Karma means the moral law of cause and effect. Karma dictates that every decision must have its fixed consequences, but that the decisions themselves are freely arrived at.
The Problem of Suffering
The issues of human suffering, disease, disability and inequality are always with us. Within the context of one lifetime, existence can only be seen as grossly unfair. If we have a limited viewpoint and believe that our path is randomly selected, we will see ourselves as victims of fate.
Reincarnation
The notion of human evolution via many lifetimes, goes hand in hand with the concept of karma and offers us a map of consciousness and being. This map will take us beyond the limited, immediate here and now ideas of cause and effect.
The doctrine of karma and reincarnation teaches that a system of life review and subsequent choice, goes on beyond incarnation and the Earth plane. Death is not an end, but an opportunity for a new beginning. Between lifetimes we review our experiences, mistakes and achievements and make choices as to how best continue our evolution. We die in order to return and each successive lifetime offers chosen openings for broadening our experience, for finding deeper meaning in life and for spiritual evolution.
The imbalances and unfairness of life, continue to exist, but begin to show meaning within a wider perspective, when we embrace the concept of karma. The hardships take on a deeper significance. We do not see ourselves as helpless victims of random selection. Instead, we seek to understand the choices we have made. This enables us to grow and exercise a wiser control over our lives. We understand that all humans are on a path of learning.
Many lifetimes and the karma we set in motion, lead us eventually to a full realisation of all our potential.
- Reincarnation presents the possibility that each soul may incarnate many times in order to further the process of evolution.
- Karma is the Sanskrit word for the fascinating, spiritual law of cause and effect.
- The higher self is a part of the soul, an overseeing intelligence, determining the experiences required to further evolution.
- Divine Principles are pure, abstract energies motivating and giving us direction at all times.
Our souls originate as sparks from the Divine Source. The original spark has a long journey of evolution ahead of it because the human choice is for consciousness, knowledge and experience, rather than for a perpetual state of innocence. Only by becoming conscious and owning our role of co-creatorship in the universe, can we become truly a part of creation.
The divine spark consists of soul and spirit. These two interact constantly in the process of evolution. The spirit inhabits us when we descend into matter, our souls register and assimilate all our experience. A higher self takes an overview and directs our choices.
The whole of the soul does not incarnate. The soul may be graphically described as the central thread of a necklace, which holds many beads. The beads on the thread or the grains on the core are the aspects that incarnate. When a bead returns to the thread it takes back a piece of experience and knowledge, which informs the evolution of the whole necklace. The thread stores and integrates this knowledge. When all beads have returned to the thread, the phase of evolution that includes incarnation is complete.
When we have lived many lifetimes on Earth in order to gain enough incarnate experience, we have “mastered” that phase of existence and so move on permanently to life on other planes. This moving on is often called “Ascension”.
The law of karma, or cause and effect, becomes compassionate when we understand that our life choices are made by our own, individual, eternal and self-determining consciousness. Our position in life, the benefits, deprivations and obstacles we are born with or meet, are not life sentences imposed by some judgmental being, force or body, but are conditions taken on by our higher selves to further our learning, evolution and experience.
One of the main tasks of evolution, and a primary purpose in terms of karma, is to become more conscious of ourselves and the experiences we are having, in order to activate our power of choice. For many of us it is exactly this power that we find so formidable. How do we choose? We have to keep in mind that if experience is the substance of evolution, then every day, every hour, every minute of our lives is an accomplishment of life purpose. We agonise unnecessarily over some life decisions, telling ourselves that there must be a right or wrong direction to take at each of life’s crossroads. Sometimes we stay stuck at the crossroads, unable to read the signs or make a decision about which way to turn.
When making choices we must not forget that the highest potentials in life are associated with love, joy and compassion. After death we go through a transition period. We spend time in a healing temple and are reunited with loved ones who are already on the ‘other side’. But, when we have had time to adjust to our new state, we are required to make a detailed review and evaluation of the life we have just lived. We do this with support from more evolved guides, helpers and advisers.
This experience has been described as similar to receiving deep psychotherapy. We are not judged, but we certainly judge ourselves as we see the effects and out-reaching nature of some of the ripples we have created in the lake of life. The causes and effects we have set in motion become very clear. The karmic choices for the next incarnation are based on this life review.
Ruth White – Karma and Reincarnation
Special for April
Reiki Level 2 and Advanced Level is available to students who have completed Level 1 training. I am offering a discount of 15% to all students who have completed Reiki level 1.
In Level 2 the student receives the second, higher level attunement, deepening the level of the energy flow.
The student is provided with the 3 symbols and their meanings, enabling them to ‘set’ intentions and to broaden the scope of their healing
One of the most exciting techniques passed on in Level 2, is that of distant healing. Any person, animal or object can receive the benefits of Reiki from a distance. Healing can be sent to anyone, anywhere at any time.
Completing Reiki 2 and Advanced, enables you to become a Reiki practitioner.
