Several years ago, during a visit to the United States, His Holiness the Dalai Lama met with a group of western teacher.  In the course of the talk, he was asked what was more important to teach, emptiness or karma, the law of cause and effect. According to Joseph Goldstein, the Dalai Lama said that understanding karma is the most important to teach, “because if we understand the law of karma and become responsible for our actions and their results, then we can be of great benefit to all beings and find happiness in this life. Karma affects every aspect of our life… When we understand it, and live our understanding, when we act on what we know, then we experience a sense of wholeness and peace. If we live in a way that is out of harmony, ignoring the nature of things, we then experience dissonance, pain, and confusion. The law of karma is one of the fundamental natural laws through which we create these vastly different realities. It is as though we are all artists, but instead of canvas and paint, or marble or music, as our medium, our very bodies, minds, and life experience are the materials of our creative expression.”