All around the world, the word, “karma,” is known. But do you truly know the meaning and concept of the word? Do you understand the large and small ramifications karma plays in our lives?
Within this post, I will be sharing with you what I have learned about karma over the years. The information will be different than popular culture and various religion’s points of view. Due to this, I ask that you start this post with an open mind.
Read what I have to share and follow along, as I share with you how I reached this understanding of karma. Then at the end, consider what rings true for you.
What is Karma?
With quotes printed onto hand towels, karma comes with a lot of preconceived notions. As for my understanding of karma, there are two main components to this aspect of our lives.
Karma: “Consists of the simple, cause & effect, we find in life. In addition, is the record sheet for our soul.”
Karma’s Cause & Effect-
The first and most commonly referred to component of karma is the cause and effect aspect. We find this idea in the common quotes and ideas, that when we choose to harm another person, karma sees and will punish us.
The truth is these quotes are a garbled understanding of what karma is actually about. Because karma isn’t about punishment or rewards. Karma is all about energy.
Energy:
Here’s that word/concept again. If you’re new to my website, then let me give you a brief recap on energy. (But if you’re interested in learning more, click this link, Energy 101, or one of the pictures.)
Energy as shown by Einstein’s equation, E=mc2, teaches us that energy impacts anything with mass. Since energy creates all matter (all things) then all matter has the ability to impact things made of energy.
For this reason, tools such as crystals, pendulums, energy healing, and others work. They are based and built upon the principles of energy. Karma is no different.
Cause & Effect:
When we choose our actions, words, thoughts, emotions, etc. we influence raw energy into a specific form. Maybe it’s a smile or friendly greeting. Other times, our choices reflect more toxic energy. This is the type of energy we choose to send out into the world.
In response, a corresponding energy similar to what we have sent out becomes attracted to us and ends up coming our way. This is karma at work.
For example:
When meeting a new person, you have the option to smile and warmly greet them. Or you can choose sarcasm, passive aggressive comments, and rude gestures.
In response to these, how that person responds to you will be a reflection of who they are and what they received. What you sent out, sends out a ripple impacting what you get back.
This becomes ten-fold, when other people observe your actions and words as you meet this new person. While that new person might not be self-assertive yet, that other person might be. You may lose an opportunity or gain one, based on what they witnessed.
With the simple act of meeting a new person, you have impacted what will come in the days/years to come. This is karma. A responsibility for the quality of your life, based on what you do. You may or may not choose to consciously take responsibility for your life, but that makes no difference to karma.
How Society Got Karma all Wrong:
When you view karma through this lens of cause & effect, it doesn’t seem so bad. So, how is it that as a society we got it all mixed up?
The answer’s simple- perception. This one component of our lives have left us with an erroneous concept about karma. People way back, heard about karma and through their perception (how a person sees the world) they messed up the comprehension step of the process.
We as a society live in a world of punishment, of blame and fault. But this is not the root of our problem. The root comes from our foundation of fear.
Through fear-based power, people try to make others their puppets through guilt, shame, and fear. From this simple dysfunctional core belief, life is seen through the eyes of fear.
Control comes when others try and make you feel bad about something. Then this message has been passed down unknowingly and knowingly to the younger generations.
When seen through the eyes of fear, karma becomes all about punishment, about blame and fault. Whose fault was it?
But when seen through the eyes of a loving foundation, we see that karma is merely the responsibility we have in our lives. That what I do, sends a ripple effect out into the world I live in. Ripples that then come back to me, carrying similar energies to what I sent out.
Karma’s Record Sheet-
The second component and least known of karma, is karma’s record sheet. According to Buddhism, karma plays a role in our reincarnation. Based on how we acted in this lifetime, it impacts what kind of life we get in the next. Basically, it’s that cause & effect, but on a grand scale.
Well, aside from the fact that karma impacts reincarnation, I have a completely different view on how it happens. My knowledge on karma comes from my teachers, what I’ve witnessed, and my own contemplation and reasoning.
When you consider our lives as more than a single body in a single lifetime, we enter into a world where reincarnation and the ramifications of life after death plays a huge role in how we see and understand the world. Let me show you how…
Reincarnation & Karma:
As souls we have all of eternity. When you pair this knowledge with a loving Spirit, you can uncover ancient knowledge about life on a soul level.
Spirit: “A sentient being who with loving intention created us, our solar system, and Universe.”
When you view karma, we know that there isn’t “instant karma” each time. That the ripple we send out into the world can take months if not years to come back to us. Then by adding the idea of an immortal soul, we learn something new. We learn that sometimes the ripple coming back (karma) can take lifetimes.
On a simple level, karma is the cause and effect in a lifetime. Covering the small and big actions we take in life. But what of the huge actions? This is when things enter into a larger realm- eternity.
Karma as a Record:
Through my past life memories and my discussions with my spiritual teachers, I have uncovered the ties that weave us together on a grand scale. That some of the things I have encountered in this lifetime, is due to the actions and words said many lifetimes ago.
Karma acts as the record sheet that notes where balance is still needed. If we are aided in a past life, that soul can call on us later on, to aid them. As a result, we can reincarnate with a life built (Soul Contract) focused on aiding that person. In this way, a balance in the universe is achieved.
