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Connected to the
concept of karma is the belief that the experiences in your life
that you do not deal with ethically and effectively, will reoccur
until such time that you learn the lessons such experiences hold for
you.
It is not that an
all-knowing God punishes you for wrongful or foolish acts, but
rather that the energy you project out into the world has a natural
boomerang effect, known as karma. Toss a boomerang of anger, and
anger is what will come back to you from others. Toss a boomerang of
love, and love will be returned. Another way we can grasp the
concept of karma is to consider what happens when you call out in a
loud voice when surrounded by large mountains. Within a second or
two's time, the echo of your voice reverberates all around you.
Shout out "hate" and hate will come back to you. Shout out
"God" and God will echo back.
It would appear to
be common sense if one said, "If you want to harvest rice in a
few months time, you had better plant rice now, and not wheat or
barley." In Nepali culture it is common sense to realize,
"If you want to harvest the respect and good will of those you
interact with, you had better plant the seeds of respect and good
will now. Your thoughts and actions are the seeds that determine
what grows in your life, and what doesn't."
In working and
living with Nepali people I have experienced a kindness that I find
to be rare in the world today. I have found a gentleness and caring
that touches my soul, and inspires me to be more caring myself. In
particular, I remember an event from about fifteen years ago when a
Nepali friend said, "I will bear the burden of today's hardship
that I might prepare myself for the blessings of the future."
Practice
Consider a
troublesome relationship you are involved in now.
Think about the
actions you have been considering taking; the manner in which you
have been thinking about replying.
Really do take the
time to consider this.
Now,
Contemplate the
reply/response you are likely to get back from others, based upon
your reply/response back to them.
In other words,
imagine the boomerang effect your response will likely generate from
others.
And how their
response back to you will also tend to boomerang back on them.
How easy it can be
to get caught up in cycle of negative responses, with no
compassionate end in sight.
Action-Reaction,
Boomerang, Echo.
The wheel of karma
is turning,
And will continue
to turn.
For as long as you
supply the energy.
Over the course of
the coming days, months, years, decades, eternity...
Imagine the echo of
all your responses and actions in the world, reverberating out and
back to you,
Just like they do
in the relationship you are considering now.
Think of the likely
consequences of all that you think and do.
Anger, retribution,
fear, punishment.
Love, compassion,
caring, kindness.
What is it that you
truly want in the relationship you started out thinking about?
How have you been
playing an active role in determining the future and destiny of this
relationship?
What seeds will you
need to plant now in order to harvest the relationship you desire?
What is the
"right action" that you can take today, to help you begin
to achieve the kind of future you desire?
Your future will be
different if you act and think differently now.
How can you respond
differently,
In order to truly
best serve your needs,
And the needs of
those you are in relationship with?
Both parties need
to be served!
It is only natural.
How will you bear
the burden of today's challenges, in order to best prepare yourself
for the blessings of the future?
©Charlie Badenhop.
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