Whenever we patiently except some suffering, pain or irritation we purify karma that created it. To mindfully harness the power of this process, we can do a karma cleanse. The karma cleanse described in this episode requires we fast from blame—no blame for one week. In particular, we refrain from blaming any living being. It might appear to us that the source of a problem is something a person did or said. But problems are inside our mind; they are not outside of our mind. 

What is patience?

Patience accepts things as they are, having given up the idea that things should be other than the way that they are. Buddhist Master Je Tsonghapa said, “Perfecting patience means that you simply complete your conditioning to a state of mind wherein you have stopped your anger and the like. It is not contingent upon all living beings becoming free from undisciplined conduct because you would not be able to bring this about, and because you accomplish your purpose just by disciplining your own mind.”

Doing no evil, 

Engaging in what’s skillful, 

And purifying one’s mind: 

This is the teaching of the buddhas. (183) 

 

Patient endurance is the supreme austerity. 

The buddhas say that Nirvana is supreme.

One who injures others is no renunciant;

One who harms another is no contemplative. (184)*

--Buddha, The Dhammapada

 

References

Buddha. The Dhammapada: The Buddha’s Path of Wisdom. Translated by Acharya Buddharakkhita. Buddhist Publication Society Kandy, 1985. pp. 48.

Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment, by Je Tsongkhapa, Volume 2. Translated by the Lamrim Chenmo Translation Committee. Joshua Cutler, Editor-in-Chief, and Guy Newlan, Editor, pop.152-154.