When I started to write this post, as I typed the word
Karma, I asked myself, what is Karma? I
had to admit that when I came to actually defining the word, I needed a little
assistance. I started reading about the
different groups that use the word and found Sikhism, Hinduism, Buddhism and
lots of other “isms” all use the word in some form. Even Christians have a similar belief in “So
shall ye reap, so shall ye sow”.
When I think about Karma I was one of those that saw someone
who committed what I thought to be a horrible crime, being handed a hard life
coming for all their evil deeds. I also
saw people doing good deeds and thought, oh they well so be rewarded.
I never really stopped to consider that this thought process
is very similar to Christianity in that, one believes that if they are “good”
while on earth, God will reward them with crowns, streets of gold and no pain.
For some reason that thought struck me as odd. When I do something for someone. When I light a candle, send good energy or
pick up a kids shoe that’s falling off from the shopping cart and hand it to
the parent; I’m not doing this because some time in the future I’ll be
rewarded.
I found a quote related to Buddhism that said, "God does not make one suffer for no
reason nor does He make one happy for no reason. God is very fair and gives you
exactly what you deserve."
Now, what do I deserve? Am I a good person? I continued to read and some of the lines
were, eating meat is wrong and some other “commandments” if you will, that appeared
to be more of an eye for an eye type belief.
One cannot say, you deserve that to happen to you, when a rapists rapes,
without fully understanding that with that judgement, they are now the rapists.
Fascinating.
Fascinating.
So, if we look at that concept and then think about it from
a “typical” pagan prospective we see things like, karma spells and reflective
spells. Even though we're a live and let
live group of people, if attacked, we have been known to direct things back at the attacker. Does this then make us an aggressor?
And then what is the purpose anyway?? So I’m a jackass in
this life, right? If I realize I’m an
ass; do I slowly get better as I’m re-incarnated? If my life is really good now do I then think
that I used to be an ass? What about
people who are really “bad” now? Were
they worse before?
Does karma deal us a
hand and it change based on the moves we make in it? What about little babies that are
killed? Again, how is this not like the
heaven/hell theory?
So many questions flying through my brain.
One thing I've learned is that as I look at karma closely, I
get mixed messages. I love the thought –
get what you deserve, no more, no less.
I’m not sure I’m clear about who gets to say what I deserve. As I've seen it, everything in organized
religion is from a human. Perhaps that’s
all we have, but to me, that’s a bit suspect.
I believe that when you are doing something, “right” only
you can decide if it is. You created
that event, which becomes the cause for the beginning of “Karma”. I don’t believe anyone else can point at the
things I've done in my life and say, this is good or this is bad. Only I truly know what those things are. Someone may see me steal from a grocery store
at 8 years old. They do not see me
sitting in the field next to the store eating the food I just stole with a vengeance
because I’m starving.
I also believe that
if there is something I’m doing that isn't the right way. I’ll know it.
I’ll know that I’m not doing this the completely honest way. At times, I've been leaving the store and
a get the wrong change, I quickly gave it back.
Why? Because it’s the right thing to do.
I do everything I can to be honest and very upfront with
people. I try to be polite and courteous
all the time. I try to treat other people
how I want to be treated. If I drop
something on the floor, please give it back to me. If
I leave my bag at the checkout, yell for me.
If my kid drops his shoe, tug my shoulder.
I guess to me, Karma is just like another K word.
Kindness.
Namaste
& Blessed Be
Sosanna
)O(
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