . It was

27:37said that sin has no fixed nature . It

27:41is not something frozen solid like a

27:43stone , but something that arises with

27:46the mind and fades with the mind . Even

27:50if it is a sin from a past life , if the

27:53heart holding onto it melts , the sin

27:55melts along with it . Therefore , you can

27:59change your fate through repentance

28:01alone . The method of repentance is not

28:04difficult . Tonight , lie down in your

28:08bed and gently place your hands over

28:10your chest . And slowly look back on

28:15your day . Examine if you committed any

28:19physical wrongs , hurt someone with your

28:23words , or hated anyone in your heart .

28:28If something comes to mind , picture

28:31that person’s face and say to

28:33yourself . " I am sorry . " " I was wrong . "

28:38And at the very end , add this . " I

28:42sincerely repent for all the wrongs I

28:44have committed , knowingly or

28:46unknowingly , in this life and past

28:48lives . " Repeat it slowly just three

28:52times . We cannot know everything we did

28:56in our past lives . But just because we

28:59cannot know does not mean we cannot

29:02repent . The mindset of letting go of

29:04everything you have done , knowingly or

29:06unknowingly , all at once . That heart

29:09reaches even to the karma of your past

29:11lives . Perhaps it is an act of mercy

29:15that we cannot remember our past lives

29:18in detail . If we remembered all the

29:21wrongs of past lives , we would be

29:23crushed by the weight and unable to

29:26take a single step today . Because we

29:29cannot remember it all , we can bundle

29:32everything done , knowingly or

29:34unknowingly , and let it go at once .

29:37From now on , let tonight be your first

29:41day . There is one thing to be careful

29:44of here . Repentance is not about

29:47scolding yourself . Why am I like this ?

29:51Thinking you deserve to be punished and

29:54lashing yourself is not repentance ; it

29:57is simply creating another form of

30:00suffering . Think back to the old days

30:03of washing clothes by the creek . When

30:06mothers beat the clothes with a laundry

30:08bat , they were not trying to tear the

30:11fabric , but to remove the dirt . If you

30:14beat them too hard , the fabric gets

30:16damaged . Repentance , too , must be done

30:19with the right amount of force and a

30:21heart that cherishes yourself . Once the

30:24dirt is removed , you just need to rinse

30:26the garment in clear water and hang it

30:28in the sun . Once finished , let go of

30:32the matter and go to sleep in peace .

30:37Third , plant one small seed of kindness

30:40every day . Recall the latter part of

30:44the Sutra of Cause and Effect . If you

30:47want to know your next life , look at

30:49what you are creating now . Just as we

30:52are harvesting the seeds sown in our

30:55past lives , the seeds we sow now shape

30:58the rest of this life and our next life

31:01. Therefore , what you sow today is what

31:05creates the " you " of tomorrow . Some

31:10people say this : " I have nothing , so I

31:13cannot give . " However , the Zabo Sutra

31:18lists seven forms of giving that

31:20require no material wealth . Giving with

31:24a soft and bright face , giving with

31:28warm and kind words , giving with a

31:31sincere heart , giving with a gentle

31:34gaze , giving by using your body to help

31:37others , giving by offering your seat ,

31:40and giving by sensing others ' hearts

31:44without being told . Is there a single

31:48thing among these that costs money ?

31:51There is not one . Bowing your head to

31:54greet the security guard as you pass by

31:56, saying " Thank you for your hard work .

31:59" Giving up your seat on the bus to

32:01someone carrying a heavy load . Thanking

32:05your daughter for calling when she is

32:07busy after a long time . These are all

32:10wonderful acts of giving . Even if you

32:14plant just one small seed like this

32:17every day , over 300 seeds will be sown

32:20in your field after a year . In old

32:23rural villages , there was a beautiful

32:26custom called " pum-asi " ( reciprocal

32:28labor ) . If I helped a neighbor with

32:31rice planting today , the neighbor would

32:34help me with mine the next day . The

32:38effort put in was returned in kind .

32:41Good deeds are the same . A warm word

32:45spoken to someone today does not

32:48disappear into thin air , but inevitably

32:51returns to me as a favor one day . If it

32:55does not return in this life , it will

32:58return in the next . There is not a

33:01single good deed in the world that

33:03disappears in vain . Our elders used to

33:06say that even a single bean should be

33:09shared . There was a time when , after

33:12cooking rice in a cauldron , we would

33:14even scrape off the scorched crust from

33:16the bottom to share with neighbors .

33:19That piece of scorched rice was not a

33:21great treasure , but it remained a warm

33:23memory for a long time in the hearts of

33:26the neighbors who received it . Good

33:29seeds are not measured by their size .

33:33If it contains a heart of sharing , even

33:35a piece of scorched rice can bring

33:37great blessings . Modern scholars who

33:41study the mind say similar things . They

33:45say that those who consistently show

33:47kindness to others and maintain a

33:50grateful heart experience physical

33:52relaxation and deeper sleep . This means

33:56that good seeds do not only bear fruit

33:59in the next life , but start to sprout

34:02from your bed tonight . From now on ,

34:06plant a good seed every single day .

34:09When those seeds gather , you can even

34:12change your destiny . Fourth , turn the

34:15direction of your mind from the days

34:18gone by to this very moment . There is a

34:21verse in the Avatamsaka Sutra like this

34:23. If anyone wishes to know all the

34:27Buddhas of the past , present , and

34:29future , they should behold the true

34:32nature of this world . Everything is

34:36created solely by the mind . Past ,

34:39present , and future ; in Buddhism , this

34:42is called the three times . The past

34:46life , this life , and the next life are

34:48all contained within it . However , the

34:51Avatamsaka Sutra tells us to look at

34:53the mind if we want to know those three

34:56times . The past life was created by the

34:59mind , the present is being created by

35:01the mind , and the future will also be

35:03created by the mind . It means that the

35:06carpenter who builds everything is none

35:08other than my own mind . If the

35:10carpenter changes their mindset , the

35:13shape of the house can also be changed .

35:16The beginning of the Dhammapada says

35:18the same thing . All things are led by

35:21the mind , governed by the mind , and

35:24created by the mind . If one speaks or

35:28acts with a pure mind , happiness will

35:31follow them , like a shadow that never

35:33leaves the body . Yet , we keep binding

35:37our minds to the days that have passed .

