The Parable
There’s a well-known Buddhist story that beautifully illustrates the law of karma.
Once, a man was walking on a hot day and became extremely thirsty. He came to a pond he had visited before and eagerly scooped up some water to drink. But as soon as he brought it to his nose, he smelled a terrible stench — the water was foul and disgusting.
He immediately complained, “Why is this water so dirty and smelly?” He had completely forgotten that in the past, he himself had thrown feces and other filthy things into this same pond. Now he was experiencing the result of his own actions, yet he blamed the water instead of recognizing his own past mistake.
In the same way, the Buddha taught that karma works like this:
How we treat others in the past becomes the seed.
How others treat us in the present becomes the fruit.
If we have spoken harshly, acted selfishly, or hurt others with ill will before, we will naturally encounter similar treatment now. When that happens, instead of blaming others, we should understand: “This is the result of my own past actions.” It is not the other person’s fault — it is simply the ripening of the seeds we once planted.
So the wise approach is this:
Accept the difficult experiences calmly, without resentment. At the same time, start planting better seeds right now — by treating others with kindness, patience, and compassion.
If we plant flowers from today onward, in the future we will harvest flowers. The kindness and respect we give to others will eventually return to us.
Closing Aspiration
May we understand the law of karma clearly,
plant only virtuous seeds,
and live with kindness, patience, and wisdom.