Thoughts on Karma & Law of Grace

Q: Two concepts that go along with a discussion of reincarnation are the Law of Karma and the Law of Grace. Please offer some thoughts on each.

In the universe, there is a natural law that for every action there is an equal and/or opposite reaction. This applies to our thoughts as well. When we desire or want something, our thoughts seek a conduit to make our desires develop into action and come true. As creators of our own life, we are continually sending out thoughts; taking action and helping to create personal reality.

Karma is the natural return of thoughts, actions and desires to their point of origin. Or put more simply, what we put out toward others and the world returns to us: sometimes with even greater intensity. “What we sow, is what we reap.”

In our discussion, we have pointed out, thought is energy and we have to be aware of our thoughts and continually monitor them; thoughts when they leave us develop into an elemental. This elemental, or thought form, seeks to attach itself to a conduit to make itself happen (take on a physical reality); and if this is not possible often returns to us in a stronger version.

Let us use going on vacation, to help further explain how thought, action and karma interplay. As we anticipate this happy event, we picture ourselves swimming and playing in the sun. This thought form, if strong enough, has a life of its own; it will seek to attach itself to a vehicle. In this case, it attaches itself to circumstances, influences our decision and we begin to make vacation plans. As a family, we decide to go on vacation to Miami Beach. Our thoughts/desires have served their function to help us decide, take necessary steps and plan our vacation; however, if we do not go on the desired trip, when the thought form/energy returns to us, because it could not attach itself to a physical reality, it may make us resentful around the circumstances that prevented us from going. Depending upon the situation, we might hold resentment toward employer or spouse and if we keep replaying this tape in our head, resentment can turn into emotional distress.

On one level this is the Law of Karma playing out.

In the above scenario, thoughts have returned to us ‘both positively and negatively.’ Usually, when people consider the Law of Karma they look only to direct visible action. For example, we do or say something harmful to another, thereby creating negative karma for us and later in the week our car breaks down. Immediately we connect the two events and believe, perhaps inaccurately, this is the law of karma in action, i.e., what we put out into the world, at some point returns to us and can be distasteful.

However, karma is also a learning tool. Sometimes, the lessons carry across lifetimes.

Let us further develop our scenario, where the traveler does not get to go on vacation, and because of expectation, harbors resentment toward the one who denied his vacation and this resentment turns into anger. Over time, this anger festers, and leads to a depression or an act of aggression. Eventually, this traveler may seek treatment and learns, in the main, he was the cause of his own problem. By continuing to expect something, instead of accepting a disappointing outcome and continuing to relive perceived harm, over and over in his head/consciousness, this traveler created his own illness and painful reality.

In psychological terms, this was an expectation cycle that grew into a depression or act of violence and once the traveler learned, his own part, he gradually was freed of this cycle- by substituting healthier thoughts. In effect, our traveler was cured from his own faulty thinking and its consequences.

To put this differently, this traveler created an expectation, in a thought form, that returned to him. This thought form or elemental attached itself to his anger instead of attaching itself to his acceptance of the situation or helping create a vacation; this traveler, with training, could have created and substituted another thought that accepted this situation. If the thought form had attached itself to acceptance, the vacation was not possible this year, the cycle would have been broken. But because it attached itself to anger, the thought form grew and kept replaying itself, as he contemplated and repeated the harm that was done him into an illness; in this scenario, anger turned inward became depression or a delayed act of inward aggression.

The Law of Grace states, through prayer and Divine Forgiveness, we may be freed of past karma.

If we truly repent and ask Forgiveness, God is Most Merciful and will forgive karmic debt or as it is stated in some religious traditions, sins against self and others.

In the following way, one mystical teaching describes Christ’s role in absolving karmic debt. Christ died upon the Cross and took on the sins of the world; in this passing of pain and sorrow, Christ assumed the karmic debt of all humanity; and travelers, through this selfless act, were forever freed from their debt past, present, and future. When travelers sincerely repent and ask forgiveness, according to this path and teaching, this is the potential. Thus began a new age of spiritual absolution and forgiveness.

Further it is believed, karmic debt is played out through different bodily illnesses and challenging events in a person’s life. Some religious traditions hold that certain travelers, because of their spiritual development can assume the karmic debt or sins of others. This is an operant tradition of Christianity; and as the person sincerely repents, sins are forgiven and absolved because of this contract of the Cross.

However, for people of all traditions, the Law of Grace states; sincerely ask and make the effort to change, and it shall be forgiven. God is all merciful.

* *

Number the wonders of this realm.

Do you believe the worlds to come

Will be any less majestic?

The Road is a long one,

But O the many riches!

* *

Brief is our stay in this realm.

Yet as we disconnect

From our higher nature,

These hours seem like an eternity.

__________

Also by Dr. Bitkoff, A Commuter’s Guide to Enlightenment, Llewellyn, 2008 and Journey of Light: Trilogy, Authorhouse, 2004. These books are available on Amazon.Com or from publisher.

To contact author go to: www.stewartbitkoff.com or e-mail: goldpath@ptd.net.