35:42" If only that person hadn't done that

35:44to me then , " " If only I hadn't made that

35:47choice back then , " " What did I do wrong

35:49in a past life to deserve this ? " When

35:53the mind keeps looking back , the steps

35:55we should be taking forward keep

35:58stumbling . In the Diamond Sutra , the

36:02Buddha said this . The past mind cannot

36:06be grasped , the present mind cannot be

36:09grasped , and the future mind cannot be

36:12grasped . He said that the mind of the

36:16past cannot be held onto . Past lives

36:19and the days gone by in this life are

36:22like a river that has already flowed

36:24away . You cannot bring back the water

36:27that has already flowed past . All we

36:30can do is dip our hands into the water

36:33flowing beneath our feet right now .

36:37True wisdom in knowing past lives is

36:39not in holding onto them , but in

36:41reflecting on them , letting them go

36:44lightly , and returning to the present .

36:48The way to return to the present is

36:50very easy . Whenever your mind is drawn

36:54to the past , take a deep breath in ,

36:58exhale slowly , and feel where your body

37:01is right now . The warmth of the blanket

37:05, the coolness of the pillow , the sound

37:07of the wind blowing outside the window .

37:10All of that is here and now . There is

37:14no past life there , and no days gone by

37:17there . There is only the " me " breathing

37:21in this moment . Each time I return to

37:24the present like this , the knots of

37:27karma from my past lives begin to untie

37:30one by one . In the time of the Buddha ,

37:33there was a man named Angulimala .

37:37Deceived by his master's wrong

37:39teachings , he was a fearsome bandit who

37:42took countless lives . People would

37:46tremble at the mere mention of his name

37:49, and no one believed he could ever

37:52change . Yet , when the Buddha reached

37:57out to him , he laid down his sword ,

37:59renounced the world , and became a monk .

38:04Eventually , he became an enlightened

38:07saint . Of course , even Angulimala could

38:10not avoid all the consequences of his

38:12past actions . When he went out for alms

38:16, he would often return bleeding from

38:18stones thrown at him by the people . It

38:21is said that the Buddha told him the

38:23following at that time . Endure it with

38:26patience . You are bearing the karma

38:30that would have taken long ages to pay

38:32off , lightly in this moment . It is just

38:36as the salt analogy I mentioned earlier

38:38explains . Because his heart had become

38:42a great river , the heavy salt melted

38:45away so lightly . In the scriptures ,

38:48these words are passed down regarding

38:51Angulimala . " He who covers past evil

38:55deeds with good deeds shines upon this

38:57world like the moon freed from the

38:59clouds . " Even a man who had taken

39:03countless lives was able to become the

39:05moon freed from the clouds . How much

39:09more so for you , who have spent your

39:11whole lives working hard for your

39:13families ? No matter what you did in

39:17past lives , you only need to cover it

39:19with a good heart now . No matter how

39:23thick the clouds may be , the moon

39:25behind them has never lost its light .

39:29The pure heart within you is the same .

39:33If you just change the direction of

39:36your mind from now on , that moon will

39:38rise again . Therefore , you can change

39:41your destiny . I will finish the story

39:44of the lady who sold rice cakes in

39:47Gurye that I mentioned earlier . After

39:50living for years without a smile , one

39:52spring day , she came to find me at the

39:55foot of Jirisan Mountain . She sat in

39:59the Dharma hall , wept for a long time ,

40:01and then opened up to the old monk who

40:03was sweeping the yard . " Monk , I must

40:07have committed so many sins in my past

40:09life to be living like this . " The old

40:13monk stood his broom aside , remained

40:15silent for a long time , and then said

40:18this . " Ma'am , if you are curious about

40:21your past life , look at your hands

40:24right now . " " These are the hands that

40:26spent a lifetime making rice cakes to

40:28raise three children . " " How could

40:31someone who only committed such great

40:33sins in a past life possess such hands ?

40:35" " And if you are curious about your

40:38future , look at what you do with those

40:40hands today . " From that day on , she

40:44began to change little by little .

40:47Instead of resenting her son , she

40:49decided to see it as paying off a debt

40:51from her past life , and every night ,

40:54she put her hands together to repent

40:56for the wrongs she had committed ,

40:58whether knowingly or unknowingly . She

41:02began taking a plate of leftover rice

41:04cakes to the elderly living alone in

41:06the neighborhood instead of throwing

41:08them away . That is how a year or two

41:12passed by . Something miraculous

41:15happened . Although the youngest son's

41:19debt didn't vanish overnight , seeing

41:22his mother make rice cakes with a smile

41:25instead of resentment gave him the

41:27strength to start again . Thinking that

41:32if his mother could hold on , he

41:34couldn't just collapse , he reopened his

41:36small shop and has been paying off his

41:39debts little by little . Above all , the

41:43woman herself has changed . The person

41:46who used to toss and turn all night now

41:49says she falls asleep the moment her

41:52head hits the pillow . Her past life did

41:55not change . But as her perspective on

41:59the past changed , her present changed .

42:03As her present changed , her future

42:05began to change as well . This is the

42:08true meaning of the saying that if you

42:10know your past life , you can live your

42:12present well . There was nothing grand

42:15about what the woman did . She simply

42:19let go of resentment , repented , shared

42:22a plate of rice cakes , and turned her

42:24gaze from the past to the future . You ,

42:28too , can do these four things starting

42:32tonight . Your life can be changed in

42:36that same way . Now , I will quietly wrap

42:40up today's story . Take a deep breath in

42:44and slowly let it out . If you want to

42:49know your past life , look at the life

42:51you are living now . No matter how

42:53difficult that life may be , do not

42:56resent it . It is merely a mirror , not a

43:00final verdict . It is not an inscription

43:03carved in stone , but a seed sown in the

43:06ground , and how that seed ripens is

43:09determined by who you are right now .

43:13Accept what you receive now calmly as

43:15if paying off a debt , quietly repent

43:18for the wrongs you committed knowingly

43:20or unknowingly before sleep , plant one

43:23good seed each day , and turn the

43:25direction of your heart from the past

43:28to this very moment . If you live while

43:31holding onto these four things , you can

43:34change your destiny . No , it has already

43:37begun to change . The very fact that you

43:41listened to this story to the end means

43:44you have already planted a good seed .

43:47Please remember one more thing . The day

43:51you are living today will become the

43:53past life for you in the distant future

43:55, in your next life . Therefore , from

43:59now on , this is your new past life .

