1. What is Karma?

The talks translated in this book were all taken from old cassette tape recordings of Venerable Ajahn Chah, some in Thai and some in the North-Eastern dialect, most recorded on poor quality equipment under less than optimum conditions. This presented some difficulty in the work of translation, which was overcome by occasionally omitting very unclear passages and at other times asking for advice from other listeners more familiar with those languages. Nevertheless there has inevitably been some editing in the process of making this book. Apart from the difficulties presented by the lack of clarity of the tapes, there is also the necessity of editing when one is taking words from the spoken to the written medium. For this, the translator takes full responsibility.

Once' the Buddha was staying at the City of Royal Palaces on Mount Grdhrakuta with a great assemblage of great bhlkshus, in all twelve thousand. There were eighty thousand bodhisattva- mahasattvas. There were gods, dragons, yakshas gandharvas asuras garudas, kimnaras, and mahoragas, besides all the bhlkshus bhikshunis updsakas, and upasikas.

The Buddha delivers to you what you need when you need it, and we should never lose faith in that.

With the Jade Buddha now touring the world, many communities are now taking the time to reflect upon peace. How can we attain peace? Where can we find it? What are the steps to peace?

Be careful of your thoughts. Whatever you send out of your mind, comes back to you. Every thought you think, is a boomerang.

Karma is the law of moral causation. The theory of Karma is a fundamental doctrine in Buddhism. This belief was prevalent in India before the advent of the Buddha.

Wish not for a life free of mishaps and obstacles, because without them one tends to become arrogant and egotistical.