Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Thoughts on Karma
I hear people talk about karma in terms of the people they're supposed to be with and the places they're supposed to go. Everything else is somehow wrong, and they're under a lot of stress to get to where they're supposed to be.
What do they think is karma?
I think karma is the pattern of living that we put out into the world right now. This pattern radiates into all of our lifetimes. Our karma goes out from our choices now, and it comes back to us from the world. Karma is the way of the world that we first set into motion, both long ago and continually.
It doesn't make sense to chase karma in the form of, say, past life connections. Lives are simultaneous and reciprocating. Would we want those other lifetimes to drop whatever they're doing just to try to find the places that we've been to in this life?
The only way to have good karma is to live in the best way for ourself and others in every present situation. Always the present situation, which will change and flow naturally as we give it our all.
I am concerned that the karmic pattern many people radiate is a belief that their present life isn't good enough. If we always have to go somewhere else where the karma is better, then we overextend ourself and strain our current relationships. And for what, a little past life sightseeing, places where we may not now be alive? If that is the pattern we radiate, then our other lifetimes won't be happy where they are either, and in fact visiting their locations isn't any more powerful than having them visit all the places where we have been unfulfilled.
Karma is in us. It's in how we live our present life, wherever we are, whomever we're with. Karma is not automatically better somewhere else in the world or with someone else.
That said, there's nothing wrong with reaching out for a place or relationship that may have deep connections for us. We may anticipate being well received, we may refine our preferences. But we won't be able to fundamentally enjoy one situation over another if we can't improve the karmic pattern that we generate wherever we go.
The magic is not out there to collect someday, the magic is inside us to give right here and now.
What do they think is karma?
I think karma is the pattern of living that we put out into the world right now. This pattern radiates into all of our lifetimes. Our karma goes out from our choices now, and it comes back to us from the world. Karma is the way of the world that we first set into motion, both long ago and continually.
It doesn't make sense to chase karma in the form of, say, past life connections. Lives are simultaneous and reciprocating. Would we want those other lifetimes to drop whatever they're doing just to try to find the places that we've been to in this life?
The only way to have good karma is to live in the best way for ourself and others in every present situation. Always the present situation, which will change and flow naturally as we give it our all.
I am concerned that the karmic pattern many people radiate is a belief that their present life isn't good enough. If we always have to go somewhere else where the karma is better, then we overextend ourself and strain our current relationships. And for what, a little past life sightseeing, places where we may not now be alive? If that is the pattern we radiate, then our other lifetimes won't be happy where they are either, and in fact visiting their locations isn't any more powerful than having them visit all the places where we have been unfulfilled.
Karma is in us. It's in how we live our present life, wherever we are, whomever we're with. Karma is not automatically better somewhere else in the world or with someone else.
That said, there's nothing wrong with reaching out for a place or relationship that may have deep connections for us. We may anticipate being well received, we may refine our preferences. But we won't be able to fundamentally enjoy one situation over another if we can't improve the karmic pattern that we generate wherever we go.
The magic is not out there to collect someday, the magic is inside us to give right here and now.