44:03Live your life today so that in your

44:06next life , when you look back on today ,

44:09you can smile and say that you lived it

44:11well . That is how one who knows their

44:15past life lives their present well . I

44:19hope your bed is cozy tonight . I hope

44:24you leave your heavy heart here and

44:27fall into a deep sleep with a light

44:29body and a clear mind . With folded

44:33hands , I pray that the mercy and

44:36blessings of the Buddha will always be

44:39with you and your family . Namo

44:42Shakyamuni Buddha . Namo Shakyamuni

44:45Buddha . Namo Shakyamuni Buddha . If

44:49today’s story touched your heart ,

44:51please leave a comment saying "

44:53Avalokiteshvara . " That single word

44:57becomes a prayer for yourself and a

45:00warm blessing for everyone listening to

45:03this video together . Sleep peacefully .

45:09Are you lying in bed tonight , but find

45:11it hard to close your eyes ? When you

45:16turn off the lights and gaze up at the

45:18ceiling , the thoughts you pushed aside

45:21during the busy day start to emerge one

45:23by one . Worries about your children ,

45:27your husband , and the aches and pains

45:29in your body . And sometimes , a thought

45:33like this also visits you . " What sin

45:37did I commit in my past life to make

45:39this life so difficult ? " " Others seem to

45:43live so comfortably , so why are there

45:46so many obstacles in my path ? " I know

45:50that feeling . Those who have spent

45:54their entire lives for others hold this

45:56question deep in their hearts . After

46:00marriage , you cared for your in-laws ,

46:02raised your children , and supported

46:05your husband , and just when you thought

46:07you could take a breath , your health

46:10failed , your children’s lives became

46:12complicated , and you feel a hollow void

46:15in your heart . Then , if someone

46:18mentions in passing that it’s all "

46:21karma from a past life , " those words

46:23sit in your chest like a stone that

46:25won't go away . Some of you may have

46:29even visited a renowned fortune teller

46:32to ask about your past life . Did you

46:36feel lighter on your way back after

46:38hearing that you were a general or a

46:40court lady in a past life , or that you

46:43owe a great debt to someone ? For most ,

46:47it feels even heavier . That is because

46:51you feel there is no way to fix what

46:53has already passed . There are times

46:57when you sit alone in a dark living

46:59room after finishing the evening dishes

47:00, aren't there ? The house that was once

47:04bustling is now so quiet that you can

47:06only hear the ticking of the clock .

47:10When the children’s rooms are empty ,

47:12your husband has fallen asleep , and

47:15even the television has been turned off

47:17, the years you have lived suddenly

47:20come rushing back . " I lived so

47:22diligently , so why does one corner of

47:25my heart still ache ? " At such times ,

47:29the idea of a " past life " easily finds

47:31its way into our hearts and takes root .

47:35However , what I want to tell you today

47:38is a little different . The Buddha

47:42taught us a much more certain way to

47:45know our past lives . You don't need to

47:49spend money , and you don't need to

47:51travel far . And when you properly

47:55understand your past life through that

47:57method , fear disappears , and your

48:00present life becomes radiantly bright .

48:03This is because a past life is not a

48:05chain that binds us , but a map given to

48:08us so that we may live well right here

48:11and now . If you know how to read that

48:14map correctly , you can even change your

48:16destiny . Before we begin the full story

48:20, I would like to say one thing . If

48:23this video has been helpful to you ,

48:26please click the subscribe and like

48:28buttons , and set up notifications so

48:30you can receive our new videos

48:32immediately . Now , let us delve deeply

48:37into the principle of how knowing your

48:40past life can change your present .

48:44First , let’s take a quiet look at

48:47what happens in our minds when we hear

48:49the term " past life . " When people hear

48:54about past lives , their thoughts

48:55generally drift in one of two

48:57directions . The first direction is

49:00resignation . It’s karma from a past

49:02life , so there’s nothing I can do .

49:05It’s the mindset of giving up ,

49:07thinking , " I have no choice but to

49:10endure this life as it is . " The other

49:13direction is fear . Did I commit some

49:16terrible sin without even realizing it ?

49:20When and how will I be punished for it ?

49:23It is the heart that trembles in

49:25anxiety every single night . Though

49:28resignation and fear may seem different

49:31on the surface , they share the same

49:33root . Both treat a past life like a

49:37final verdict that has already been

49:39delivered . Just as a judge bangs a

49:42gavel three times , making it impossible

49:45to overturn , they believe that what was

49:48decided in a past life cannot be

49:51changed in this one . Let me share a

49:54story about a woman living in Gurye ,

49:56Jeolla-do . She lost her husband early

50:00in her youth and raised three children

50:03on her own . Selling rice cakes at the

50:06market , she would rise at four in the

50:09morning to go to the mill and return

50:11late at night to pack her children’s

50:13lunches . Just when her children had

50:17grown up and started their own lives ,

50:19and she was finally about to breathe a

50:21sigh of relief , her youngest son’s

50:23business failed , saddling her with huge

50:25debts . That was when someone said this

50:29to her . They told her that in a past

50:32life , she had stolen much from others ,

50:35which is why she has no luck with

50:37husbands or children in this life .

50:40After hearing those words , she lost her

50:42smile for several years . She began to

50:47think that nothing would work out

50:49anyway , and even when good things

50:51happened , she couldn't enjoy them ,

50:53fearing that bad things would soon

50:55follow . A single word about a past life

51:00had trapped the remainder of her life

51:03in shadows . There was another person as

51:06well . An elder living in Andong ,

51:10Gyeongsang-do , conversely became

51:12gripped by fear after hearing about

51:15past lives . If his dreams were even

51:18slightly unsettling , he would toss and

51:21turn all night thinking it was his past

51:23karma coming for him , and if a

51:25grandchild caught a cold , he would

51:27worry if his own karma was being passed

51:30down to them . He bought amulets and

51:33spent a significant amount of money on

51:36rituals to ward off evil spirits to

51:38soothe that anxiety , but he said his

51:40mind was never at ease . This is because

51:45fear is like a bottomless jar that can

51:47never be filled . Both the one who

51:51resigned and the one who lived in fear

51:54lost their sense of the present in the

51:56face of the term " past life . " Because

51:59of their past lives , they could not

52:01smile today , and because of them , they

52:04could not sleep at night . However , this

52:07is the exact opposite of what the

52:09Buddha intended when teaching the law

52:11of causality . The Buddha did not speak

52:16of karma to frighten us , but to teach

52:19us to become the masters of our own

52:22lives . So , both of your lives can be

52:27changed , too . This is the problem we

52:31need to solve . Knowing your past life

52:35itself is not a bad thing . The problem

52:38is knowing it incorrectly and using it

52:41wrongly . A kitchen knife makes

52:44delicious food in a mother's hands , but

52:47it cuts your own if handled poorly .

