by David Nichtern
Karma, at its root, simply means action. It’s the mechanism that shapes our world, our reality, and how it changes over time. The real force behind karma isn’t some cosmic judge. It’s the mind itself—our habitual thoughts, perspectives and impulses that drive behavior and sculpt experience.
Karma explains how we became who we were, how we are who we are today, and who we’ll be tomorrow. The process runs mostly beneath awareness. Our habits are formed by past experiences, and those same habits then steer our present actions, landing us in the same situations again and again. This repetitive loop of familiar mental and emotional patterns is what’s known as samsara.
Imagine tropical fish swimming laps in an aquarium. As they glide through the water, they sometimes leave a thin trail behind them. Once they complete a full circle, that trail floats directly in front of them. The fish seems startled, as if wondering, “Where did that come from?” In this metaphor, we’re the fish, the tank is samsara, and the long thin trail is simply the consequence of our own habits looping back around.
Without fresh awareness to interrupt the cycle, these karmic patterns keep spinning. The Buddha’s core insight was that largely unconscious forces are running our lives, repeatedly placing us in familiar circumstances. This is why samsara is traditionally depicted as a wheel that never stops turning—until we see clearly what keeps it moving in the same predictable patterns.
The wheel keeps spinning because we keep thinking the same thoughts, feeling the same emotions and reacting in the same ways. The only way to change its direction is to recognize what’s driving the entire mechanism. Until that moment, we’re like the fish, puzzled why the same residue keeps appearing in front of us, never quite realizing we’re the ones creating it.
This recognition finally opens the door to real transformation. Through meditation, we bring awareness to our thoughts and impulses, interrupting the autopilot of karma. Each moment of presence introduces a fresh choice—an opportunity to respond consciously rather than react out of habit. Over time, these small shifts accumulate, gradually reshaping our inner world and the circumstances we encounter.
In this reimagining, the Wheel of Life becomes more than a map of suffering. It becomes a practical guide for liberation, reminding us that while repetition feels inevitable, the cycle is not unbreakable.
Awakening from the daydream means stepping back, seeing our patterns clearly and choosing a new direction. In doing so, we move from passive participants in samsara to conscious creators of a more awake and compassionate reality.
Adapted from Nichtern’s book Awakening From the Daydream: Reimagining the Buddha’s Wheel of Life. He periodically teaches live classes at Mandala Yoga in Amagansett. mandalayoga.com, dharmamoon.com
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