Heavy Karma

 Is karma, I wonder, anything like the sense of gravity? I remember an analogy that Master Sheng Yen used to describe the doubt sensation: a big doubt is like a big iron ball that immediately pierces through a paper bag upon being dropped through it. A small doubt, on the other hand, is like a small pebble which requires more impact to be so powerful. The same can be said for karma: karma may not ripen overnight but eventually the conditions arise where one is bound to be impacted from it.And I supposed that "Heavy" and "Light" are pretty good analogies for karma, because they describe the sense of karma as sinking the body into a more difficult habitus. It's like the difference between travelling light and carrying very heavy accumulated luggage from past habits and attachments. Of course, the less one is able to let go of those attachments, the heavier and more burdened the body and mind will feel.
   Health is a very good example: people who don't take care of their health will eventually suffer consequences, even if not in the present or immediate future. I read this article which states that by the time a person feels the symptoms of a disease, that disease is already well on the most prominent stage, and there is no turning back from experiencing its effects. This is because at that point, the illness is manifesting as a result of many interlocking, accumulating conditions from the past, and it's only now that there is a tipping point and the karma has turned into actions that are visible and sensed. At that point, it's often not easy to get away from feeling the full impact, and one can only ride it out as best they can.
   Again, I go back to some Buddhist teachings which suggest that the challenging events of life might be reasons for rejoicing, precisely because they are ways to pay back a heavy debt from the past. However, it's also important to maintain calmness so that one doesn't generate new karma.