52:51Knowing the past life is the same ; used

52:55rightly , it's wisdom for today , but

52:58wrongly , it's a blade that stabs you .

53:04Hearing the same past life story , some

53:07fall , while others rise anew . The

53:12difference lies not in the content , but

53:16in how you view it . That perspective is

53:21exactly what I want to share today .

53:24Then why do people end up misusing

53:27their past lives ? There is only one

53:31reason . It is because they see karma as

53:35words carved in stone . Like an

53:38inscription that never fades , they

53:42believe their past karma is

53:45unchangeable . In a way , it is

53:50comfortable to believe this . You don't

53:55have to try anymore if you blame your

53:58hardships on the past . Thinking it’s

54:02already fated , you let go of the effort

54:07needed today . However , that comfort is

54:11only temporary . As you sit idly by ,

54:16life grows heavier and your heart grows

54:20narrower . The moment you believe it's

54:25carved in stone , the words truly start

54:28to harden . But the karma the Buddha

54:33taught is not stone ; it is like a seed

54:36sown in the earth . A seed does not grow

54:40exactly as sown just because it was

54:42planted . It needs sunlight , water , and

54:47fertilizer to sprout . Without water it

54:53withers , and if crowded by other seeds ,

54:57it grows weak . Karma is exactly the

55:01same . There is a saying in the Sutra of

55:04Cause and Effect . If you want to know

55:08your past , look at what you receive now

55:11; to know your future , look at what you

55:14do now . This one phrase contains the

55:19most certain way to know the past . If

55:23you want to know your past life , there

55:26is no need to look far . The life you

55:30are living now is a mirror reflecting

55:32your past . The people around you , the

55:38joys and pains you face , and what you

55:42hold or lack today . These are all the

55:47sprouts of the seeds you sowed in the

55:49past . And it doesn't stop there ; there

55:53is a second part . If you want to know

55:57your next life , look at what you are

55:59doing now . These words are truly

56:01precious . The Buddha did not stop at

56:05teaching us about past lives , but

56:08immediately turned our gaze toward this

56:11very moment . It means that a past life

56:15is something to view in a mirror , while

56:17the future is something we build with

56:19our own hands . Think about it . No one

56:24cleans the mirror just because there is

56:26soot on the face reflected in it . You

56:29must wash your own face for the face in

56:31the mirror to become clean . If you are

56:35unhappy with what you see in the mirror

56:37of your past life , you should not

56:40resent the mirror , but wash your face

56:42right now . Then , the image in the

56:45mirror will change accordingly . This is

56:49the true reason for knowing about past

56:51lives . Do not try to change the mirror ;

56:55start washing your face from now on . If

56:58you do that , you can even change your

57:00destiny . Now , let’s examine the

57:04process of how karma goes from seed to

57:07fruit , broken down into three stages .

57:11Once you understand this flow , you will

57:13naturally comprehend why you can live a

57:15new life while still carrying the karma

57:18of your past . The first stage is the

57:21stage of sowing seeds . In Buddhism ,

57:25karma is divided into karma created by

57:27the body , karma created by speech , and

57:29karma created by intent . It is

57:32categorized this way . Pushing or

57:35helping someone with your hands is body

57:38karma , hurting or comforting someone

57:40with words is speech karma , and hating

57:43or cherishing someone in your heart is

57:45intent karma . We live our lives sowing

57:49these three types of seeds countless

57:51times every single day . A grumpy remark

57:54to your daughter-in-law on the phone in

57:57the morning is a seed , and a warm

57:59glance at an elderly person collecting

58:02scrap paper on the street is also a

58:05seed . Among these three , the one the

58:08Buddha viewed as most significant is

58:10the karma of intent — that is , the

58:13karma created by the mind . This is

58:16because the body and mouth only move

58:18after the mind has moved first . Even if

58:22you smile and greet someone on the

58:24outside , if you hate them on the inside

58:27, that hatred becomes a seed planted

58:29within you . Conversely , even if you

58:33couldn't say a word , if you wished that

58:36person well from your heart , that kind

58:38wish is sown as a beautiful seed .

58:43Therefore , the field you must tend to

58:45first is the field of your own mind . In

58:49the " Subha Sutta " of the Majjhima

58:51Nikaya , there is a scene where a young

58:53man asks the Buddha a question . "

58:57World-Honored One , we are all born as

59:00humans , yet some live long while others

59:03die young ; some are plagued by illness

59:06while others are healthy ; some are poor

59:09while others are prosperous . " " Why do

59:13these differences exist ? " The Buddha

59:18replied as follows : " Beings are the

59:21owners of their karma , heirs to their

59:24karma , born of their karma , related by

59:26their karma , and have karma as their

59:29refuge . " " It is karma that classifies

59:34beings into high and low . " Upon hearing

59:37these words , you might feel afraid at

59:40first . However , reflect on them

59:43carefully . Who did He say is the owner

59:46of their karma ? It is none other than

59:49yourself . It is not heaven , nor spirits

59:53, nor your ancestors . You are the

59:56master . To be the master means you can

1:00:00manage things according to your own

1:00:02will . You may not be able to run

1:00:05another's household as you please , but

1:00:08you can change your own however you

1:00:10wish . That you are the master of your

1:00:14own law is both the most terrifying and

1:00:17the most hopeful thing . The second

1:00:21stage is the ripening of the seed . A

1:00:24sown seed does not immediately become

1:00:27fruit . Between the two , there must be

1:00:30time for ripening and conditions that

1:00:33make it ripen . In Buddhism , the seed is

1:00:36called ' in ' ( cause ) , and the conditions

1:00:38that sprout the seed are called ' yeon '

1:00:41( circumstance ) . Only when these two

1:00:43meet can the fruit of ' gwabo ' (

1:00:45retribution ) be borne . Think of the

1:00:48kimchi your mothers used to make every

1:00:51year . Even with the same cabbage , the

1:00:54taste of kimchi is different in every

1:00:56household . The taste changes depending

1:01:00on how much it was salted , how the

1:01:03seasoning was mixed , what jar it was

1:01:06put in , how deep it was buried , and how

1:01:09cold that winter was . If the cabbage is

1:01:13the seed , then the salt , seasoning , jar

1:01:16, and winter weather are all conditions

1:01:18. Even if the cabbage is already

1:01:22determined , depending on the conditions

1:01:25, the kimchi might go sour and soft , or

1:01:27it might stay crisp and delicious until

1:01:29the following spring . Karma from past

1:01:33lives is the same . The seeds sown in

1:01:37past lives are already within me . I

1:01:41cannot undo them . However , it is I who

1:01:46decide in this life what conditions

1:01:48those seeds meet and how they ripen .

