What is Karma?
If we accept the principle of cause and effect in Nature, and of action and reaction in physics, how can we not believe that this natural law extends also to human beings?
Such is a law of karma: As you sow, so shall you reap. If you sow evil, you will reap evil in the form of suffering. And if you sow goodness, you will reap goodness in the form of inner joy.
To understand Karma, you must realize that thoughts are things. Every action, every thought reaps its own corresponding rewards. Human suffering is not a sign of god’s or nature’s anger with mankind. It is a sign, rather of man’s ignorance of the divine law.
Souls are “Made” in the image of god. Even the greatest of all sinners cannot be damned forever. Due to the misuse of his free will, a person might imagine himself to be evil, but within he is the son of god. The perfect soul eventually wakes up in god when it remembers its real, eternally good nature.
Man, being made in the image of god, is deluded only temporarily. This temporary delusion leads him to think of himself as mortal. So long as he identifies with his body he must suffer.
A soul’s delusion of mortality may extend to many incarnations. Through self-effort however, he can develop discrimination, and remember who he is and that his home is in god, attains wisdom. If an immortal soul has not worked out in one lifetime of school those delusions which bind him, he needs more lifetimes of schooling to bring him the understanding of his innate immortality. Only then can he return to the state of cosmic consciousness. Ordinary souls therefore reincarnate, compelled by their earth-bound desires. Great souls, on the other hand, come on earth only partly to work out their karma, but principally to act as noble sons of god to show lost children the way to their heavenly father’s home.
Attracting a bodily home
Like attracts like. Souls with evil karma are born into evil families; souls with good karma are born into good families. Evil and good families attract souls according to the magnetism of their inner likings. That is , evil families attract souls with bad karma. Good families attract good souls. It is based on mutual likes and dislikes. People with more opportunity in life, owing to their good karma, should help those with lesser opportunity otherwise they’ll develop bad karma. Selfishness is spiritually degrading and ultimately makes one unfortunate.
The divine law of harmony creates a natural equilibrium. When any soul acts against this equilibrium, he hurts himself. For example, if you dip your hand in cool water you enjoy the sensation, but if you put your hand in fire you will burn. The fire has no will to give you pain nor does the cool water produce a pleasant sensation out of choice. The responsibility for getting burnt by fire and feeling pleasant by water is again, his who inserts his hand into the water. Fire and water, heat and coolness, are part of the overall state of the universe with which our duty is to live in harmony.
Good Karma
This life is like a movie, and just like in an exciting movie, there has to be a villain so we will learn to love the hero. If you imitate the villain’s behavior, however, you will receive his punishment. It’s all a dream, but ask yourselves, why live a bad dream by creating a bad karma? With good karma, you get to enjoy the dream. Good karma also makes you want, in time, to wake up from the dream. Bad karma, on the other hand, darkens the mind and keeps it bound to the dreaming process.
God wants to help us
When god sees that a soul, by the misuse of free will and bad company, has lost itself in the forest of egotism, he becomes very concerned for him, and sends him spiritual aid to bring him back into his fold of divine, virtuous living. He helps souls to reincarnate in places where they can work out their karmas and liberate their souls by meditation and wisdom. All souls on earth belong to the fold of god; the invisible shepherd ever looks after them.
How to face your Karma
The alternating nights and days of this rotating earth and the alternating sorrows and joys in people’s lives, are like a checker board in multi dimensions. The rules of the game are set by karma, the law of cause and effect. Karma arranges the reunion of friends lost to one another in the dark night of death. Karma withdraws souls back into the astral world again when their time on earth has expired.
As chess pieces when captured are removed and placed in a box, so destiny when removing people from the board of life, places them in the secret closet or resting place of the other world. View life’s ups and downs with a serene mind. For outward existence is only a game. View your wins and losses with mental detachment, as you would a movie. After viewing a good drama, even a tragic one, you exclaim, “What a good story! I learned much from it.” similarly even after experiencing tragic events in your life, tell yourself.” I am grateful for that experience! It taught me much.”
Life needs variety to be interesting. If a novel makes us laugh or cry, we appreciate it. Think of life as a good novel or a good movie. Step back from it a little mentally view it in perspective. If you don’t like the plot, remember the freer you are inside, the greater will be your ability to change it.
Karma rules. But who was it who set our karma into motion? We did! Whatever we did in the past we can undo. All we need now is the right determination, born of our increasing inner freedom.
People enjoy games such as chess and accept their wins and losses more or less even-mindedly. In the same spirit, let us enjoy life, whether it gives us victory or defeat. Let us live calmly and with a sense of gratitude. In that spirit let us enjoy meeting true friends again after who knows how many lives? And let us accept with calm faith our parting again at death. Life is a game. Be interested in it, but remain always non- attached. Let nothing affect you inwardly. However things go, remember there is nothing real about it. Don’t be like a certain person who, exultant after winning a lottery died of a heart attack.
Even during dark hours of bereavement and during your descend into old age keep a joyful attitude. The black squares on a chessboard alternate with the white. Even so every darkness in life alternates with light, every sorrow with joy, every failure with a success. Change and contrast are inevitable and are what make the great game possible. View them dispassionately and never allow them to define who you are inside.
Next topic will be: Karma is our own Responsibility.
Thank You!
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