Karma comes from a Sanskrit (the written language of India) term meaning “action.” The word refers not only to our deeds but also to our thoughts and words.
According to the Law of Karma, our actions produce similar consequences, both positive and negative. There are, however, ways to create good karma and lead a happy life.
The Law of Karma
We could say that the law of karma is an Asian version of the famous proverb “You reap what you sow.”
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Every day we think things, say things and do things the consequences of which we are not really aware of.
The fact is, all our actions (causes) have similar repercussions (consequences) that are the same as those which pushed us to accomplish them in the first place. These consequences, in turn, become the causes of other actions… and so it goes in an endless chain of cause and effect.
That’s why the law of karma is also called the law of causality, or the law of cause and effect
How Does Karma work?
If you have bad thoughts about someone, those thoughts will inevitably lead to negative words and deeds directed at the person in question.
The problem is, you never know where the chain of negativity will lead you. In many cases, the repercussions are even more negative than their cause!
You could fall into a descending spiral of destructive cause and effect that becomes totally uncontrollable!
On the other hand, if your words, thoughts, and deeds towards others are benevolent, you will plant seeds that eventually germinate and bring you benefits of one kind or another.
A positive attitude towards yourself and others will only bear fruit if your actions are unselfish. You must not have any underlying ideas in your mind, but simply wait for others to return your benevolence in kind, by thanking you and showing their recognition…
If you are expecting something else, you will undermine your positive actions and prevent yourself from benefitting from the seed you planted. At best, what you receive in return will be very limited.
But if you act without expecting anything in return, you will harvest limitless benefits all the time.
The notion of “positive” and “negative” have nothing in common with the notions of Good and Evil that have been widely propagated by various religions and traditions, especially Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
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In Buddhism and Hinduism, believing in the law of karma is not connected to the concept of sin. In other words, there is no list of actions considered good or bad, nor is there the notion of guilt if you do something that is considered to be wrong.
In these philosophies, there is only the notion of a chain of cause and effect, with causes producing effects of the same nature, either positive or negative.
The Law of Karma Is Infinite
The law of cause and effect does not stop when we die. It must be seen in terms of reincarnation, a belief in past and future lives.
The fact is, according to the Law of Karma we live many lives and are reborn many times.
We can attain enlightenment and be released from the cycle of death and rebirth only when all our bad karma has been addressed and worked out.
According to Karmic law, the effects of our words, deeds and thoughts do not cease to exist when we die. They accompany us in our next reincarnation and continue to do so until we have made up for our bad karma with positive acts.
In karmic philosophy, each new reincarnation depends on your past karma.
Every time you experience physical death, you are reborn in a particular country, in a specific family, either as a male or a female, in a high social milieu or in poverty and misery… all depending on your previous karma.
Generally speaking, we could say that the more harm you caused in one life will result in a more difficult situation in your next incarnation, proportionate to the negative things you did in your previous life.
The cycle of reincarnation is not infinite since you can rise above it by doing positive things for others that will erase the consequences of your negative thoughts, words, and deeds, committed in your previous lifetimes.
There is no fatality involved in this notion of karma and past lives, except when we are not conscious of the nature of the consequences of our actions. If we are not aware that our negative actions have harmful consequences, both for ourselves and for others, then it is easier to understand why our efforts fail.
People who are ignorant of the notion of cause and effect think they are simply unlucky. The reality is that the things that happen to them, which they consider to be caused by bad luck, are nothing more than the consequences of their actions.
How To Get Rid of Bad Karma
The notions of karma and past lives, being indissolubly linked, also enable you to envisage life in another light.
When you understand that you are fully responsible for your actions and that you play a very important role in everything that happens to you, either positive or negative, then you stop blaming others for your misfortunes.
You must seek the answers to your questions, the solutions to your problems, and ideas for developing your plans and projects, inside yourself.
If what you are trying to do does not succeed, or if you do not have the life you desire, you must not make yourself feel guilty by thinking that you are not a good person, incapable of accomplishing anything.
Just tell yourself that your thoughts, words, and deeds have not enabled you to attain your objectives or make your desires a reality. Above all, do not react in an emotional way, either with yourself or with others.
You may feel resentment against the people you think are responsible, in part or in whole, for your misfortunes. That would be counterproductive. If you understand the law of karma, then speaking and acting in negative ways will only create more obstacles between you and the happiness you seek.
How To Attract Good Karma
You must perform positive actions in the karmic sense (thoughts, words, and deeds) since if you do, according to karmic logic, they can only lead to positive consequences.
Behaving in such a way will not only extricate you from your negative karma, but it will also provide you with the benefits of your good karma for the rest of your life.
Remember that your actions, from a karmic point-of-view, are neither positive or negative. It is the way we judge our actions and their consequences that make us consider them positive or negative, good or bad.
