Saturday, October 11, 2008

Karma (Actions, Consequences and Free Will)


Many years ago I watched a movie: "The Picture of Dorian Gray".
It is about a handsome young man (Dorian Gray) who makes
a pact with an artist. He allows the artist to paint his picture
under one condition. The condition is that, instead of him aging
while the painting remains young, he must remain eternally
youthful while the painting ages. The artist agrees and the
painting is completed.

Assured of his eternal youth and handsome features Dorian
Gray pursues a life of evil.

Then something unexpected happens. With each evil act that
Dorian Gray commits, his portrait not only ages but also acquires
an ugly scar or feature. Eventually, the portrait becomes so
grotesque that he must finally hide it away in a closet.

The Lesson contained in this movie is an excellent metaphor for
Karma. Perhaps the simplest definition of Karma is that every
Action has a reaction; a Consequence. Therefore Karma is the
experiencing of the life, or Consequences, we have created for
ourselves by way of our Actions.

Each Act we commit, whether good or evil, imprints itself on
our soul. If it is an evil act, it adds an ugly scar to our soul.
If it is a good act, it beautifies our soul. Our soul then expresses
itself to the world by way of our Personality and Reputation.

As a person continues to add ugly scars to their soul their
Personality and Reputation (their Character) spirals downward.
This person begins to attract the grosser elements of life to
themselves by way of the people they associate with, the places
where they live, the destructive Beliefs they live by, the language
they use, and the jobs and professions they pursue.

This is a gradual, yet continual, descent. This person hardly realizes
what is happening to them until it is too late. Then that person lives
out a life of endless misery.

On the other hand, the person that is continually adding good Acts
and Thoughts to their soul finds themselves spiraling upward. This
person attracts the finer elements of life to themselves by way of
the people they associate with, the places where they live,
the creative Thoughts they enjoy, and the jobs and careers they
pursue.

This is a gradual and continual ascent into an always higher quality
of living. This person does not even consider that their life can be
otherwise.

There are many people who are relatively young yet they have
given up on life. Their every Word and Action is negative.
These people have become "old and scarred before their time".

On the other hand, there are people who have lived many
earth-years yet they retain a youthful demeanor and radiate
Beauty and Grace.

Regardless of what is happening in the external world we have one
special gift that we can use to guide us. That special gift is our Free
Will. We can either use our Free Will to succumb to the negative
elements that continually surround us, or, we can use our Free Will
to ignore these negative elements, search for the opportunities that
are always available to us, and walk our own Chosen Path.

How we Choose to use our Free Will is entirely up to each one of us.

Our Thoughts create our Actions. Our Actions create our Karma.
Our Karma creates our life.

By Changing our Thoughts we Change our Actions. By Changing our
Actions we Change our Karma. By Changing our Karma we Change
our life.

Comments and Emails: I welcome comments and emails from
people with similar thoughts and feelings. My email address is
located in the upper-left area of this page. Comments can be
posted by using the "Comment" link located below each article.
Also: If you found value in this article please feel free to forward
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Disclaimer: None of my articles should be considered to be
either advice or expertise. They are simply personal opinions
and no more. Everyone is encouraged to seek competent
advice from a licensed, registered, or certified professional
should such advice or service be required.

© copyright Joseph Panek 2008
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