1:01:52This is the most important secret of

1:01:55karma . The past gave me the seeds , but

1:01:58the present me creates the conditions .

1:02:02Depending on the conditions you provide

1:02:04from now on , the same seed can bear

1:02:06completely different fruit . Therefore ,

1:02:10you can even change your destiny . In

1:02:13the Agama Sutras , there is a salt

1:02:15parable that explains this very simply .

1:02:18The Buddha spoke as follows . If you put

1:02:22a handful of salt into a small bowl of

1:02:24water , the water becomes too salty to

1:02:26drink . However , if you put the same

1:02:30handful of salt into a large river , the

1:02:33river does not become salty at all and

1:02:35you can drink it freely . Likewise , a

1:02:39person who has not cultivated their

1:02:41body and mind suffers greatly from even

1:02:44small bad karma , but a person who has

1:02:46cultivated them well passes through the

1:02:49same bad karma with only a light

1:02:51retribution . What does this parable

1:02:55tell us ? The handful of salt from a

1:02:59past life is already fixed . But I can

1:03:02decide right now the size of the water

1:03:05in which that salt will dissolve . If

1:03:08your heart is narrow and stingy , the

1:03:11salt enters a bowl-sized vessel , making

1:03:14your life feel entirely salty and

1:03:16bitter . However , if you broaden your

1:03:19heart and accumulate good deeds , your

1:03:22heart becomes a great river ; even if

1:03:25the same salt enters , it flows away

1:03:27without you barely tasting it . Though

1:03:31you cannot erase the karma of past

1:03:33lives , you can expand the vessel that

1:03:35holds that karma starting right now .

1:03:39The third stage is the stage of

1:03:41receiving the fruit . When the seed

1:03:44meets the right conditions and matures ,

1:03:46the fruit finally blossoms . This is

1:03:49called karmic retribution . The ancient

1:03:53masters spoke of the timing of this

1:03:55fruit-bearing in three ways . There is

1:03:59fruit received in the same life the

1:04:02deed was done , fruit received in the

1:04:04next life , and fruit received in lives

1:04:06much further in the future . So , among

1:04:11the things I experience now , some are

1:04:14the fruit of seeds sown in my youth in

1:04:16this life , and others are fruits

1:04:19carried over from distant past lives .

1:04:23This is why such things happen . Some

1:04:26people feel saddened , wondering why

1:04:29they receive no blessings even though

1:04:31they have lived a good life . Conversely

1:04:35, there are times when someone who is

1:04:38cruel to others seems to be living well

1:04:40. But that is because the time for the

1:04:43fruit to ripen is different for

1:04:45everyone . Just as a persimmon tree

1:04:49planted in spring does not bear fruit

1:04:52that same autumn , good seeds also need

1:04:55time to ripen . Just because you cannot

1:04:58see it now does not mean it does not

1:04:59exist . The good seeds you have sown are

1:05:04quietly taking root deep in the ground ,

1:05:06waiting for their time . There is

1:05:10something important you must know here .

1:05:13The very moment you receive the fruit

1:05:16is the moment that karma ends . Just as

1:05:20a debt note is torn up when you pay off

1:05:22a debt , once you receive the

1:05:24retribution , that karma is finished .

1:05:27However , people often resent it when

1:05:30they receive the fruit . They grit their

1:05:34teeth , asking why it happened to them

1:05:36and why it happened now . Then what

1:05:39happens ? The old debt note is torn , but

1:05:43it is as if you are stamping a new debt

1:05:46note called resentment . The place where

1:05:50you receive retribution becomes the

1:05:52place where you create new karma . Think

1:05:55of a jar of fermented soybean paste . If

1:05:59you open the lid and see mold on top ,

1:06:02some people get upset and throw the

1:06:06whole jar away . But a mother who has

1:06:11managed a household for a long time

1:06:13quietly scrapes off the moldy top and

1:06:16lets it air out in the sun . Then the

1:06:20soybean paste regains its flavor and

1:06:23deepens . It is the same when painful

1:06:26retribution comes to you . If you throw

1:06:29it away in anger , you create new wounds

1:06:32, but if you quietly remove it and let

1:06:35it bask in the sun , the karma is

1:06:37cleared right there . Like this : the

1:06:40stage of sowing seeds , the stage of

1:06:42meeting conditions to ripen , and the

1:06:44stage of receiving the fruit . Once you

1:06:47know these three stages , you will

1:06:49realize that the karma of your past

1:06:51lives is not an irreversible verdict .

1:06:55In the first stage , we can choose new

1:06:58seeds , in the second , we can prepare

1:07:01new conditions , and in the third , we

1:07:04can adjust our mindset toward accepting

1:07:07the fruits . There is a place in all

1:07:11three stages that my hands can reach .

1:07:14Even though our past lives have already

1:07:17passed , this very moment is still

1:07:19within our grasp . Therefore , we can

1:07:22also change our destiny . So , what

1:07:25exactly should we do and how ? I will

1:07:30tell you four ways to transplant the

1:07:32wisdom of knowing past lives into your

1:07:35present life . I hope you will keep at

1:07:38least one of these in your heart before

1:07:41you go to sleep tonight . First , accept

1:07:45what you are receiving now without

1:07:47resentment . According to the sutras on

1:07:51cause and effect , everything I receive

1:07:53now is a mirror of my past life .

