Article by Ken DyersKARMA
Spiritual view of a physical lifetime
From a spiritual viewpoint, a lifetime is a window of opportunity to increase our understanding of the physical world – a world in which the laws of 'cause' and 'effect' are in play. Cause can be defined as what you do. Effect can be defined as what you experience.
We achieve understanding by experiencing and then separating from what we’ve experienced. By completing this cycle, we become ‘detached’ in that area. The more we experience, the more we detach. We are as cause over our physical life as we are detached from it.
If however, we avoid experiencing, we remain 'unknowing' regarding the physical world. If we make the consideration that we are not spiritual – that we are a physical body or mind nothing more, then we have little chance of changing the physical.
One thing is for certain – we are here to learn.
Karma is spiritual curiosity
Karma is an unavoidable part of day-to-day life because what we do affects others – there is no getting around it. Spiritually there are no private actions: Every thought and communication has an effect on the wider consciousness - of which we are all a part. Embracing this reality is the first step to understanding Karma.
Karma is built up when a person resists experiencing the effect they caused on another. If, for instance, you cause emotional pain to another person and you do not experience the effect of that pain – over there with the other person – you will at some point become curious about how it felt. Spiritually you will then draw to you that which you previously resisted experiencing, so you can understand. When this effect comes full circle, possibly years later, and you experience what you first caused, the loop closes and you then understand. These are the simple mechanics of karma.
Avoiding building up Karma
When dealing with another person, adopt a viewpoint that you are responsible for both lives, not just yours. Everything you do or do not do, affects you both. If at this point you do something that is not creative* to them, you will have to experience it. And because you would prefer not to experience unpleasant things, you will not do anything destructive* to that person.
There will of course, be times when you cause an undesirable effect on someone else. If something you do or fail to do causes pain to another person, experience that pain in the same moment, then it will not be waiting in your future to experience.
Everything you cause, you experience, so there will be no build up of karma.
Removing the mystery
Karma is not fate or something that happens to us by chance. We are not dealt a ‘good’ or ‘bad’ hand of karma. It is a spiritual law that ensures we are responsible for our actions during the physical lifetime.
It’s a law we all know and no matter how we try, cannot forget.
Definitions:
Cause – What you do
Effect – What you experience
Creative – In alignment with achieving spiritual purpose – constructive to the human spirit
Destructive – Inhibiting the achievement of spiritual purpose – anti-survival to the human spirit
Back