 A young student approached his guru one day and said, Master, you have spoken so much about karma, but I do not yet understand it. How can I truly learn? The guru smiled and gestured for the student to follow. The two walked silently to the edge of the village where workers were busily engaged in making bricks for a house. The two stood and watched the activity of the brick makers for some time. And the guru asked, now do you understand karma? No, Master, the student replied. The guru paused and slowly nodded his head. He cleared his throat. What are the workers doing? Making bricks, the student responded. Very good. And what happens to the bricks once they're made? Asked the guru. They're put in the stack, the student said. And then the guru asked, well, they're used to build a house. The student responded, getting more agitated because he could not see what a single brick had to do with karma. The exchange continued, elaborating on every step of how and where the bricks were made until finally the guru sighed and turned to a student. He leaned over and picked up a freshly made brick and handed it to the youth. Here, carry this brick with you everywhere you go. Do not put it down under any circumstances. Do you understand? Yes, said the student. Good. Returned to me with the same brick in a year's time, exclaimed the guru. A year later to the day, the student returned brick in hand to the guru. The youth was barely able to contain his frustration. Master, I have done exactly as you told me. I have carried this brick with me everywhere. And it has nothing more than caused aggravation and a nuisance among several other things I will not mention in your holy presence. And I have learned nothing at all about karma. The guru chuckled. Did you set the brick down at any time? He asked. No, master. I carried it everywhere. The student exclaimed. The guru smiled. Ah, now do you understand karma? Karma is one of those things in the West that is seldom understood truly, as it has been passed down to us through translation after translation. While the basic understanding states that whatever we do will eventually return to us, the actual philosophy is much deeper rooted. This parable speaks to the burdens and choices we carry with us and how they can affect us in later life if we don't take time to work through them. Just as the tiny brick is used to make the foundation of a house, even the smallest and most seemingly insignificant event or act can have huge effects on our future and lives if we aren't aware. Perhaps this parable even speaks to the cyclical nature of the universe. Maybe there's an echo here of the whole holding onto a glass idea where initially a glass of water is easy to pick up but the longer that you hold onto it, the heavier it seems to become to us. Perhaps even the smallest of choices that we make can be carried with us for long times. Now, the student could have put the brick down at any time, but they remained true to their word and hopefully learned the lesson the guru was teaching. While karma is often presented as something we carry over between lifetimes, perhaps the silver lining here is that maybe clearing our karmic baggage is as easy as choosing to let go of the brick. And by letting go, we simply become part of a new cycle.