The Law Of Karma
Balancing The Spiritual Bankbook Of Life - Part Three
One of the best explanations of the law of Karma that ever came my way was James van Praagh’s notes in ‘Reaching to Heaven – a Spiritual Journey through Life and Death’. The following is the essence of what he writes on page 78 under the heading ‘Karma’: We are all familiar with the saying: ‘What goes around comes around.’ This is another way of describing the Universal law known as Karma. The word Karma is Sanskrit in origin and literally means ‘action’. This law consists of constantly renewing cycles of cause and effect. Simply put, we are going through our earthly lifetimes either sowing seeds or throwing rocks. For as long as insist on doing this, in coming lifetimes we have to reap the effects of everything we thus created, good and bad alike.
‘These cycles of cause and effect extend through many lifetimes. The result of our actions today may not necessarily return to us in our present lifetime, but it is sure to do so eventually. Think of Karma as paying of debts and of balancing spiritual bank accounts, not overlooking that we also reap the rewards for the things we did well in other lifetimes. Karma creates opportunities for all human souls to grow and progress. Once we have learnt that every one of our thoughts, words and actions has consequences, the Universe lays the tool for creating nothing but good and positive Karma for future lifetimes into everybody’s own hands.’
This is how the law of Karma is constantly at work throughout all worlds, including ours. And because it was designed by God’s wisdom and love, it benefits us and our world in many different ways. Whatever it brings to anyone has nothing to do with punishment, retribution and vengeance. Things of this nature have no place in the language of love, but belong to the experience world of the lower and lowest development stages of earthly life. During the middle phase we become more and more occupied with issues like redemption and forgiveness. In the highest part we are only interested in expressing and manifesting love’s purest manifestations and doing our share of establishing God’s kingdom on the Earth.
When looked at from the right angle, it can be clearly seen that the law of Karma is one of opportunities of many different kinds. For example: for redeeming ourselves and learning something new and doing better in this lifetime than we did in previous ones, whilst we were still ignorant of the law of Karma and its effects. The experiences it brings force us to tap into our inner resources. This helps our consciousness to expand and we grow stronger and wiser all the time, until eventually we are ready to bring forth the best that is within us. Through unselfishly working for the good of all, we ourselves are not only evolving and moving forwards and upwards on the evolutionary spiral of life, our whole race and world are progressing with us.
Through the Jesus legend the Universal Christ Spirit tells us in St. John 8:31-32: ‘If you abide by My word, you are truly My disciples. And you will know the truth and that very truth will make you free.’ What a long time it has taken humankind to find out that in truth the figure of the Master Jesus is a symbolism for humankind’s higher Christ nature. When we finally grasp this concept, it does no longer surprise us that Jesus can neither save nor redeem us. We know that, if he really had walked the Earth, he would not have wanted to mislead and hide the truth from us that no-one can do this except we ourselves.
There is no doubt in my mind that the Jesus story was inspired by the Angels and that it was specifically designed for humankind’s limited understanding during its spiritual infancy and childhood. Wise ones, who have matured into adulthood, know that negative Karma only returns to us when we have become sufficiently strong to deal with it. They accept the responsibility for themselves and every one of their thoughts, words and actions and thus take the burden of the cross of their existence off anyone else’s back, including Jesus’. Shouldering it themselves, such wise ones do all they can to save and redeem themselves. They are doing this happily because they know that the same then happens for our whole world, and that much spiritual progress is possible for those who are doing this.
Some people, when they become aware of these things and reflect on their lives so far, may be disappointed about what to them now seems like negative reactions to Karmic events. This gives them a feeling as if they had probably not been strong enough to handle the test that came their way they should have done. At first we all find it hard to believe that it is us who, during our times of rest and recuperation in the world of spirit at the end of each lifetime, together with the wise ones in charge of us, decide what kind of pathway would most benefit our spiritual development in the coming lifetime. But because the wise ones know us and our pathway much better than we do, even if we feel ready to tackle some of our Karmic debts and hope to be sufficiently strong to redeem them, they may tell us whether this is advisable. If they agree, we go ahead and apply for our next lifetime.
Any kind of earthly test and trial is never sent as some kind of punishment, even though it often feels like that. Invariably they are intended to assist us with bringing forth and developing our inner strength and to help us grow in wisdom and understanding. Each time we emerge from another one, that’s what we have done – even though we are likely to be unaware of it. So, whenever the going gets tough, it’s good to remind ourselves that no-one forced us into this lifetime and that having another go was our own free decision.
During the periods spent in the world of light we are aware that in truth we are a spirit and soul, who wishes to evolve and grow through consciousness expanding experiences. Knowing that we are only ever temporary residents on the Earth plane makes our choice of wanting to move forwards and get on with our development an easy one. And every one of us eventually reaches the point when we mean it most sincerely each time we say: ‘May Thy will be mine and my will be Thine, so that everything unfolds in keeping with Thy will and wishes.’ Through this our will aligns itself with that of the Highest and that takes apart the bars of the cross of our lower earthly personality, which we have carried long enough.
The cross’s horizontal bar represents our will and the vertical one the will of God. Saying ‘Thy will and not mine’ lays them side by side and shows that we trust the living God within, our intuition, to always show us the right way and ask us only to do that which is good, right and beautiful. And as every one of our thoughts, words and actions creates some kind of Karma, this is the best protection against bringing about more of the negative variety.
This article is a chapter from ‘Healers And Healing’.
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‘Healers And Healing’