This is one of those natural laws I have been studying for decades. Going back as far as the days of late adolescence/early adulthood when I first picked up a book on Buddhist philosophy and continuing today through more of a yogic perspective.
Check out my video on the subject and be sure to read through the rest of my post when you’re done to grasp the full essence and value of the information I share about this natural law.
This is a very tricky law to fully understand and takes a lifetime of work to master. Karma is the Sanskrit word for action and is derived from the root Kri meaning “to do”. In actuality, karma is both action and its consequence simultaneously.
At the most basic level, the law of karma is synonymous with the law of cause and effect. Common phrases associated with this law include “You Reap What You Sow” or the “Fruits Of One’s Labor”.
The universe has a perfect accounting system and all action has an equal and opposite reaction although this is not always easily perceived as such because the universe has its own time-line regarding how balance is maintained.
No debt ever goes unpaid or as they also say, no good deed goes unpunished. More importantly is our ability to understand how this law works in our present life and how we can use it to change our now and our future to lead more aware, fulfilling and happier lives.
What most of us do not realize is that many of the choices we make in life are unconscious. We become deeply conditioned to react in a certain way when exposed to specific stimuli. What we must seek to understand is that we have the ability to become conscious choice makers in each and every moment of our existence.
Even the choice to eat a particular food or drink a specific drink is a karmic event. Having a cup of coffee for instance has a very precise effect on your body, mood, thoughts and ultimately your actions.
Our entire state of affairs in life is defined by all of the actions that have preceded us this very moment. No one else is to blame for our current situation. Even the most righteous people have mixed karma because we do not also choose right action 100% of the time.
An interesting metaphor can be seen through the act of shooting a bow and arrow. When you pull back the bow, this represents the action whereby we have a choice to determine the outcome of the path the arrow shoots.
However, once the bow is released, the arrow must travel on its path until it reaches its destination. It cannot be undone once it begins traveling until its cycle of motion and energy is played out.
So what motivates action? Within our subconscious mind lies our blueprint or our operational software defined by karma (action), thoughts and desires. These deep rooted patterns in Sanskrit are called Samskaras which are formed by our vasanas or tendencies.
Samskara is literally the seeds of our past actions which has lead to our present state of conditioning. Vasanas can be further defined as our unconscious propensities, or our present consciousness formed from past perceptions. The two terms are inextricably related.
The entire framework from which our current reality is manifest is based on our conditioning. Action is motivated by thinking, thinking by desire and desire by samskara.
Desire is the fuel for action and is the basis for manifestation. You can learn about the role of desire in more detail by checking out:
The Law of Intention: Attraction Can’t Happen Without It
What tends to happen is that the layers of our conditioning are often so thick, that our decision making is frequently made at an unconscious level. We simply react like the Pavlovian dog salivating at the sound of a bell.
Unconscious choices are still choices and generally lead to predictable outcomes of behavior. A catchy lyric from one of my old time favorite rock bands, Rush and the song Freewill comes to mind:
“If you choose not to decide you still have made a choice.”~Neil Pert
A rather appropriate lyric for this example. So what we must learn is to use our freewill to sow the seeds of happiness through right action. In addition, we must learn to live unaffected by outside forces.
The first step is becoming a “witness” to our own processes that lead to action. This state is actually the highest form of human intelligence in which there is no attachment but only observation.
Witnessing takes the unconscious and brings it into the conscious realm. It is in these moments that we can make a choice and ask ourselves if this particular decision is going to benefit ourselves and those around us or not.
Within us is built the mechanism for spontaneous right action. One of my early spiritual mentors referred to this as our inner vision which is aligned with intuition. Our body actually gives us the answer to every action we take as a feeling of either comfort or discomfort.
If we simply pay attention we can observe the bodily sensation most often felt in the heart center and/or the solar plexus (stomach area). Ask yourself if the choice you are going to make feels right and then focus your awareness on your heart center which is the seat of your intuition.
If you’ve every felt your heart drop or a pit in your stomach when something was not quite right or contrarily that feeling of ease and peace in the heart center when resolution is reached you’ll know exactly what I mean.
Ask, listen and then wait for the answer. Within you is the correct response to every choice. This takes diligence, but your awareness will grow through the practice of observation or simply being a witness to your thoughts. The process gets easier over time as we learn to perform action skillfully and selflessly.
We must also learn to apply the law of karma to what we’ve already created from past choices. Since we must pay our karmic debts in order to maintain the balance that is inherent in the universe, the best way to do this is by taking a seemingly negative experience and transforming it.
We do this by embracing the lesson that is present in adversity. We must look for the opportunity to do good in every experience and find its benefit. If we approach life in this way, these experiences can find new more meaningful expressions.
Meditation also allows us to transcend the seeds of karma. We become independent of it as we begin to purify the patterns that lie deep within our subconscious.
In summary, we must become a witness to our thoughts which give rise to action and make choices that are in alignment with our highest good. We do this by tapping into our intuition and have the foresight into the potential consequences of our decisions.
As we learn and grow as individuals, we become both the student and the master of the creation of all things good in our lives. In the spirit of good fun, I would like to leave you with an iconic John Lennon tune as a gentle reminder to start making choices that support your highest good:
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Your Partner In Success,
Great video Fredric! As a “newbie” to personal development, meditiation, awareness and the higher or inner self, I find your content enjoyable, enlightneing and instructive. The majority of people do not comprehend the perfect balance of the universe, much less taking responsiibilty for their lives and their current situations. It’s always changing something external that people think will make them happier, more fulfilled, when everything you need is within yourself, including your choices and the results of the choices you make. Excellent stuff brother! I would like to come spend a weekend with you sometime and just absorb from you!
