A notion I have been thinking a lot of lately is karma. Originated from Hinduism and Buddhism it is literaly translated as ‘action’ or ‘deed’ and describes how everything we do, say and think (body, speech and mind) results in similar consequences. Therefore negative action, speech or thought results in similar negative consequences. Obviously our lives are full of both negative and positive experiences, all blended up which eventually forms the shape of our lives. Usually we have a strong tendency towards the “positive” fruition in our lives and neglecting the negative parts of our lives. I think the only way to actually reflect upon our body, speech and mind is to also accept the negative aspects in our lives. Painful as they may be, they can work as a mirror in how we ourselves contributed to what is happening in our lives. Instead of complaining; “Why me?” we can look straight at the heart of the problem and see it as a teacher instead of an enemy. This is one of the hardest things to do because it requires us to be naked, and let go of our defensive walls against life. Can we look in the mirror and accept our bodies with all it’s little unevenness? It can be painful to accept the way we are perceived by others, let alone by ourselves. Our love lifes, our jobs, our financial status. Sure enough the problems that we face many times need positive action, but in doing so, acceptance is always the first step. Without it it becomes a fight instead of working with it and we never get to see the root cause of the problems. When we can accept our karma as it is we can rest more with the insecurity of life and begin to see clearly how we ourselves can contribute to the content of our lives.
-
Posted in