KARMA

Earlier today, this meme popped up on my FB page.  Some things I just can't resist, and this was one of 'em.  Who thinks this stuff up?  

A Karma Bus.........what an idea.......we all must react in a similar way, cuz who among us hasn't been in a state of pissinomity because of something someone did to us?  All we have in our pocket for retribution is the hope that karma is real.  

My belief system is not mainstream, because I'm a 'free thinker.'  But, one thing I do believe in is karma.

Karma is "a concept in Indian religions and philosophy that describes the relationship between a person's actions and their consequences.  It's often understood as a principle of cause and effect, where good or bad actions determine the nature of a person's future existence."

The Hindu concept of karma is like the Christian concept "we reap what we sow."  Galatians 6:7 KJV.   The word 'karma' is tossed around a lot in our society, so we should be aware of its 12 laws:

• The great law or the law of cause and effect.  According to this law, whatever thoughts or energy one puts out, one gets back....good or bad.  
• The law of creation.  Life just doesn't happen to us.  To make things happen in our lives, we need to take action rather than wait for something to magically come our way.  We can use skills, talents and strengths to create something that's beneficial to ourselves and others, as well. 
• The law of humility.  We must be humble enough to accept that our current reality is the result of our past actions.  
• The law of growth.  Growth starts within us.  To contribute positively in the world, we need to start with ourselves.  Real change, personal growth, begins with what we have control over, which is ourselves, not others.  Our focus should be on ourselves, not trying to control the people or situations around us.
• The law of responsibility.  We are the product of the choices we make.
• The law of connection.  Everything in our lives, including our past, present and future, are connected.  Who we are today is the result of our previous actions.  Our actions now will be connected to what happens to us in the future.
• The law of focus.  Concentrate on one thing at a time.  If we focus on higher values like love and peace, we're less likely to be distracted by heavy feelings of resentment, greed or anger.
• The law of giving and hospitality.  We must give to the things we believe in.  If we want to live in a peaceful world, we need to focus on cultivating peace for others.
• The law of here and now.  Embrace the present.  This can happen only if we let go of negative thoughts or behaviors of the past.  If we get too focused on past events, we'll keep reliving them.  
• The law of change.  History will continue to repeat itself until we learn from the experience and take steps to do something differently to stop the cycle. 
• The law of patience and reward.  It does no good to live healthily for one day and then sabotage it in the next.  Like St. Teresa of Avila said, "Patience attains all it strives for."
• The law of significance and inspiration.  We all play a part and have something to contribute to this world.  What we share may sometimes seem small to us but can make an enormous difference in someone else's life.  According to this law, every contribution we make will affect the world.  Each of us has been born with a specific gift, mission and purpose that only we can bring into the world with our uniqueness.  To genuinely share our gifts and skills is why we are here.  

We all know people who have knowingly set out to hurt us.  The pain they caused for us is what we want karma to do to them.  Bless me Father, but I've actually waited years to see karma unfold.  It took a long time, but it did.  It does.  It will.