People tend to manifest their feelings or emotions when in contact with environmental changes for example suddenly get angry when someone says unkind words. Between mental activities and actions, there are some processes going on in our mind that finally certain decisions are made and actions done accordingly. We are always in a certain environment at anytime and anywhere. Some things are always happening in our surroundings and how do we sense and react to these changes in our environment depend on our cultivation. When in danger one will run for his dear life.

This action-reaction couple is constantly taking place and we may or may not be aware. When we are doing things in routine, like closing and locking the door after we leave our house, we may not remember whether we have actually locked the door of the house or the car after walking a few steps away asking ourselves, did I lock my car! We did it naturally and we let go of it also naturally without attachment. But for some changes in our environment, the mind makes a decision and takes an action to react to the environmental changes and then finally attached to it.

For example smoking where we know no one is born with a cigarette in his or her hand. After the first temptation to smoke the first cigarette at some time in one's life, something is left in the mind. The first cigarette that sends the thrill is the so-called attachment where subsequently the more the person smokes, the more he is attached to the habit of smoking until one day he will find it terribly difficult to quit, both psychologically and physically. Smoking is merely an example of a dust that pollutes our mind and soul. However, there are many other things we tend to leave some mark of them in our mind where we don't usually let go easily.

There is another consciousness besides the six consciousnesses which we called the karmic seeds. It is the consciousness from the past lives and when the external condition and changes of environment are suitable or mature the corresponding karmic seeds will sprout, take root, grow up and then influence this person to take corresponding actions. The true self may not want to do so, but because of the influence of the attachments and karmic seeds, this person still goes on to take those actions no matter how much he was advised not to do so. He practically has no way to stop the action, just like smoking, from the very first cigarette.

We have been influenced by the first six senses for such a long time that we are used to them and we resort to them constantly. Usually our decisions are made not by our true self but by the karmic self and most of the time they are taken to satisfy the need of the body but not the need of the soul because we cannot see the soul and recognize them. This may look simple but most of the tragic crimes are because of the past lives' debts taking place by the changes in environment when the six dusts cover the normal senses. Although it is due to the influence of those karmic seeds and attachments, it is still the SELF that makes the decision to take that action and so the SELF that took the wrong action has to suffer later. Cultivation is to wake up this SELF and makes sure it does not take the wrong action by clearing the dusts of the world that blinded us.

If we are able to hold a higher and detached point of view to see this world, then just imagine yourself as a bystander, looking at the effect of the cause from above like a play knowing the final outcome. Knowing the cause that gives the corresponding effect, the awakened and wise one fears the cause but the lost one fears the effect. Just be alert before making any decisions or when there is any input getting into your mind through these six roots and dusts, think for yourselves deeply the consequences that will follow by later on in time. Exercise careful precaution and alertness otherwise we would definitely make the same mistake again and again. Recognize your true self and win the battle against the karmic self.

This is a goal not so easy to achieve because it requires constant effort in self-cultivation in our daily life. Whether you can be your own master or not is indeed up to you. And whether you would like to be enslaved by the physical self or the karmic self is also up to you. You have a choice as a human being because the animals do not have a choice. They have to live a life that was trapped in that animal form. It is very important to be awakened to this simple truth of clearing the dusts before our eyes to allow us to see.

This is the saying of my Heavenly Teacher JiGong:

"Life is not the cutting-off and the ending-up of something. It is actually the flowing and turning of a series of interrelated causes-within-consequences and consequences-within-causes. The past has already passed, yet the future can be pursued. Truth cultivation can make people detach from the past and create the future. It can make people change their views of life and stop blaming Heaven and resenting people. Then, one will seek only to overcome the ego or the self one day, and realize that all things are essentially empty.”

Author: T.A Chew