| p>A man is greedy. He is materialistic. He is a | | | | turn? A better lesson would be to help one to see and |
| successful and very savvy businessman, and secretly | | | | feel how one's wrong actions hurt other people. This |
| gloats over his ability to charm or manipulate others so | | | | approach encourages compassion, empathy, love and |
| he can continue to accumulate money and material | | | | respect -for self and others." |
| things. Then one day he finds himself a pauper, having | | | | Thus, in the case of the woman who first cheated and |
| been outdone by another with greater charm or | | | | then was cheated upon, he now has the opportunity to |
| manipulation skills. Is this karma? It certainly is. | | | | feel the same pain and hurt that his wife felt when she |
| Where one's trouble can be traced directly to one's | | | | was cheated on. Now he (the husband) has the |
| own actions in this lifetime, is an example of karma. | | | | opportunity to feel compassion and to gain a greater |
| Not karma: A car accident, where one is driving down | | | | and deeper understanding for the consequences and |
| the highway, rounding the curve and finds himself in a | | | | impact of his actions on others and himself. Further, |
| head-on collision. Did the victim cause this accident | | | | maybe his wife chose not to forgive him and so his |
| somehow? It was simply a matter of time and place, a | | | | Karmic lesson might be to now forgive the woman |
| matter of chance. These situations do not involve | | | | that cheated on him, thus helping him to express more |
| karma, not even as retribution from a former lifetime, | | | | love than before. The greater lesson here is to learn to |
| which never occurs. Each time we pass through this | | | | love, forgive and accept ourselves and so, in turn, we |
| life is truly a fresh start. | | | | can love, forgive and accept others. |
| Karma comes from our own thoughts. We create our | | | | Our strongest karma lessons are ingrained in us from |
| own karma, and WE are the only one's that can | | | | our family members. The lessons we take with us |
| change it by changing our thinking. Until we do, Life | | | | from our upbringing are those lessons that help create |
| keeps reminding us to when we keep creating or | | | | our karma because it is within immediate family that |
| attracting situations which reflect the beliefs we are still | | | | we learn our best and least desirable behaviors. The |
| holding in our minds and about ourselves. | | | | family is where we learn how to get along (or not get |
| The concept of karma originated from the hindu belief | | | | along) with others, how to love or hate and how to |
| that there is a perfect universal order in the world. | | | | praise or condemn others. When we take these as |
| Nothing happens at random, but things happen under a | | | | well as other learned behaviors, good and bad, out into |
| universal order. "Whatever a man soweth, that shall he | | | | the world and use them we are creating our karma. |
| also reap." [gal 6:7] this is the basis of karmic law which | | | | Karma or no Karma - it is incumbent on every parent |
| means, that every action has a result. In Buddhist | | | | to teach their children what their purpose is in this life: |
| teachings, the law of karma says: "for every event | | | | to be the best we can be. Nick Mojzesz, creator of |
| that occurs, there will follow another event whose | | | | the website, Lessons in Theosophy writes that "Karma |
| existence was caused by the first, and this second | | | | is the idea that a record of our deeds (good and bad) |
| event will be pleasant or unpleasant according as its | | | | stays with us. Good deeds will mean better |
| cause was skillful or unskillful." | | | | opportunities for us in the future. Conversely, we will |
| Karma is another lesson in human relationships and in | | | | need to make amends for the bad things we do. |
| how we function and experience life. In theory each | | | | Specifically, a good deed or a bad deed may mean |
| school of thought, be it buddist or hindu, proclaims more | | | | good or bad things happening to us in a future life." |
| or less that the moral law of Karma is "A good cause, | | | | Sharing simplified karma lessons with children can help |
| a good effect; a bad cause a bad effect". Does this | | | | them to develop an understanding of the notion that |
| mean we have control of that which occurs in our | | | | doing good for others, may very well bring us good in |
| lives? Karmically speaking yes, but we shouldn't | | | | return. Hopefully these lessons will grow and develop |
| confuse Karma with fate. Fate is the notion that a | | | | along with them. |
| person's life is preplanned by some external power but | | | | While the nobility of a person's character is dependent |
| there is no control over destiny. Karma on the other | | | | on their "good" thoughts, actions, and words |
| hand, can be changed. Because we are conscious | | | | conversely, if we embrace degrading thoughts, those |
| beings, we can be aware of our karma and thus strive | | | | thoughts can invariably influence us into negative |
| to change a course of events because we are a | | | | actions and so it is important to remember that we |
| result of what we think. | | | | ourselves are responsible for our own happiness and |
| Author, Human Behavior Expert and Celebrity Life | | | | misery and that if we simply do good for others it may |
| Coach, Patrick Wanis believes that "Karma is not | | | | very well come back to us - which begs the question: |
| simply about a mechanical cause and effect principle | | | | Do we reap what we sow? The answer is a definitive |
| or what goes around comes around. From a spiritual | | | | yes. Because we are a direct result of what we think, |
| perspective, Karma is about helping us to understand | | | | when we are forced in our own lives to reflect on |
| the meaning of our actions and as such to teach us to | | | | why what happens to us, happens to us, the most |
| have greater compassion, to love unconditionally and | | | | constructive thing to do is to calmly assess our |
| more deeply, and to forgive." | | | | situations and determine how we will conduct our lives |
| Wanis also believes Karma isn't about punishment. | | | | from today forward. |
| Another example would be, a man cheats on his wife: | | | | Again, it never hurts to try to live one's life from the |
| they eventually separate and divorce. Sometime later, | | | | standpoint of compassion and wisdom, making sure |
| the man is in a relationship and his partner now cheats | | | | that one works to be part of the solution, wherever |
| on him. Some people might say he got what he | | | | one can. As sung so boldly in her song Karma, Alicia |
| deserved - to be punished. But what does punishment | | | | Keys puts it best when she sings "It's Karma baby, |
| teach: If we hurt someone else then we will be hurt in | | | | and it goes Around". |