Impact of Karma on Our Soul-
As you can see, karma plays a huge role in our lives. We as souls carry with us karma. It’s not a bad thing, but is merely a record of our past and things we have yet to do.
As a result, when we choose to reincarnate, we sit down with our spirit guides and craft a lifetime. In this way we narrow down life’s possibilities into a single lifetime, creating a roadmap to aid us on our journey, and are able to focus on specific lessons we want to teach/learn. This cohesive roadmap is known as our Soul Contract.
Another influence to our Soul Contract is our karma. When another soul asks for our help, or we ask for theirs, karma is created. Past karma might need to be addressed (that’s that ripple coming back) or maybe we are creating new karma.
Impact of Karma on Our Present Day Lives-
Once we have constructed a plan for our human experience, we are then born. Conscious memory of our Soul Contract might fade away, but it still remains there to guide us in unseen ways. So that we are never alone or without aid.
Our life continues each day, and each day we create or address karma. It can be in the simple cause and effect way, influencing the quality and condition of our lives. Or it can be on a greater scale, that we can’t even see.
Different Types of Karmic Situations-
Karma’s not so bad huh? It merely is the record keeper of our connections with the world around us. (The type and quality of the connection is in your power.) But within the huge concept of karma, we can narrow specific situations into categories.
These are some of the different types of karma we can encounter:
Also known as soul groups, this category keeps record of the souls we come into contact with. Our karmic group references the souls we have had many lifetimes with, and as a result have many ties (karma) with.
This can cover soulmates, twin flames, and others.
Karmic Debts:
Another category of karma covers the record sheet we each have. A karmic debt is when we owe or are owed a favor by another soul. We might have spent a lifetime relying on or aiding another soul, to a small or large degree.
As a result, that other soul either owes us a lifetime where they can aid us, or they might be the ones receiving aid. Despite the word “debt” this category isn’t a bad thing. It merely references past ties that have left us karma to address.
Karmic Agreements:
Lastly, this karmic category references new ties we create. A karmic agreement is something that we add to our Soul Contract for our current lifetime.
Essentially, it’s an agreement we make to do/say/stop/start something in the life we are entering. While an agreement, it is still our free-will choice whether we honor this agreement or not.
An example of a karmic agreement would be the books I am currently writing. My books are an agreement I made and added to my Soul Contract in this lifetime.
As you can see, karma acts as the watcher and record keeper of our life on a human and soul level. In this way, we can honor each connection we make. As well as be held accountable for the life we are responsible for.
How to balance our karma-
In this day and age, as “new age” groups are leaving the underground and entering the daylight, the topic of karma has become re-energized. Unfortunately, karma is still being taught and perceived in a garbled manner and not through a loving perspective.
For many in the “new age” culture, they have been taught that enlightenment is attained when we wrap up all the karma that we have. As a result, there are those who are wrong or knowingly scamming customers, claiming that they can “clear a person’s karma” through a healing session.
Karma is with us always. Whether enlightenment requires wrapping up all the karma we have or not, is something I don’t have an answer for. What I do know, is that we can be spiritual and still have karma.
For the time being, my recommendation is this:
Choose who you want to be, then act and speak in a way that reflects the type of ripples you want to send out into the world. If you’re interested, dive into your Soul Contract and your past on a soul level (Akashic Records/Tarot/Healers) to unearth the records of your karma.
In this way you can not only influence what kind of karma you are creating, but you are also developing spiritual skills. But most importantly live your life. You have all of eternity to attain enlightenment, so enjoy the journey.
Final Thoughts:
“Karma” a popular word, and now one I hope you will no-longer laugh at or fear. Because karma isn’t here to harm any of us. It’s the record and proof of our connection with the world and those around us. It’s a reminder that we are never alone or forgotten.
Challenge:
This week take a look at your life through the eyes of a love based karmic point of view. How does this new perception shed light onto your relationships and the quality of your life? Are the ripples you are sending out, ones you like? If not, what actions or words could you change?
Tools:
- Stone: Opal
This iridescent stone has many great and wonderful energetic properties. As with all stones, each color offers a different aspect. This week we are focusing on the spiritual energies found within an opal.
An opal helps to provide two properties great for getting in touch with the karma in your life. The first is its reflective properties. Through wearing or carrying an opal, this stone will amplify, unbury, and reflect the thoughts, emotions, and desires we have within us. This includes negative components of our character.
As a result, the opal can shed light into ourselves. Aiding us in discovering our character, our desires, and what type of energy we are sending out into the universe.
The second quality I am focusing on this week, is the opal’s ability to amplify the hope we have inside of us. This fire-esc energy can help us to discover the joy at living.
When you pair these two qualities found within an opal, we not only get help in connecting with ourselves, but ensure that it’s a safe and hopeful/enjoyable process. No matter what we discover (the positive or the negative) it will aid us in transforming our lives to greater heights.
- Affirmations:
- “I honor the aspect karma plays in my life with joy and peace.”
- “I hold the power to choose what type of energy I send out into the world.”
- “I choose to embrace the connections I have with those around me.”