1:07:57Therefore , the suffering I am

1:07:59experiencing now is also a way of

1:08:01paying off debts from a past life . When

1:08:04a creditor knocks on your door , if you

1:08:07lock it and hide , the debt remains and

1:08:10even gathers interest . However , if you

1:08:14open the door and say , " Are you here ? " "

1:08:16I must pay you back . " If you calmly

1:08:18settle the debt , it is cleared that

1:08:21very day . When your daughter-in-law

1:08:25hurts your feelings , when your child is

1:08:27indifferent , or when your husband

1:08:29stings you with a word , try saying this

1:08:32to yourself in that moment . " Ah , I must

1:08:36have caused this person this much hurt

1:08:39in a past life . " " With this , I am paying

1:08:42off one thing today . " The moment you

1:08:45think this way , a strange thing happens

1:08:48. The resentment that rose like fire in

1:08:51your heart slowly subsides , and the

1:08:54other person's words do not pierce you

1:08:57as deeply as before . A Buddhist

1:09:00practitioner living in Gyeonggi-do

1:09:02lived in the same house with her

1:09:04mother-in-law for 30 years . Her

1:09:07mother-in-law was exceptionally

1:09:09sharp-tongued , so whenever she served a

1:09:11meal , she would complain that it was

1:09:14too salty or that the side dishes were

1:09:16insincere , never letting it pass

1:09:19peacefully . Each time , the practitioner

1:09:22would grit her teeth and secretly wipe

1:09:25away tears in front of the kitchen sink

1:09:27. Then , one day after hearing this

1:09:31teaching at a temple , whenever her

1:09:33mother-in-law said something harsh , she

1:09:35began to repeat to herself , " I have

1:09:37paid off another one today . " At first ,

1:09:41she did it forcedly , but after a few

1:09:44months , her heart truly ached less , and

1:09:47after a few years , she even began to

1:09:49see the loneliness hidden behind her

1:09:52mother-in-law's harsh words . It is said

1:09:55that the last words her mother-in-law

1:09:57said before passing away were , " Thank

1:09:59you for everything . " " I am so sorry to

1:10:03you . " There is a saying like this in

1:10:07the scriptures . Resentment is never

1:10:09resolved by resentment . It is only

1:10:12resolved when you let go of the

1:10:14resentment . This is an eternal and

1:10:17unchanging truth . If you try to untie a

1:10:21knot from a past life with resentment ,

1:10:24the knot only tightens further . It is

1:10:28like pulling a tangled ball of thread ;

1:10:30if you pull it by force , it only gets

1:10:32more tangled . How did our mothers

1:10:35untangle a ball of thread ? They did not

1:10:40pull it , but let it loosen , then gently

1:10:43untangled it strand by strand .

1:10:46Acceptance is , in fact , the act of

1:10:48letting go of your tension . You must

1:10:51let go of the tension for the knots to

1:10:53unravel . Of course , acceptance does not

1:10:56mean you should force yourself to

1:10:59endure everything . You must be able to

1:11:02speak up against injustice and know

1:11:05when to quietly step away from

1:11:07situations that harm you . However ,

1:11:11doing all that without planting new

1:11:14seeds of resentment in your heart —

1:11:18that is acceptance . Let your body do

1:11:21what it must , but keep your mind calm ,

1:11:24like someone paying off a debt . By

1:11:27doing just this , the karma carried over

1:11:29from your past life will quietly

1:11:31resolve one by one in this life . With

1:11:34this one mindset , you can even change

1:11:36the tangled relationships between

1:11:38people . From now on , live by holding

1:11:41onto this phrase instead of resentment .

1:11:44" I have paid off one more thing today . "

1:11:47Second , build a habit of repentance

1:11:50before you go to sleep . Many people

1:11:54feel that repentance is something heavy

1:11:56and difficult to do . You might feel

1:12:00like you need to bow 3,000 times at a

1:12:03temple or kneel before a great master .

1:12:07But the original meaning of repentance

1:12:10is quite simple . It is to recognize

1:12:13your mistakes and turn your heart

1:12:16toward not repeating them . In the

1:12:19Thousand Hands Sutra , there is a verse

1:12:22about repentance . " Sins have no fixed

1:12:25nature and arise from the mind ; if the

1:12:29mind vanishes , the sins also vanish . " "

1:12:33When both sins and the mind disappear ,

1:12:36and both become empty , this is called

1:12:38true repentance . " You have no idea how

1:12:41much comfort this teaching brings . It

1:12:45says that sins have no fixed nature . It

1:12:50means they are not hardened like stone ,

1:12:53but arise and vanish according to the

1:12:56mind . Even if it is a sin committed in

1:13:00a past life , if the mind holding onto

1:13:03it melts away , the sin melts with it .

1:13:06Therefore , you can even change your

1:13:08destiny through repentance alone . The

1:13:11way to repent is not difficult . Tonight

1:13:15, lie down in your bed and gently fold

1:13:18your hands over your chest . Then ,

1:13:21slowly reflect on your day . Examine

1:13:26whether you made mistakes with your

1:13:29body , hurt anyone with your words , or

1:13:32hated anyone in your heart . If

1:13:37something comes to mind , picture that

1:13:40person's face and say to yourself : " I

1:13:42am sorry . " " I was wrong . " And at the end

1:13:48, add this phrase : " I sincerely repent

1:13:50for all the wrongs I have committed ,

1:13:53knowingly or unknowingly , in this life

1:13:55and past lives . " Try repeating it

1:13:59slowly just three times . We cannot know

1:14:02everything we did in our past lives .

1:14:06But just because we cannot know , it

1:14:08does not mean we cannot repent . The

1:14:11mindset of letting go of everything you

1:14:13have done , knowingly or unknowingly ,

1:14:15all at once . That heart reaches even to

1:14:18the karma of your past lives . Perhaps

1:14:21it is a form of mercy that we cannot

1:14:24remember every detail of our past lives

1:14:27. If we remembered every mistake from

1:14:30our past lives , the weight would be so

1:14:33heavy we couldn't take a single step

1:14:35today . Because we don't remember it all

1:14:39, we can gather up everything we’ve

1:14:41done , knowingly or not , and set it all

1:14:44down at once . Let tonight be your very

1:14:48first day of doing that . There is one

1:14:51thing you must be careful about here .