.-= Scott Phares´s last blog ..The Four Critical Keys to Good Keyword Research =-.
Hey Scott,
Thanks so much for your kind comments. Personal development is an exciting journey of discovery and this alone is a “choice” that will ultimately lead to greater happiness, prosperity and fulfillment. After all, tapping into our highest good is the ultimate expression of spirit.
It is hard sometimes to see the balance in a seemingly chaotic world but it’s not necessarily something the human mind can completely grasp. It often requires a bit of faith and surrender. So many people act unconsciously with little regard for the consequences of their actions, taking responsibility can be frightening.
This is no doubt a powerful law that when applied can nurture the power of our present moment as well as determine future outcomes. Your thoughts are much appreciated!
~Fredric
Fredric if only the masses would expect this..oh what a beautiful world would we have.
Robert.
Hi Robert,
If people realized that any negative act they choose to carry out would ultimately come back on then in spades..would they still make that choice? The world would indeed be a better place!
~Fredric
PRESENT SATISFACTION, FUTURE REGRET PEOPLE HAVE TO PAY FOR THEIR ACTION .WHAT GOES AROUND SURE DOES COMES AROUND AND WHEN IT DOES I’S GONNA BITE YOU IN THE (YOU KNOWS WHERE) . PEOPLE MUST TAKE RESPONSIBILITY AND BE KIND TO OTHERS,LIKE YOU SAID WHEN THE BOW LEAVES THE ARROW THERE IS NO TURNING BACK .
REMARKABLE, I HOPE A LOT OF PEOPLE READ THIS ARTICLE.
Hi Verona,
That bow and arrow analogy really makes the process clear doesn’t it!? It’s not easy for many people to admit that they and they alone are responsible for their present circumstances. Unconscious decision making is the norm with little regard for the future. I think, like you said, the most important point to remember is to be kind. That as well as a certain non attachment to the fruits of ones labor is important too. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
~Fredric
I love the way you connect with people, just one thing down the bottom you said:
“Also, don’t forget to leave me a comment below and let me know what you think. It will be bad karma if you don’t”!
Whatever your thought while writing this is nothing but taking away my freedom of choice. Anyway, I’m into metaphysical for number of years now and still not sure when my higher self/intuition speaks to me. I feel like not going anywhere sometimes but fully aware for many years that there is something out there or in here. My questions are never answered or it appears to me that way. It’s amazing that I’m almost always able to inspire others but not myself. I’ll stop here talking about me. That wasn’t the purpose anyway. I love your stile and I can feel where you’re “coming from”.
Bono Gavran,
Licensed Avatar Master, Inspirational Coach, Law of Attraction Coach
Melbourne, Australia
Hi Bono,
Thanks so much for your heart felt comment as well as the authenticity and transparency of the response as well.
Getting in touch with the “inner vision” I speak of definitely takes practice, but I think this is something that does get easier over time.
The ego is very tenacious and makes it difficult to see through the thick veil of ignorance due to past conditioning. But, if we undertake this as a process, an evolution of sorts, it makes it easier to accept and surrender to the circumstances in the present moment.
Regarding that little “call to action” at the bottom, that was innocently intended to invoke a smile in the spirit of humor, as much as I really do appreciate comments and interaction. Thanks again for sharing your thoughts!
~Fredric
"The heart will yield the answer." – Fredric Schwartz
It's been quoted my friend! Informative and enlightening as usual, great vid/post Fredric. If the world realized that true happiness came from within… Well, we'd be living in a pretty awesome world. Thanks for doing your part to raise that awareness!
Garrett
.-= Garrett Miller´s last blog ..Twitter – Autoresponder (Web) 2.0 =-.
@Garrett Miller,
Hey Garrett,
Thanks my friend! The world would indeed be a better place if people looked within realizing we are all related and what one does to another, he/she does to him or herself!
The heart will indeed yield the answer if we only take the time to listen and follow it’s message!
~Fredric
@Garrett Miller,
Hey Garrett,
Thanks my friend! The world would indeed be a better place if people looked within realizing we are all related and what one does to another, he/she does to him or herself!
The heart will indeed yield the answer if we only take the time to listen and follow it’s message!
~Fredric
‘no good deed goes unpunished’ – is this sentence an error? I would have preferred something like: ‘NO GOOD DEED GOES UNREWARDED’.
@Nser Edet,
Hi Nser,
That was an intentional use of an oxymoron.. a saying I recall from my youth meant to invoke a non-traditional response to keep it interesting and remember to not always take life too seriously all the time. A bit of a curve ball if you will. Cheers!
~Fredric
Hi Fredric, It’s interesting that you have a “Relax on the Beach” banner at the bottom of your post. I’ve personally made $5400.00 USD in 100 days with this business! Thank you for sharing. We truly reap what we sow.
Stumbled upon this page and glad I did -just what I was looking for. I am new at this and looking for insights.
I have had all those feeling and never paid attention. Spoke and did things while having that'gut feeling' and knowing it wasn't right but went ahead and did it anyway. Wasn't witness to my thoughts. I like the bow and arrow analogy…I've had trouble admitting that my choices are mine alone and being able to accept the outcome….boy,getting in touch with our inner vision takes much practice !
Fascinating stuff-I am digging deeper now….thanks !