KARMA -- What Actually is it...

I saw that. -- Karma

What IS Karma...

We make thousands upon thousands of choices, everyday -- what to eat for breakfast, what sort to wear to work, shoes or sneakers, boxers or briefs… Some say we make upwards of 35,000 decisions a day.., and while most of these are made unconsciously, from patterns or habits we follow daily. Most of these decisions will have n0 long term consequences on our life.., but what about the ones that do affect our lives, the ones that do have long lasting consequences…

Should I get married.., is it the right time to start a family.., should I go to college… Science will tell you all kinds of "facts" about this and that part of the brain, what's going on with all those neurons at the moment of making decisions -- that's all fine and dandy for this seemingly meaningless decisions, but when it comes to those life-changing, hardcore, heart wrenching decisions -- decisions that reflect who we are as a person.., decisions that will stay with us for lifetimes and effect our Karma, these are decisions, choices that require us to call upon past experiences, knowledge and intuitiveness… And what is our intention?

KARMA IS A BITCH!

Depending on your stature in life.., some choices you make can effect more than your own life and the life of your loved ones… For instance.., leading a whole country into a never-ending war, by misleading and instilling fear, that cause countless deaths and maimings. The physical, mental and spiritual atrocities that are a result of such a decision.., certainly can't be good for someones karma…

But what is karma..?

Karma means action… It has been described as the law of -- cause and effect.., for every reaction action (good or bad) there is a reaction, that follows us for one life to the next. So, the actions you take, the choices you make.., and the intentions behind those choices, all go into making up your karma.

While our Karma follows us from one lifetime to the next -- it is so much bigger than that… It influences one moment to the next.., and the quality of those moments. It lives inside of us.., and just outside of our vision, all at the same time… Obviously, we cannot change what has happened in our past lives, some people don't even believe in past lives (reincarnation).., does that mean they are immune to Karma -- NO.

“Sow a thought, reap an act,
Sow an act, reap a habit,
Sow a habit, reap a personality,
Sow a personality, reap a destiny.”
-- (traditional Eastern saying)

UNDERSTANDING KARMA

Karma vibrates throughout the universe like nature… It records our thoughts, actions and intentions.., like a sacred scroll. And much like polluting a river, which then flows into the ocean causing much larger and wider effects -- so do our actions, thoughts and intentions. One little lie can grow and effect our whole life.., it dominate your thoughts and spread beyond your control to the people around you.., and yes, even the world. Just like that river that flows into the ocean, which now goes on to spread disease and contributes to the destruction of the planet.., so goes our intentions…

We all want to be happy, have a "good" life.., family and friends we love and that love us. We want a job that can provide and that we enjoy… But when all we put out is -- negativity, fear, greed (me, me, me..) how can we be surprised when things run afoul... We are responsible for our own happiness.., and our own misery -- we are the architects of our own fate. But if you only think of karma as things we have done in past lives, that are now responsible for our current life situation, you are doing it an injustice… We create our karma every second of everyday.., and it doesn't take future lifetimes to live it -- we live it every second of everyday.

"How people treat you is their karma; how you react is yours."
-- Wayne Dyer

Karma is not simply -- if you do good, good things will always happen to you… We see, all the time bad things happening to good people… And vice versa, doing bad things does not necessarily mean bad things will happen to you, either. But if your intentions are pure, good.., you can, so to speak, set the stage for good things to come your way -- you open yourself up to the positive. And the same goes for the bad things… Having negative intentions and actions will condition you to the negative aspects of life.

Perceiving what will make us happy or content is another slippery slope… We have been conditioned to think we need, things.., and more and more things to feel fulfilled -- a shiny sports car, big house, fancy clothes and all the latest pricey gadgets. As with just about any spiritual teachings (at least the ones Im aware of) attachment to.., things -- is usually not very high on the list… What is almost always stressed, is -- detachment. While nice cars and houses on the beach are all very good indeed.., you don't need them to be happy!

So basically, karma is an energy that we create with our own actions and intentions. A vibration we give off through our thoughts and deeds. We are all born with every emotion under the sun, inside of us -- from utter joy and peace, to horrific anger and fear, they all live inside all of of us.., but it's which ones we let blossom, the ones we nurture, the ones we act on.., are the ones that will contribute to our karma.


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