For many people the concept of karma, or the law of cause and effect, is not new. The principle of karma defines how our intentions, thoughts and actions (the cause) influence our future (the effect). According to this law, our positive intentions, thoughts, or actions will lead to the positive effect and our future happiness, and vice versa, our negative deeds will contribute to the negative effect and our future suffering. Or simply speaking “What goes around comes around.”
A lot has been said and written about karma, yet it remains one of the most complicated principles in the world. It affects our lives in the most complex and convoluted ways, whether we understand, believe, or even know this law or not. How can we tell what result our actions will bring us? According to a well-known lecturer, educator, and yoga teacher Andrey Verba:
“The answer is simple: the most simple measure is your attitude to this act. Remember the principle of “Do unto others as you want them to do unto you.” In the event that you cannot make the best decision by yourself, you can always consult a qualified person or read an intelligent book. In any case, you should gather information and develop an understanding to be able to make this or that decision. All the decisions you have to make will be your exams – “examinations of life.” We should never forget about the law of karma and assess all our actions in accordance with it. The more a person understands, the more ”sober” they become, the more they “awake,” the more they begin to understand that good and evil are relative terms. It often happens that what is considered good in the conventional sense is in fact not as such. So as with the evil.”
In his article, Verba further explains that the result of our actions will also depend on what kind of person we are and what type of “energy” surrounds us. The actions of a person who is overcome by desire, passion and materialism will have a different effect on them compared to the actions of a person who understands the repercussions of their deed. The more “aware” we are of the intricacies of how we and the world around us function, the better decisions we are able to make. For Verba, one way to achieve this higher level of understanding is by practicing yoga. For others – it might be a different spiritual practice, but whatever it is, one thing is for sure – the more time and energy we spend on our own self-improvement, education, and evolvement, the better and more wholesome our life will become.
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