How To Change Your Karma

Courtesy of Van Archiquette

Do you ever felt like you, or someone you love, is having a bad karma day? When difficult things happen and we have no idea why? It's as if bad karma is well-deserved bad luck. I know a number of jerks I've cheerfully smiled upon, hoping for karmic vengeance. Or, been kind and "Anonymous" trusting that I gained karma points. It's like a weird fantasy football Hindu, points system thing. Or, at least that's what I thought.

According to Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, a Hindu spiritual leader, Karma is Action and has three distinct aspects: Latent Action, the Action itself and the Impression the action makes on reality. In the same way that seeds sprout at different rates, so does karma. That's why it seems so mysterious, the time between thought, action and consequence aren't always immediate and so we miss the connection. You get rid of bad karma by washing it away with good karma. Sounds simple enough.

But, why does it seem that "mean" people have a lot of success? Why do nice guys finish last? There are a lot of questions about karma, actually, when you stop and think about it. How many times have you had the best intentions blow up in your face? Yeah, me too.

Here's another question, just to get you thinking. How does it become so difficult deciding what the good or bad Action is? When I was born, I didn't think, "you know, I'm going to be a bad person". Very few of us want to be "bad" people. We get stuck doing "bad" things for "good" reasons. At the time, with the information we had, filtered through our own fears and judgementalisms, we did the best we knew how. It's only later that we better understand the deeper impact of our actions, or karma.

Generally speaking, karma isn't mysterious. The secret to changing your karma is 1. realizing that all actions have benefits and drawbacks. You get to decide whether the risks or drawbacks are worth the reward. 2. Through experience and self-reflection, recognizing the usual outcome of your thoughts and actions in different situations. 3.  Realizing that it's a really big reality and there's always more to learn.  4. Accepting that even unconscious thoughts and beliefs are karma. 5. Making your invisible thoughts visible.  As my mentor says, you have to "follow it back"- meaning you should follow every thought/emotion/reaction back to it's source, either a direct memory or a belief handed down generation to generation.

How do you make invisible thoughts visible? You're doing it all the time. Our lives, friendships, frustrations all reflect our beliefs. Our thoughts about or how we treat homeless people, Republicans or Democrats, men or women, tall people or short people etc etc. When we come face to face with something, especially something that makes us mad, it reflects our own discrimination, bigotry, entitlement, fears, narrow mindedness AND inherent greatness. If you want to find our what your deepest beliefs are, keep meeting new people and having new experiences.

When we get angry, sad, frustrated, joyful, calm, curious, whatever, about something, it tells us what we believe about ourselves and other people. I love listening to people rant or give me advice, because they tell on themselves. They show me their deepest fears, secrets and conflicts. I know they must have an intimate knowledge of something and judgementalism about it, in order to hold such a strong opinion.

So, do I believe in "good" karma and "bad" karma? I believe there's uncomfortable and comfortable karma. I believe that reality changes depending upon our point of view. I believe that it's a complicated world and we are all doing the best we know how. And, I believe the best way to understand myself is to watch my life unfold in front of me. The more I learn about myself and my fellow human beings, the more enjoyable my life becomes.