Karma is Negotiable: Destiny and the Divine Power of Love

By Nikias Annas

Although the word "karma-is Sanskrit and is associated with Eastern religions, it simply refers to the law of cause and effect. Karma is not blind destiny or divine judgment, but is the principle the describes the natural reverberation that emerges from every action, whether that action is physical, emotion, mental, or spiritual. Suffering and pain are not punishment from a tyrant God, nor are they "normal-or mere "coincidence.-When we truly understand the law of action and consequence, we can see that our lives are a result of our own moment to moment ignorance of the effects of our actions. We create our own suffering, therefore, we can create our own happiness instead, if we know how. No matter what religion or background we come from, through conscious action from moment to moment, we can originate a new set of causes, which in turn will generate a new set of results. This is how we can revolutionize our life. The power to change is in our hands. • Useful for followers of any spiritual tradition • Gives practical methods to change our lives today • Supported by solid science and authentic spiritual traditions

• Language: English
• Publisher: Glorian Publishing
• Release date: Mar 4, 2015
• ISBN: 9781934206706

Book preview

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Cause and Effect

The modern way of thinking assumes that everything that exists has a cause. This is the basic idea behind science: causality, or the relationship between cause and effect.

Cause and effect is not a theory or a belief, it is a law. As a law, it does not matter if you have heard of it, believe in it, or ignore it. Everything about you is subject to the law of cause and effect.

Laws manage everything that exists, and there is no more fundamental law than cause and effect.

Even gravity is a minor law in comparison with cause and effect. A few miles above the surface of the Earth, the power of gravity begins to fade. Yet cause and effect has no such boundary. It manages every existing thing, on every level, from the subatomic to universes.

Everything that exists depends upon cause and effect. There are no exceptions to cause and effect, though there are many cases where we lack the ability to perceive particular causes. Nonetheless, the law of cause and effect is universal.

According to all of our most ancient traditions, the universe arises and falls in cycles of birth and death. Just as we have days and nights, and seasons, all existing objects pass through cycles. On the scale of the universe, there are cosmic days and nights, great periods of birth, existence, death, and repose. Throughout the birth and death of worlds, suns, and cosmic systems, cause and effect is the law that balances everything. In other words, existence happens because of cause and effect. Without this law of cause and effect, existence would not be possible.

Yet, the law of cause and effect is not fixed or rigid like some kind of predetermined story, fate, or destiny, because such a law can only be set in motion when the conditions allow. A simple example is in the striking of a match to create a flame; without conducive conditions, the match will not light, such as underwater or if there is no oxygen. Likewise, on every level of existence, the conditions must be right for this law to be rendered active.

In traditions like Buddhism and Hinduism, which have studied this subject in great depth, the law of cause and effect is known as karma. The actual meaning of karma is poorly understood in the West, where people commonly associated it with some kind of debt to the universe or God. The real meaning of the Sanskrit term karma is cause and effect, or action and consequence. Karma is derived from the root word karman, which means an act. Every act is a cause for specific results. Thus, karma is just this: action and its consequences. Understanding this, we can naturally see that actions that produce beneficial consequences are just as karmic as actions that produce harm.

Nowadays, many people respond to this topic by leaping to its implications for the creation of the universe, or how it applies to natural catastrophes and other unique but interesting situations. While such subjects may be very compelling for debate or discussion, as they are currently beyond our ability to truly confirm or disprove, they are merely theoretical, and a merely theoretical or scholarly point of view is not very useful in daily life. Having an opinion or theory about the origin of mankind or the beginning of existence does not do much at all to help us with the problems that are afflicting us right now. Therefore, let us first understand karma personally, in our own life, as this kind of knowledge can render great changes that we can experience for ourselves.

Through action, we create results. Everything that we are now is a result of actions already taken. To be that which we aspire to be, we have to know what actions we need to take in order to produce the results we want. Moreover, we need to establish the conditions within which those actions, those causes, can bear fruit.

The human being has an infinite potential, yet to develop it one must know how. Nothing in the universe arises by chance or by a predetermined fate. Everything arises due to causes and conditions. To become a fully developed human being, we must perform the actions that engender such results. To do that, we have to understand exactly how karma works, and how to master it.

The first step then, is to reflect on our own experience with the four fundamentals of cause and effect.

1. The Certainty of Cause and Effect

Much—if not all—suffering occurs because of ignorance about cause and effect. By ignorance we do not mean a lack of book study or intellectual understanding, but to a lack of real knowledge. Real knowledge is cognizant knowledge. One only has to be burned one time to acquire genuine knowledge of the power of fire or heat. From then on, that knowledge cannot be ignored. Even if one has a strong desire whose fulfillment requires being burned (such as retrieving a cherished object from a raging fire), it is unlikely that one will be willing to be burned. And certainly, one would not take such pain for something unimportant.