1:14:54Repentance is not about scolding

1:14:56yourself . " Why am I like this ? "

1:14:59Whipping yourself by saying you deserve

1:15:03punishment is not repentance ; it is

1:15:06simply creating more suffering . Think

1:15:10back to the old days of laundry by the

1:15:12stream . When mothers beat clothes with

1:15:16a wooden paddle , it wasn't to tear the

1:15:19fabric , but to remove the dirt . If you

1:15:22beat them too hard , the fabric gets

1:15:25ruined . Repentance must be done with

1:15:27that same appropriate force , with a

1:15:29heart that cherishes yourself . Once the

1:15:32dirt is out , you simply rinse the

1:15:34clothes in clear water and hang them in

1:15:36the sun . When you are finished , let the

1:15:41matter go and sleep peacefully . Third ,

1:15:46plant a small seed of kindness every

1:15:49day . Recall the verse from the Sutra of

1:15:53Cause and Effect again . " If you want to

1:15:55know your next life , look at what you

1:15:58are doing now . " Just as we are reaping

1:16:02the seeds sown in our past lives , the

1:16:04seeds we plant now shape the rest of

1:16:07this life and the next . So , what you

1:16:11sow today is what builds the person you

1:16:15will be tomorrow . Some people say this

1:16:19to me . " I have nothing to give , so I

1:16:22cannot practice generosity . " However ,

1:16:25the Sutra of Seven Ways of Giving

1:16:27mentions seven types of alms that

1:16:29require no wealth . Giving with a soft ,

1:16:33bright face ; offering kind and gentle

1:16:37words ; giving with a sincere heart ;

1:16:40looking at others with a warm gaze ;

1:16:44helping others with your body ; offering

1:16:47your seat to others ; and sensing the

1:16:51needs of others without a word . Is

1:16:55there a single one of these that costs

1:16:58money ? Not a single one . Bowing your

1:17:02head and saying " thank you for your

1:17:04hard work " to the apartment security

1:17:06guard as you pass by . Giving up your

1:17:08seat on the bus to someone carrying a

1:17:11heavy load . Telling your daughter who

1:17:14finally called , " Thank you for calling

1:17:16when you're so busy . " All of these are

1:17:19wonderful acts of giving . If you plant

1:17:23just one such small seed every day ,

1:17:25over three hundred seeds will be sown

1:17:28in your field after a year . In old

1:17:32rural villages , there was a beautiful

1:17:35custom called " pum-ma-si . " If I helped

1:17:38a neighbor with rice planting today ,

1:17:41the neighbor would help us with ours

1:17:44the next day . The labor you gave always

1:17:47returned to you in kind . Good karma is

1:17:50the same as this . A warm word you offer

1:17:54someone today does not just disappear ,

1:17:57but becomes labor that will surely

1:18:00return to you someday . If it doesn't

1:18:04return in this life , it will return in

1:18:07the next . There is not a single good

1:18:10deed in this world that goes to waste .

1:18:14Our elders used to say to share even a

1:18:16single bean . There was a time when we

1:18:20would scrape the scorched rice from the

1:18:23bottom of the pot and share it with our

1:18:25neighbors . That piece of scorched rice

1:18:29was not a great treasure , but it left a

1:18:32warm memory in the neighbor's heart for

1:18:35a long time . A seed of kindness is not

1:18:39measured by its size . If a piece of

1:18:42scorched rice carries the heart to

1:18:44share , it becomes a great blessing .

1:18:47Scholars who study the mind these days

1:18:50say similar things . Those who

1:18:54consistently show kindness and

1:18:56gratitude to others find their bodies

1:18:59more relaxed and their sleep much

1:19:01deeper . It means that a seed of

1:19:05kindness does not just bear fruit in

1:19:08the next life , but begins to sprout

1:19:11tonight in your bed . From now on , plant

1:19:15one seed of kindness every single day .

1:19:17When those seeds gather , they can even

1:19:20change your destiny . Fourth , turn the

1:19:24direction of your mind from the past

1:19:26days to this very moment . The

1:19:29Avatamsaka Sutra contains this verse .

1:19:33If anyone wishes to know all Buddhas of

1:19:36the past , present , and future , they

1:19:38must behold the true nature of this

1:19:41world . Everything is created solely by

1:19:45the mind . Past , present , and future —

1:19:49in Buddhism , this is called the three

1:19:51times . The past life , this life , and

1:19:55the next life are all contained within

1:19:57this . Yet the Avatamsaka Sutra tells us

1:20:01that if we want to know the three times

1:20:03, we must look at the mind . The past

1:20:06was created by the mind , the present is

1:20:09being created by it , and the future

1:20:11will be created by it . It means the

1:20:14carpenter who builds everything is none

1:20:16other than my own mind . If the

1:20:19carpenter changes their mind , the shape

1:20:21of the house can also be changed . The

1:20:24beginning of the Dhammapada says the

1:20:26same thing . All things are preceded by

1:20:30the mind , led by the mind , and created

1:20:33by the mind . If one speaks and acts

1:20:37with a pure mind , happiness follows

1:20:39them like a shadow that never leaves

1:20:42its body . Yet , we keep tying our hearts

1:20:46to the days that have passed . If only

1:20:51that person hadn't done that to me then

1:20:54, if only I hadn't made that choice

1:20:57back then , what did I do wrong in a

1:20:59past life — when you keep looking back

1:21:02like this , your steps forward keep

1:21:05stumbling . In the Diamond Sutra , the

1:21:10Buddha said this . The past mind cannot

1:21:14be grasped , the present mind cannot be

1:21:17grasped , and the future mind cannot be

1:21:20grasped . He said that the past mind

1:21:24cannot be held onto . The past life and

1:21:28the days gone by in this life are like

1:21:30a river that has already flowed away .

