Western Buddhists sometimes talk about a karmic cosmic law as if it meant that we were somehow preprogrammed. That is not the Buddhist view, for even though Buddhism teaches that our past karma affects our present state, this does not necessarily mean that our karma will invariably bring about a result. We can preempt our karma by processing our thought patterns during meditation. If we can let go of our experiences, we can ameliorate their impact, which is the whole point of spiritual practice.

Traleg Kyabgon
The Practice of Lojong: Cultivating Compassion through Training the Mind