We are all familiar with this word. The name itself has gained popularity throughout the world and people have perceived it in their own ways, sometimes out of convenience and other times out of societal influence and pressure.
In all religious scriptures, it is mentioned that Universal laws establish proper ways of behaviour. All souls must adhere to it. Behaving outside these norms or parameters indicates our need for education and lessons.
And it is exactly here that this word crops in. Karma is described essentially as the action one takes in a particular situation. This has a reaction for the self either in this life or the next, thus creating a ‘Cause and Effect’ theory.
Karmas created out of actions and behaviour from all the lives lived by us, are accumulated on the soul level (Akashic Records). When we incarnate, at the physical level, there is a need for all of us to transform that part of ourselves that was not in adherence to the universal laws and have created some form of events through our actions and behaviour. The energetic patterns that evolved due to this sometimes become dense and negative, making our earthly existence difficult and challengeable to survive. These negative patterns are required to be transformed until the desire to behave badly no longer exists in our soul, otherwise we incarnate again and again to learn the same lesson. For example, if we have a tendency to be physically abusive to others, we will need to re-educate that part of ourselves until the mere thought of hurting someone no longer comes into our minds. No one is exempted from karma. As you once were; so shall you be again if you do not learn.
Misunderstanding of idea of karma
It is quite often the case that particularly holds true, when people misunderstand the idea of karma. We find people saying that one cannot change one’s situation because of one’s karma. In this sense, karma becomes a sort of escape. It becomes similar to predestination. This is definitively not the correct understanding of karma. It is possible that this misunderstanding of karma has come about because of the popular idea that we have about luck and fate. It may be for this reason that our idea of karma has become overlaid in popular thought with the notion of predestination.
Karma is not fate or predestination.
If karma is not fate or predestination, then what is it? Let us look at the term itself. Karma means action, means “to do”. Immediately we have an indication that the real meaning of karma is not fate because karma is action. It is dynamic. But it is more than simply action because it is not mechanical action. It is not unconscious or involuntary action. It is intentional, conscious, deliberate, willful action. How is it that this intentional, willed action conditions or determines our situation? It is because every action must have a reaction, an effect. This truth has been expressed in regard to the physical universe by the great physicist Newton who formulated the law which states that every action must have an equal and opposite reaction. In the moral sphere of conscious actions, we have a counterpart to the physical law of action and reaction, the law that every intentional, willed action must have its effect. This is why we sometimes speak of intentional action and its ripened effect, the resultant fruit. It is when we speak of intentional action together with its effect or fruit that we speak of the Law of Karma.
Let’s understand few words that are associated with the term
- Karmic Lessons: Represent situations, emotions and experiences that we have not managed well in previous existences.
- Karmic Debt: During the term of our life contract, we may engage into karmic (From the word ‘Karma’ = action) transactions, with other sentient beings. Karmic debt is a result of these transactions. To explore what it means, it is simply this – you are either owed or you owe or it is both.
- Karmic Illness: Lessons not learnt are paid forward. In a karmic sense this means lifetime after lifetime. If you abuse your position or injure another Karma represents judgment upon your actions. Abusing someone born with less than you may result in an injury to you that takes away your mobility or capability. In the next life you may be born with the same or similar disability and have to learn the hard way that judgment is not given to you.
- Karmic Tests: If you fail to learn something you need to be able to change at a soul level, otherwise you will have to repeat the lesson in the next life until you get it right and learn it.
- Karmic Contract: At the beginning of each lifetime a contract is made. The lessons you need to learn are chosen and then you have to fulfil them. If you don’t then you have to redo them in the next life. Your contract, your challenges and blocks are written. They are added to your timeline, i.e. the Akashic Records, your astrological chart, Palm and face and numerology sequence. These all contain the information of your soul contract. The good qualities you have learnt and the bad qualities you need to overcome.
- Karmic Oversight: There is a council of ascended masters overseeing the progress of everyone. They do this by delegating responsibility to spirit guides and other help comes in from relatives who have passed over.
- Karmic Enlightenment: This is essentially learnings of the soul to balance out the karmic accounts of its previous existence so that the soul can ascend to the higher realms.
The Divine creator provides enough to satisfy every man’s needs, but not every man’s greed. The world says: “You have needs — satisfy them. You have as much right as the rich and the mighty. Don’t hesitate to satisfy your needs; indeed, expand your needs and demand more.” This is the worldly doctrine of today. And they believe that this is freedom. The result for the rich is isolation and suicide, for the poor, envy and murder. Greed, envy, sloth, pride and gluttony: these are not vices anymore. These are modern marketing tools. Lust is our way of life. Envy is just a nudge towards another sale. Even in our relationships, we consume each other, each of us looking for what we can get out of the other. Our appetites are often satisfied at the expense of those around us. In a dog-eat-dog world, we lose part of our humanity.
