Well, of course we ultimately control our Karma through our actions. But that doesn’t mean we necessarily have immediate control over how, when, where, and what ripens for us. I don’t think even Buddhas have that kind of control, although they perhaps have enough information about Karma working that they can predict and react accordingly. If you always know when it will rain, you always know when to carry an umbrella, or to stay in, or to go somewhere sunny, or to enjoy getting wet.

The rest of us, I guess, just learn to roll with it, until we can see over the tops of the waves.

On second thought, while we may not be in complete control, I think several things do enable us to generate positive occurences in the short term:

1 You can “channel” your own merit through dedication. Dedication is not just saying “I wish this to happen,” but putting all one’s energy behind something. In other words, you’re always more likely to get what you really work for, and more likely to work for what you really want.

2 When you’re really dedicated, you begin to see opportunities that were always there, but perhaps otherwise not evident. We all have limitless *causes* (seeds) for all sorts of ripenings--good as well as bad, right? Surely, many good things are always possible, the *conditions* are there, but we don’t necessarily take action, so that particular form/event doesn’t ripen.

I think it may be that when one turns one’s own energy to good (Dharma), more good possibilities also come to one’s attention. It would seem to be in line with like leading to like, a fundamental principle of Karma.

3 One can always ask for a merit “donation” from beings with limitless merit, like Buddhas. Opinions vary on how well this works, but I don’t think it hurts to ask. They have to do something with all that wonderful altruism, why not help you? :)

Karma and Reincarnation: To understand the Buddhist concept of karma and reincarnation, it is important to first understand that the universe has neither beginning nor end; it continues to exist eternally. Our life is one with the great life of the universe. Within that life are countless existences. In this particular existence, I am Ron Mesa. As time goes on, we grow older and have no available means to regain youth. For this reason, we enter into the state of death. We die and are born again with our life completely rejuvenated and invigorated. When we are born again, how we acted in our past existences is inscribed on our life itself. In other words, our past actions are transformed into our destiny or fate, which in turn becomes part of our life. Hence the necessity of Buddhism - the philosophy of life. Some people may wonder why they are born in a particular set of circumstances - Poor, diseased, disabled etc. All these problems are caused by something done in past existences, however, tracing past causes is meaningless. We must learn how to overcome our difficulties. The method is very clearly formulated in Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism (Nichiren was a Japanese Buddhist priest who founded the sect of Buddhism which I practice in the year 1253 - he stated that the chanting of Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo lessens our karmic retribution and propels us into the future with better fortune and a higher life condition than we had previous to taking faith). In any case, we must die in order to be born anew. This is the Buddhist principle of hoben gen nehan: to use the means of death without ceasing to exist. Nehan indicates death or a state in which our life is fused into the life of the great universe. Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo means “devotion to the mystic law of cause and effect through sound” (because we chant).