The Cause of Suffering in Life After Life

After a person dies, the manas and the tathāgatagarbha do not perish; together they carry karma into the womb to be born, giving birth to another you in the next life. The manas continues unbroken from past lives to future lives, so there is something that connects life after life—and that is you. Because in past lives you did not understand cause and effect, you paid no heed to your future self and acted willfully and recklessly, creating bitter karma, causing the present you to suffer endlessly. If in this life you continue to act willfully and recklessly, not understanding cause and effect, then in future lives you will still face unceasing affliction and distress. The one who suffers is always yourself, not others—creating karma life after life, regretting it life after life, yet never learning the lesson.