Karma

"Viewed correctly, karma is a learning process rather than a punitive one. We get what we need in order to grow. As long as we regard ourselves as being punished, we are missing the point."

-- Robert Allen. Zen Reflections, page 51

Karma is simple -- action begets reaction. What you do produces results, and those results are aligned with the laws, or working principles, of the Universe.

There's no white-bearded Big Daddy in the sky sending either rewards or punishments your way. Karma's not personal at all. It's just the way this system we cal life works.

And as Big Bob Allen points out, karma is there to educate you. It's all about positive reinforcement and negative reinforcement. Certain actions produce positive results, others produce negative repercussions. The tricky part is that we don't always see the karmic results of our actions right away, and that's why it behooves us to become karmically sensitive.

What does "karmically sensitive" mean? It means that instead of waiting for results to manifest in the physical world, we feel the results of our actions within our souls, even as we are doing them! Certain acts promote Unity, bring us into alignment with the Universe, attune us to the Tao. Other acts rip apart the sacred threads that weave us together, produce dissension, separateness and strife. When you become sensitive to these movements within, you do not have to wait for outer results to confirm the karma you have set in motion.

You can leave morals, ethics and codes of conduct out of this whole discussion. Feeling karmic implications, and learning from them, begins not as a cognitive process but as an intuitive one. You need not attempt to follow any rules and regulations, you simply guide your behavior by the instant karmic feedback that you receive on the soul level. Miss those subtle intonations, however, and, don't worry, sooner or later, much larger, external results will grab your attention. Pay attention now, or pay later. It's up to you.

When the results are positive, when you're on a roll, go with it, enjoy it, and remember what works. When the results are negative, understand the behavior that initiated those painful results, and change it -- right now, next time, or whenever you can. From a learning perspective, the worst thing you can do is to blame others, make up some quack astrological explanation, or in other ways play the victim.

It's all karma! Don't believe me, experiment and see the results. Live from a level of complete responsibility, as if it's all karma, and keep a clear eye on what unfolds. Each and every moment a learning moment. The Universe partnering with you by giving you constant feedback. A grand adventure, a great game! What could be better than that?