The way you see them depends on your state of mind. But from a karmic viewpoint, your actions do not obey any value judgments that you may make.
The fact is, it is only your point-of-view that decides whether an action is positive or negative.
If someone owes you money and you get upset, even to the point of physically assaulting them to get what belongs to you, then you will judge the action of the assault as positive, since it gets you your money back. But for the other person, your assault will leave a bitter aftertaste and be seen as negative.
To summarize from a karmic point-of-view, an action is neither good or bad. It is how you look at it that decides whether the results you obtain are positive or negative.
Above all, do not think that if you do not act, nothing negative can happen to you.
Inaction is a form of passive, negative action since you waste time not performing positive acts that could improve your situation and benefit you by creating positive karma.
The Roots Are In Your Past Lives!
To avoid confusion by using the terms positive and negative, good or bad, you should refer to your actions as being either constructive or destructive.
This way of seeing things will avoid the emotional charge of labeling something good or bad, depending on your culture, your education and the kind of people you associate with.
To summarize the notion of Karma in a way that does not leave the imprint of the Judeo-Christian philosophy of good and evil and their associated connotations, we could say that the act of performing destructive actions will have destructive consequences, while constructive actions generate constructive consequences.
Also, since our actions stay with us from one life to another, the causes of our present problems are sometimes difficult to comprehend, since their roots can be found in a previous lifetime.
With that in mind, you could consider doing some regression therapy with a specialist in the field. Or you could try to get rid of the destructive effects on your karma yourself, by performing constructive actions from now on.
That is the solution we are offering you now.
Five Ways to Create and Cultivate Good Karma
According to the law of karma, if you perform constructive, virtuous actions (in thought, word, and deed) you will eventually purify your bad karma. There is a practical way to do that, as described below.
Be Kind Under Any Circumstances
I am not talking about being too kind and letting yourself be duped. True kindness consists of reacting equally to all people and treating everyone the same.
True kindness means being friendly to everyone, never losing your temper, and being understanding by helping people as much as possible, but always in an unselfish way.
Demonstrate Your Unconditional Love
Being a loving person is one of the best ways to get rid of negative karma and create positive karma, as long as you are unselfish and do not expect anything in return.
Whenever you can, show people your love by maintaining good relations with them.
You do not need to throw your arms around everyone you meet. Just give them some proof of your love for them.
You can embrace people, give them little signs of encouragement, smile at them, or be respectful and understanding, depending on how close you feel to them. Be kind to people in your family, your social and professional colleagues, and anyone else you meet.
Practice Constructive Listening
Most of the time when people meet and start talking, they listen to what they themselves are saying, and not to the other person.
It’s like having two monologues going at the same time: each person speaks about their own situation, hoping the other will understand and sympathize with their problems.
When another person speaks, you listen distractedly, without really being interested in what they say. You may start thinking about something else, as if your mind were “elsewhere,” until it’s your turn to speak again.
To restore good karma, practice really listening to other people. Pay attention to what they are telling you. Be sympathetic and try to really understand their problems. Do whatever you can to help them, through your words and your concrete actions.
In short, listen to people and try to be as understanding as you hope they are towards you.
Try to Resolve All Problems in a Positive Peaceful Way
There’s a famous expression that says, “Don’t pour oil on fire!” Whether you believe you are right or wrong, and whether you are right or not, assuming responsibility for a difficult situation means not blaming the other person.
Do all you can to settle a situation in a peaceful way, without accusing anyone present of being wrong.
If you happen to be in the wrong, admit it. Doing so will not be a sign of weakness but of great courage.
Do not give in to physical or verbal violence, even if the other person is aggressive towards you. De-escalate the situation, and when the other person calms down to suggest a solution everyone can agree with.
Be Forgiving Under All Circumstances
No matter how serious the damage you have undergone, forgive the other person and do not react in the same way, by being brutal or aggressive.
Doing so may satisfy your pride, your feelings of superiority, or compensate for the impression that you are being weak. That will only sow the seeds of further discord, and lead to a situation that is even worse and much more damaging to you and/or the other person.
That kind of negative behavior can lead to hate that lasts for years, or degenerates into a feud between families, between a couple, or even in the same family, and end up resulting in a war between two groups of people.
Eliminate all thoughts of resentment, regret, and remorse, no matter how deeply and how long they have persisted.
Conclusion: Adopt A Positive Attitude
You should try, in a personal way, to adopt a positive and constructive attitude by using your imagination.
That will lay the foundations for your good karma and your happiness. One day you will be free of the effects of your past lives and experience a higher level of consciousness and a state of total contentment that will shelter you from all terrestrial suffering.
According to the Law of Karma, that is the only way to find true happiness in your mind, detached from all terrestrial desires which would otherwise keep you trapped forever in a cycle of birth, death, and reincarnation.
