The concept of karma is often misunderstood. It’s not about punishment. That would imply there’s a judging God and we don’t believe that, nor do other experts in the field, such as Brad Steiger, Richard Sutphen, Dr. Ian Stevenson, Dr. Raymond Moody, Dr. Leo R. Sprinkle, and numerous others.
Whenever you feel that something in your life is unfair, keep asking why until you perceive the situation more clearly and understand the root reasons. Not the surface reasons, but the deeper and past life reasons; what started it all. Keep asking, and meditate on why.
For example, a family member refuses to respect your basic human rights, to the point of blatant abuse on a consistent basis. You forgive her, you express tolerance, but she still continues, frequently disturbing your peace of mind and tossing in additional challenge in your already demanding daily routine.
Why? You think to yourself that you’ve never treated anyone this way in your life (this one, at least), and that you can’t imagine acting that way to her or anyone else. However, know that one’s personality in this life is not the same as personalities in prior lives. A “saint” in this life could very well have been the opposite in prior lives, before learning the value of honesty and respecting others, for example.
Initially you get zero insight about the matter, but then impressions slowly start to form through meditation. You intuit that it could be one, or both, of two different notions: you dished out a similar challenge to her in previous lives and, or you agreed to this circumstance before incarnating to help you develop your level of compassion and acceptance.
Does this awareness make it go away? No, but it allows you to further understand the matter and therefore garner more forgiveness, for yourself and others.
It’s not about what happened to you, it’s about why. When you understand why you (yes you, on a soul, not personality level) chose to experience the situations, conditions and the lessons involved, it becomes much easier to handle. With awareness comes compassion, and compassion leads to forgiveness. Taking full responsibility for all circumstances in your life and forgiving yourself and others will set you free.
Copyright © 2004 Scott Petullo, Stephen Petullo