The Buddha was aware that the process of cause and effect extends beyond a single lifetime. Based upon his deep insight into the processes of life and death and of cause and effect, the Buddha saw that who we are and what we are faced with in this life are the result of our actions in previous lifetimes. Furthermore, what we will become in future lifetimes will be determined by what we do in the present. In other words, our every thought, word, and deed has the power to create our own destiny, both now and in the future.