Unfortunately, we lack this kind of knowledge regarding almost everything in life. We may believe it is wrong to lie, and though we have experienced the pain of being lied to, we continue to lie to others and to ourselves, because of ignorance: a lack of real knowledge—cognizant knowledge—of the consequences of lying.

A drunkard knows that alcohol is bad for him, but he continues to drink because he lacks cognizance—real knowledge— of the consequences of his drinking. Even having lost everything important to him in life—his family, career, social standing—he will continue to drink, because his desire is greater than his knowledge. In other words, he has not yet realized the inevitable relationship between action and consequence. He has no cognizance of karma.

For every action, there is a result. No matter how small or insignificant an action may seem, it will have consequences, even if we are unaware of them.

By actions, we mean not only what we say or do with our bodies, but also what we think and feel. Our internal actions can impact our external environment. The way we think and feel can be sensed by others, and can change their attitude towards us.

How many people have not been hired for a job, because the employer could sense the negative thoughts or feelings of the applicant? Even a well-qualified person will be rejected if they give off a bad atmosphere. An astute employer can sense a thief, a liar, or a person who cannot be trusted. There is no physical evidence for these impressions, but they are perceptible, because of our psychological environment. The state of our psychology can be sensed by others, thus what we think and feel has consequences.

How many good women have sensed the terrible, secret lust of an otherwise decent man, thus he remains alone? He may never show his lust externally, and only indulge in it in his mind, yet others can sense it.

What we think and feel, though it is inside of us, has an external impact that we generally ignore. Thus, our actions, whether internal or external, have effects.

Reflect on your own actions every day. Reflect on any action you intend to pursue. Be sure you have weighed the impact of every act, for once performed, it cannot be erased.

In every area of life, it is essential to recognize the certainty of cause and effect. Even if we do not immediately see the consequences of an action, the consequences will inevitably arrive as soon as the conditions are conducive—unless a more powerful action overpowers their emergence. We will talk more about this later.

Additionally, though we are not always able to perceive the relationship between cause and effect, it does not mean the relationship does not exist. However, it often happens that we do have the ability to see it, but we do not want to; much of the time, we are unwilling to see the truth. We prefer to maintain our illusions.

2. Effects Are Greater Than the Cause

Although most people think that an action produces an equal consequence, that is not true. A tiny seed grows into a plant many times larger, which produces more seeds and more plants. Thus, the original action—the seed—produces truly awesome results. Likewise, our actions develop consequences that are greater than the action.

A very simple example is to imagine throwing a stone into a pond. Most people think of cause and effect as merely being the relationship between the throw and the splash of water. Yet, when analyzed, there is much more occurring. The energy required to throw a stone is rather small, yet the impact of the stone results in a distribution of energy that is far, far greater than the original expenditure of energy. The splash is but the result of the initial impact of the stone on the water. But what about the waves created by the impact? On a still pond, the waves can extend for a very long distance, disturbing the entire pond; not just on the surface, but also towards the bottom, as well as any fish, plants, or other organisms, who might be terrified or disturbed. Moreover, such an action is not limited to just the material consequences; the sound also travels a long distance and creates an impact in a wide area.

Correspondingly, every action we perform has waves of impact that flow both outward and inward. Every action we perform also affects us inside, psychologically.

Numerous psychological problems (inside of us) are caused by the cumulative results of negative actions we performed externally. Yet, because we have never learned to pay attention to our actions and their effects, we are deeply ignorant of the full power of our actions.

The consequences are always greater than the action. This is true for negative actions and positive ones. If we plant the seeds of nourishing fruit, we can feed many people, for generations. Yet if we plant the seeds of selfishness, anger, or lust, we can originate harm on a scale that we can scarcely imagine.

How much greater the effects are than the originating action depends upon the conditions surrounding the action. A word spoken in solitude does not have much effect. But the same word spoken at just the right moment, in the right place, can change the world. In every case, the power of an action is determined by the conditions that surround it. Thus, it is necessary to not only contemplate well the type of action we want to perform, but the precise conditions needed to facilitate it. For instance, many people attempt to educate their children by relentlessly stating the same instructions over and over, yet the child continues to ignore the advice. To truly influence a child in the right way, those words could be spoken one time, if one knows the precise moment to do so.

3. You cannot receive the consequence without committing its corresponding action.

Actions produce corresponding consequences.

It is obvious that on the physical level in order to be nourished, you must eat. To live, you must breathe. To be clean, you must