Karma is a strange thing. Whilst most people think of it as the Universe merely obeying Newton’s 3rd law of motion, the truth actually couldn’t be farther from it. When we perform an action once, it becomes more likely that we will perform it again.
In some ways, Karma is a sum total of these neural pathways that our actions create in our minds. And it isn’t just this lifetime that we are talking about, we carry these impressions across births.
How to deal with Karma
Karma is unpacked in bundles, the most immutable of which is called Prarabdha Karma, and typically prevails for 10-15 years. When we are initiated into and start practicing a spiritual process such as a meditation or breathing technique regularly, it gives us the serenity to accept and deal with karma. However that isn’t all, it also starts gradually dissolving the subtle unmanifest Sanchita Karma. This is immense, as through dissolving latent impressions, we unlock a greater degree of free will.
Spiritual practices also attune you to operate in the ‘appropriate’ mode of action to best leverage this new found free will, rather than squandering it and adding more to your already overflowing suitcase of past Karma.
Train of destiny!
Another consequence of processing these subtle impressions is that destiny seems to unfold more rapidly. And in some cases you may start to see a train of difficult events start to appear without warning, and before you know it your erstwhile blissful life can suddenly transform into a towering inferno! If you thought that the spiritual process had transformed you, then the new calmer you will certainly be put to the test!
For some it may be challenges at work, whilst for others it might be things in the personal space like a close encounter with mortality, depending on what lessons we need to learn in this journey of life.
Beyond the sheen of zen and glossy brochures full of blissed-out people, lies the real grime of transformation. It’s not for fad-chasers and certainly not for the faint of heart. If however you can lend yourself to the process completely, you open yourself to the possibility which can transform your very being and perhaps afford you a tiny peek at the Buddha’s mind.