1:21:34You cannot scoop up the water that has

1:21:36already flowed past . All we can do is

1:21:39dip our hands into the water flowing

1:21:41beneath our feet right now . The true

1:21:46wisdom to know the past life is not to

1:21:49cling to it , but to reflect upon it ,

1:21:51let it go lightly , and return to the

1:21:54present . The way to return to the

1:21:57present is very simple . Whenever your

1:22:02mind keeps being pulled toward the past

1:22:04, take a deep breath in and slowly

1:22:07exhale , feeling where your body is

1:22:09right now . The warmth of your blanket ,

1:22:13the coolness of the air , the sound of

1:22:16the wind outside your window . All of

1:22:19that is here , right now . Past lives are

1:22:23not there , and yesterday is not there

1:22:25either . There is only the " I " who is

1:22:28breathing in this moment . Every time

1:22:31you return to the present like this , a

1:22:34strand of the cord that binds your mind

1:22:37to past lives is loosened . During the

1:22:40time of the Buddha , there was a man

1:22:43named Angulimala . Deceived by his

1:22:46teacher’s wrong teachings , he was a

1:22:48fearsome bandit who took the lives of

1:22:51countless people . People trembled at

1:22:55the mere mention of his name , and no

1:22:58one believed he could ever change . But

1:23:04when the Buddha visited him , he laid

1:23:06down his sword , entered the monkhood ,

1:23:09and became a practitioner . And

1:23:12eventually , he became an enlightened

1:23:15saint . Of course , even Angulimala could

1:23:19not avoid all the consequences of his

1:23:21past actions . When he went out for alms

1:23:24, he would sometimes return bleeding

1:23:26after being hit by stones thrown by

1:23:28people . It is said that the Buddha told

1:23:31him this at that time . Endure and

1:23:34persevere . The retribution you were

1:23:38meant to face over a long period of

1:23:40time , you are receiving lightly now . It

1:23:43is exactly like the salt analogy I

1:23:46mentioned earlier . Because his heart

1:23:49became a great river , the heavy , heavy

1:23:52salt dissolved so easily . In the

1:23:56scriptures , these words are passed down

1:23:59regarding Angulimala . One who covers

1:24:02past evil deeds with good deeds shines

1:24:04brightly upon this world like the moon

1:24:07emerging from clouds . Even a man who

1:24:10took countless lives could become the

1:24:13moon emerging from the clouds . Need I

1:24:17even speak of all of you , who have

1:24:19lived your whole lives striving for

1:24:21your families ? No matter what you did

1:24:24in past lives , you simply need to cover

1:24:27it with a good heart right now . No

1:24:30matter how thick the clouds may be , the

1:24:33moon behind them has never once lost

1:24:36its light . The clear mind within you is

1:24:40the same . If you just turn the

1:24:43direction of your mind from now on ,

1:24:45that moon will rise again . Therefore ,

1:24:48you can change your destiny . I will

1:24:51finish the story of the Buddhist

1:24:53devotee who sells rice cakes in Gurye

1:24:55that I mentioned earlier . This woman ,

1:24:58who had lived without laughter for

1:25:01years , visited my temple at the foot of

1:25:03Jirisan Mountain one spring day . After

1:25:06sitting in the Dharma hall and crying

1:25:09for a long time , she poured out her

1:25:11heart to an old monk who was sweeping

1:25:13the yard . " Monk , I live like this

1:25:16because I committed many sins in my

1:25:18past life . " The old monk stood his

1:25:22broom aside , remained still for a long

1:25:25time , and then said this . " Devotee , if

1:25:28you are curious about your past life ,

1:25:31look at your hands right now . " " These

1:25:34are hands that have spent a lifetime

1:25:35making rice cakes to raise three

1:25:37children . " " How could someone who only

1:25:40committed such great sins in a past

1:25:42life possess hands like these ? " And if

1:25:45you wonder about your future , look at

1:25:47what you do with your hands today . Ever

1:25:51since that day , the woman began to

1:25:53change little by little . Instead of

1:25:56resenting her son , she decided to see

1:25:59it as paying off a debt from her past

1:26:01life , and every night , she would clasp

1:26:03her hands to repent for the wrongs she

1:26:06committed , knowingly or unknowingly .

1:26:10And she stopped throwing away the

1:26:12leftover rice cakes , instead starting

1:26:14to bring a plate to the elderly

1:26:16neighbors living alone . That is how a

1:26:20year or two passed by . A miraculous

1:26:23thing happened . While her youngest

1:26:27son's debts didn't vanish overnight ,

1:26:30seeing his mother smiling and making

1:26:32rice cakes instead of wallowing in

1:26:34resentment gave him the strength to try

1:26:36again . Thinking , " If my mother can hold

1:26:42on , I cannot fall , " he reopened his

1:26:44small shop and has been slowly paying

1:26:47off his debts . Most importantly , the

1:26:51woman herself had changed . The person

1:26:54who used to toss and turn all night now

1:26:57drifts off to sleep the moment her head

1:27:00hits the pillow . Her past life did not

1:27:04change . But as her perspective on the

1:27:07past changed , the present changed as

1:27:10well . As the present changed , the

1:27:13future began to change . This is the

1:27:16true meaning of the saying that knowing

1:27:18your past life helps you live the

1:27:20present well . There was nothing grand

1:27:24about what the woman did . She simply

1:27:27let go of resentment , repented , shared

1:27:30a plate of rice cakes , and turned her

1:27:33gaze from the past toward the future .

1:27:36These four things are something you can

1:27:39all do starting tonight . Your lives can

1:27:43change in the same way . Now , I will

1:27:47quietly wrap up today's story . Take a

1:27:51deep , comfortable breath in , and exhale

1:27:54slowly . If you want to know your past

1:27:58life , look at the life you are

1:27:59receiving now . No matter how weary that

1:28:03life may be , do not resent it . It is

1:28:06merely a reflection , not a final

1:28:08verdict . It is not an inscription

1:28:12carved in stone , but a seed sown in the

1:28:15ground , and how that seed ripens is

1:28:17decided by who you are now . Accept what

1:28:22you receive today with a calm heart as

1:28:25if paying a debt , quietly repent for

1:28:27the wrongs you committed before sleep ,

1:28:30plant a good seed each day , and turn

1:28:32the direction of your heart from the

1:28:35days gone by to this very moment . If

1:28:38you live while keeping these four

1:28:40things in your heart , you can change

1:28:42your destiny . No , it has already begun

1:28:46to change . Because the heart that

1:28:50listened to this story until the end is

1:28:53already a seed of goodness . Please

1:28:56remember one more thing . The day you

1:29:00are living today will become your past

1:29:02life in your next life far in the

1:29:04future . Therefore , from now on is your

1:29:08new past life . Just live today so that

1:29:13when you look back on it in your next

1:29:16life , you can smile and think that you

1:29:19lived it well . That is how someone who

1:29:23knows their past life lives their

1:29:25present well . I hope you all have a

1:29:29peaceful night's sleep . Please set

1:29:32aside all heavy thoughts here , and I

1:29:35wish for you to drift into a deep sleep

1:29:37with a light body and a clear mind . I

1:29:41pray with folded hands that the

1:29:43compassion and blessings of the Buddha

1:29:46may always be with you and all your

1:29:48family members . Namo Shakyamuni Buddha .

1:29:52Namo Shakyamuni Buddha . Namo Shakyamuni

1:29:55Buddha . If today's story touched your

1:29:58heart , please leave a comment saying "

1:30:01Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva . " That

1:30:05single phrase becomes a prayer for

1:30:07yourself and a warm blessing shared

1:30:09with everyone listening to this video

1:30:12together . Sleep peacefully . M.