THE LAW OF KARMA

(September 5, 1999)

One of the most popular laws that really is not a law is that of KARMA. It is an ancient Hindu religious concept that has been Americanized over time. "What goes around, comes around" or "every dog has his day" and there are other expressions that mean the same thing.

Centuries ago in India the expression of Karma was not easily understood and today it is not understood, just accepted.

Karma is not really a law at all. It is a psychological trick of the mind in order for other religious aspects and concepts to be accepted when they are against reality and true life experiences.

Just what is mean by the "law of Karma" and we need to keep that question in mind during the rest of this message.

Long ago in the history of man religious leaders and seers, mystics and sages, priests and even politicians realized that getting individuals to believe in some aspects of religion is difficult in the face of reality. What reality? The reality of daily life and how things really go. Teaching that it is good to suffer is foolish, but common in early times and also now. In India the acceptance of suffering is masked by the religious concept of "reincarnation" to accept the hardships of the present because of wrongful acts in a previous life. Don't act against it, accept it. That is the Indian way.

Do good and good will be done unto you. That also was a long ago concept and still today it is preached as if it weres some law. What law? The law of Karma....what you send out, comes back. These are all nice concepts to think about and even teach to small children, but adults and even older children realize that this is not true. Doing good does not always result in good being done back.

REWARDS, yes religion offers them. Whatever is denied on in this life is promised in the next as a reward for doing without in this life. Other promises are made by religions too. How to collect on them is the question.

Experience teaches that the good do not always prosper and crime does pay or it would not exist. How to command others to follow some religious tenet when it goes against the experiences of life?

Karma

Karma teaches one to "wait" the right will happen, the guilty will be punished, right is stronger than wrong, good will-out. All these sayings are just that - sayings. If you put your hand into a fire you will be burned NOW, not in the future or some future life and certainly not in some past life. The now can only be the now until it is replaced by another now. Memories are the past, dreams are the future and only the now is now.

Karma is used to quell the peoples' feelings for revenge which they may not be in a physical or financial position to take at the moment. Governments also use this mind trick which was perfected by religion. Karma is not a bad concept, but it needs to be understood as a concept and not as a law.

Americanized, "every dog has its day" - people realize that wrong is not always punished, but we are told that "some day" things will catch up with the evil doer. Americanized, "what goes around, comes around" that may be true with a virus, but it is not true with deeds.

Karma goes further than the present life. Yes, it uses the after-life or next life to complete its "promise" so that in case you don't live to see your revenge or the evil doer getting his/her reward or punishment - you can be certain (by the Law of Karma) that punishment will come in the afterlife or next life. Truthfully, if you don't see it, as far as you are ever aware of it - it never comes. Does that make one want to stay on the "straight and narrow"? No, it does not so in comes Karma again. We teach it, it is preached, and it is studied and called a law - but it is not.

Whether it is punishment or reward, the Law of Karma is not a law at all. If it were a law, everyone would be more careful of their actions, would be planting the seeds of good, and absolutely reaping the fruit of good. That does not happen. KARMA must be understood as a psychological concept of religion (and also politics) and nothing else.

There is no law that assures that things eventually are made right, rewards eventually come, punishments eventually happen, good deeds are returned, evil deeds receive their just rewards.

All this is entwined into the Law of Karma, which you must remember is not a law at all.

If you do good, that is its own reward.

If you do evil, that evil is now - it might be learned of later, but it is done now. Pleasures, rewards, gifts and good deeds promised later do not exist until that time and there is no "law" that will make them become reality.

Anything outside of your skin and beyond your senses is a belief and Karma has been put in between your senses and your experiences to make it feel that things are going to be different, not as they seem, more to your liking - later, in the fullness of time as the Scriptures term it. You make your own reality in your mind. Experiences are just that, experiences and they are recalled as memories.

Does this mean that doing good is never rewarded? No, it does not mean that. It means that doing good is its own reward and that there is NO LAW that is going to make something else good happen. Does it work the same for evil deeds. Yes, doing evil deeds does not mean that punishment is bound to happen.

Every dog does not have its day - perhaps but not by any law. What goes around does not come around - perhaps but not by any law.

What does this all mean?

It means only this...everything you do, everything you say, everything you think - is yours and you carry around the memories of your past. Filling your memories with good is its own reward.

Don't count upon some imaginary law to reward you...

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