“Life is like an echo! when you give something, it comes back to you many, many times.” ― Master Choa Kok Sui, Achieve the Impossible
It's hard to pinpoint the exact moment, but one thing is clear: understanding the law of Karma sooner would have saved me from many struggles. Knowing about it for years, it was only when I truly grasped its power and daily significance that my life changed for the better. I learned that it's not just about being responsible for our actions, but also about building a positive karmic balance, which softens life's challenges.
The essence of karma is a universal concept: actions have consequences. This is echoed across various cultures and religions:
- Islam (Quran, Surah Al-Zalzalah 99:7-8) says, "Whoever does an atom's weight of good will see it, and whoever does an atom's weight of evil will also see it.".
- Christianity (Galatians 6:7) teaches, "Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.".
- Judaism (Talmud, Megillah 12b) states, "He who shows mercy to others, mercy will be shown to him from heaven; he who does not show mercy to others, mercy will not be shown to him from heaven.".
Navigating the compass of karma also involves the Golden Rule, present in many traditions:
- Christianity: "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you." (Matthew 7:12)
- Judaism: "What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor. This is the whole Torah; the rest is commentary." (Talmud, Shabbat 31a)
- Buddhism: "Hurt not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful." (Udanavarga 5,1)
- Hinduism: "This is the sum of duty: do not do to others what would cause pain if done to you." (Mahabharata 5,1517)
- Confucianism: "What you do not wish for yourself, do not do to others." (Analects 15,23)
- Islam: "None of you [truly] believes until he wishes for his brother what he wishes for himself." (Hadith of Bukhari and Muslim)
The Golden Rule is a key guide for ethical and moral behavior, reflecting how we treat others mirrors our values and morality.
Beyond theory, there's a vital practical implication: we must give what we need. It's not just a moral principle but a practical application of a universal law, like using gravity to generate electricity or electromagnetism in electric vehicles.
Karma works like a boomerang: what we give, returns to us. To receive love, we must give love; to achieve success, we must help others succeed. It's the practice of the Golden Rule, not just as a moral imperative but as an effective way to positively shape our reality.
If we need prosperity, we may give prosperity, giving tithing to those in need, sharing our resources to uplift others, thereby planting seeds for abundance in our own lives. This act of generosity not only aids those who receive it but also aligns us with the karmic principle of receiving by giving, cultivating a cycle of prosperity that benefits all involved.
We often experience "instant karma" through small acts like a smile or a kind word. But we can also make longer-term investments, like targeted donations or plans to help others. The returns are surprising and make us better people, motivating us to continue doing good, not just for personal gain.
Reflecting on this, GMCKS (Grand Master Choa Kok Sui) stated, "Based on the Principle of Spiritual Unity, anything a person does to others, they do to themselves. Spiritually, causes set in the inner world will inevitably materialize physically unless a neutralizing factor is set in motion. The fruits can be pleasant or unpleasant, depending on the nature of the seed that was sown. This is called the Law of Karma."
Helena Roerich also writes: "Everything is karma, and everything happens according to karma. When one cycle of karma related to a certain period ends, a new one begins on other planes and worlds, and so on ad infinitum. When it is said that karma is exhausted, it means that it has ended with respect to a certain cycle or planet, etc. Therefore, for a person to exhaust karma on this planet means to have purified and transmuted the energies of their inner nature to the point that another incarnation on Earth cannot offer them anything new; it means that all the elements or energies that make up their being have reached the highest state of perfection on this planet."
"Before you act, you have freedom, but after you act, the effect of that action will follow you whether you want it to or not. That is the law of karma." — Paramahansa Yogananda
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