The Profundity of Karma
Most people are aware of the term ‘karma’ and typically associate the word with the law of cause and effect, and the reaping of what is sown through the deeds of the life or of previous incarnations. Such knowledge is deeply ingrained within the human psyche; but, as with all psychic interpretations of truth, are only partial glimpses and perceptions of the profundity of life on earth. Karma is an original cause of existence and, as such, is a recurring point of reality within the mind. The original power of karma functioned as a reflex action within the preconscious to eliminate one sequence of life and then the next. As each moment disappeared within the eternal consciousness, the whole of existence was instantly created anew.
In the beginning, before life externalised on earth, there was the timeless. With the first rudimentary life forms, the past began and for eons was kept in perfect unison with the evolutionary needs of the present. Homo sapiens first appeared around two hundred thousand years ago; but it was only in recent history, around twelve thousand years ago, that the past became an impediment as a substantive blockage within the psyche. The negative effects began when human beings first became identified with physical death. This was due to the distance that now separated humanity from God or the source of life, which magnified the attachment to the body and material world.
From the spiritual perspective, the first level of higher mind closer to the earth’s field of awareness, namely the human psyche, evolves in a similar fashion to the external life forms in the sensory world. Karma permeates the after death process as a function of reflection. This enables the individual consciousness to ascertain what could serve the rectification of ignorance and bring the being to a deeper union with reality, should there be another opportunity to live again. Life, when it enters any living organism, carries the consciousness potential of a deeper awakening within each recurrence on earth.
The immortal idea is carried over from the deathless state into the physical world but is unable to manifest as originally conceived. This is due partly to the influence of the other planets within the solar system and innumerable other cosmic factors. Sometimes an emotional attachment needs numerous life recurrences for the psychic thread to be severed and restored to its original state of purity. What is usually seen as negative karma, such as being physically handicapped or subjected to a harsh upbringing, is not necessarily influenced by having been a ‘bad person’ in some previous life. Often, the life to be lived is voluntarily surrendered for the greater good by an individual able to withstand and undergo what in the eyes of the world would be seen as a most unfortunate living experience.
Nobody’s life can be accurately measured by any worldly values that normally approve or disapprove of someone’s morality and character. Often, the virtue of the life is obscured by other more recognisable human experiences, such as the success achieved in the career or involvement in some notorious scandal. The profundity of karma, however, has a timeless quality which in the grand scheme of things ensures that everybody is accountable in time for their actions for what they contribute to life on earth. In the Buddhist tradition, the intention behind any action (cetana) is a pivotal component of karma. When intention is made conscious (which happens when someone has the knowledge of the rightness of an action) the individual invokes the law of karma at the higher level of mind.
This is the highpoint of the spiritual process – the man or woman through their own volition being held responsible for their actions unto death, regardless of how others or the world will judge them. The life is then lived with purpose, which is living under the law of karma while conducting the normal affairs in the world. The original power of karma is then invoked to bring about circumstances and events that can often be self-corrective and challenging, but are known to bring more love and integrity to the life.