Karma is a term bandied about frequently but with little understanding of what it really is. People often talk about gaining good karma and preventing bad karma, or they simply think of it as negative and to be avoided at all cost. Simply put, Karma is neither good nor bad, but a neutral, non-judgemental dynamic. It is best described as the law of cause and effect. If you contribute to the cause, you will feel the effect.
Karma is neither fair nor unfair. It simply allows us to experience the consequences of our actions. It permits us to assume responsibility for the choices we make. We cannot drift blindly through the world and not feel the effects of our actions and intentions – for all energy is felt, whether seen by human eyes or not.
Some believe karma to be the residual experiences built up from past lives. They speak of karmic debts left unpaid in a past life, accumulating to be settled in this life. Whether you subscribe to this philosophy or not, there is no point growing anxious about it. The past is gone, but the future is a direct result of the choices you make today, therefore choose wisely. Forming conscious intentions and taking responsible action can only happen now. In other words, your power lies in the present.
Karma is a gift; wrapped in compassion and tied together with lessons for each of us. It allows us to examine our choices and if unhappy with the results, choose again. If you’re not enjoying the goodness you deserve in life, maybe it’s time to make a different choice. Karma prompts us to choose wisely with great awareness and foresight. Memory serves as a great asset, as we can think back and see how we may have contributed to our experience.
Karma is an active force and does not exonerate us from taking responsibility. If we are the cause of someone’s pain, we will experience the effect. If you are a participator in the cause, you will undoubtedly experience the effect. The great thing about karma is it continuously presents you with lessons until you learn what you need to know. Sooner or later you will get the picture, make the connection and choose with awareness.
Sometimes we judge people’s lives by saying they have good karma or bad karma. There is nothing good or bad, an effect is just an effect. Our minds will try to rationalise why things happen or don’t happen in life. The truth is no one really knows all the answers, if we did everyone would be living perfect, fault-free lives. Most of us are doing the best we can, when we can – however by adding an element of consciousness to our lives we will certainly step closer to creating the experiences, the karma, we all desire.
Awareness of the dynamic of karma allows you to see your life and the lives of those around you with a new perspective. Too often we think our karma affects our individual lives only but it reaches further afield than us. For example, greed on a small scale leads to greed on a large scale. On the other hand, we may see someone who is a philanthropist attract other philanthropists and together they bring about major positive change. They experience the karma they have created, not only individually but collectively.
It’s often in the small moments, not the big moments, that creating consciously has the greatest effects. Being conscious of the way you move through the world, the way you interact with your environment and the larger world community, your beliefs about the world, yourself, and how you communicate with others, all create karma. So, why not choose to use your energy to contribute to, participate in and appreciate the world in a positive way, rather than in a negative way?
Although you may think your unconscious decisions are insignificant and affect no-one but yourself, think again. As all energy is felt, karma builds up over time whether we are conscious of it or not. Rather than asking what kind of karma do you want to accumulate, more appropriately you may choose to ask: what kind of experience do you want to create?
