The Karmic Treadmill

The word karma originates from the Sanskrit language and simply means action, deed or doing. Not just recently, but in fact going back thousands of years and across several cultures and faiths, karma somehow got the short end of the stick by becoming associated with retribution and punishment. There are many videos, for example, on Youtube under the heading of “Instant Karma” where individuals are filmed creating bad karma, only to receive swift punishment in return.

Ingrained in our societal structure is the notion of good and bad, cause and effect, punishment and justice. What comes around, goes around. Good karma is the result of good deeds while bad karma will ultimately lead to one’s future suffering. The bible states (in Galatians), “As you sow so shall you reap”. Interestingly, this quote is also mentioned in an ancient Hindu text (Mahabharata), “As man himself sows, so he himself reaps”. For some who believe in reincarnation, creating good or bad karma will follow the individual and influence future lives in a positive or negative way, respectively. The Christian and typical Western view, however, tends to see reward and punishment doled out in heaven or hell.

The Taoist perspective differs significantly. The difference between good and bad, along with moral judgement, they believe, is perceptual, not real. The Chinese philosophical yin-yang symbol represents the duality of nature. Light, dark. Good, bad. Opposing forces that are interconnected and complementary, creating one whole. Balanced. You cannot have one without the other. One thing I have come to realise after years of research, study and practice of past life regression is that the sequence of past lives is about experience, free will and personal choice. If karma did indeed shape and influence our future, we could be on a karmic treadmill that we may never get off of, weighed down by the continuity of our actions and deeds. What of people who suffer great misfortune or tragedy? Should this be ascribed to accumulated bad karma from the past? Referring to karmic debt, author Neale Donald Walsh writes, “…there is no such thing as karmic debt…a debt is something that must or should be repaid. You are not obligated to do anything. Still, there are things that you want to do; choose to experience. And some of these choices hinge on…what you have experienced before...If karma is the innate desire to do better, to be bigger, to evolve and grow, and to look at past events and experiences as a measure of that, then, yes, karma does exist.”

From a spiritual perspective, Toni Ann Winninger in her book Spirit World Wisdom, wrote, “Karma is the energy that radiates out from an event experienced by an individual.” That energy stays with you and becomes part of your overall experience as a soul, but it does not mean that your future is predetermined or that events, actions or choices will bounce back to you like a boomerang.

My work and studies in past live regression have demonstrated to me that our soul’s journey is about lessons, spiritual growth and experience – the good and the bad. Appreciating the complexity of the “bigger picture” and our individual journey goes a long way in tempering judgement while nurturing compassion. General belief in punishment and reward have created a sort of karma mythology. Our future is not determined by our actions. Nothing is set in stone and we have more control over our future than we think.

By Elaina Curran, HPD, DSFH, AdvDPLRT, Clinical Hypnotherapist and Past Life Regression Therapist

Published in BS35Local Magazine, July 2018 issue 

 

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