Unintended Consequences

"Every action, no matter how small, has a consequence."
- "The Tale of Despereaux", Kate DiCamillo

"Wisdom consists of the anticipation of consequences."
- Norman Cousins

An Event can have two kinds of Consequences: Intended and
Unintended. Our Decisions, Choices, Actions and Words are Events
which we create and set in motion. We believe that the Events we
create will provide us with an Intended outcome. But, how
often have we experienced, often to our dismay, that Events which
we set in motion often result in Unintended, and unexpected,
Consequences which end up being ruinous not only to our intended
purpose but also our Current Incarnation? We tend to label these
Consequences as tragic.

On the other hand, how often have we also experienced that an
Unintended Consequence of an Event which we have set in motion
results in something more beneficial than we had originally
anticipated? We choose to label these Events as Serendipitous.
Serendipity is the discovery of something more surprising,
delightful, or beneficial than what we had originally been Seeking.

Creation, of which our Current Incarnation is an integral part, is a
series of Events. And every Event has a Consequence. We tend to
label these Consequences as either expected and intended, or, as
unexpected and unintended.

It is important to understand that once an Event has been set in
motion it develops a "life of its own" and cannot be stopped until it
has run its full course and comes to the end of its Cycle.

Furthermore, many Events are Interconnected with, and can overlap,
other Events. Whenever we set an Event in motion it can become
involved, or entangled, with other Events which are already "in play".
When this happens, these Events will very likely affect each other to
some degree.

Likewise, an Event which we set in motion can also interact with,
affect, and be affected by, other Events which have not yet been put
"in play".

It is the combining, or mingling, of our Event with these other Events
which can result in both our Event, and the Event it interacts with,
producing Consequences which are Unintended.

Events, along with their Interconnectedness and Consequences, are
represented Mythologically, Symbolically, and Esoterically by
Indra's Web, Kabbalah Paths, and The Spider's Web.

As every Event has a life of its own, it must run its complete Cycle.
Some Events take a long Time to "play out" while others take but a
short Time to complete their Cycle. Some Events have long-term
Consequences while others have short-time Consequences.

In the same way in which we are responsible for our Actions, so too
are we responsible for the Events that we put in motion. Therefore
we bare sole responsibility for the Karmic Consequences which
result from any Event we create regardless of whether these
Consequences are Intended or Unintended. Once we put an Event
in motion it is far too late for us to say, "I never intended for that
to happen".

The Law of Karma, being a Divine Principle, is not concerned with
whether we created an Event through haste, thoughtlessness,
malice, Ignorance, or good intentions. The Law of Karma simply
completes the Consequence of the Event which was put in motion
and presents the creator of the Event with either a Karmic Reward
or Karmic Debt.

Therefore, as we bare sole responsibility for our Actions, and the
Events we put in motion, it is vitally important that we Weigh our
Decisions and Actions very carefully and only place in motion
those Events which can bring us the greatest Peace, Contentment,
and Karmic Rewards.

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
it to other like-minded individuals, organizations and sites.

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 2010

Seeds - Symbols of Tomorrow's Garden

"We sow our thoughts and reap our actions.
We sow our actions and reap our habits.
We sow our habits and reap our character.
We sow our character, and we reap our destiny."
-Unknown

Nothing grows until a Seed is first planted. In the material realm
we must first plant physical seeds in Mother Earth in order for our
outdoor garden to grow, blossom, and bear fruit. In the mental
realm we must first plant Karmic Seeds within Our Subconscious.

These Karmic Seeds are the Thoughts, Choices, and Decisions
which determine our Actions. Our Actions will thence create those
future Consequences which we will eventually find ourselves
having to confront and deal with. And, just as we are responsible
for the Karmic Seeds we plant within ourselves, so too are we
responsible for the fruits, the Consequences, which these Karmic
Seeds produce.

Packets of Karmic Seeds come in three different varieties:

Seeds of Negative Action: Just like any other Seed, these Seeds
start out as small and almost insignificant behaviors. These are
the Seeds of gossip, complaint, ridicule, envy, jealousy, worry and
dissatisfaction that we cultivate when we become obsessed with
external Events and the behaviors of other individuals.

Once these Seeds take root within us they grow into larger and
more intense negative behaviors which create larger and more
intense negative Consequences until we eventually find ourselves
reaping the Karmic fruits of hatred, misery, anxiety, fear, and
paranoia.

Seeds of Inaction: Again, these Seeds start our small but
eventually grow into something much larger with the passing of
Time. We plant these Seeds in one of two ways.

The first way is when we accept the false Belief that we have nothing
left to live for. The second way is when we celebrate our "retirement"
by Choosing to never again do anything which resembles "work" or
requires "effort". These kinds of Decisions are common traps which
ensnare multitudes of individuals every single day.

When we plant Seeds of Inaction, we have, in effect, planted nothing
positive today. Therefore, nothing positive has any chance of bearing
fruit tomorrow. Seeds of Inaction are seeds of barrenness: a
barrenness which will continue to spread within us, and eventually
dominate us.

Seeds of Inaction are also the Seeds of atrophy. They cause our
minds and wills to grow weak instead of strong. These Seeds
produce monotony, discontent, boredom and, again, misery.
These conditions will continue to exist and expand in our lives until
we make a conscious and determined effort to do something that
creates positive Change.

Seeds of Positive Action: Tiny yet mighty. Seeds of Positive
Action consist of any new knowledge, skills, ideas, philosophies,
hobbies, crafts, and ideals we Choose to plant in our mental and
spiritual garden. These Seeds eventually grow and blossom into
creative and positive aspects which become a permanent part of
our character, our Speech, and our Actions. Also, it is within the
Seeds of Positive Action that serendipity, luck, and good fortune
reside.

Symbolically, Seeds of Positive Action are the Seeds contained
within the Pomegranate which magically appears in our garden and
bestows upon us unexpected opportunities, insights, Blessings,
prosperity, and Abundance.

When we plant Seeds of Positive Action we excitedly look forward
to each new day in anticipation of the joys, mysteries, and Lessons
which await us. By sowing these positive Karmic Seeds we
maintain a sharp mind, a youthful exuberance and a healthy glow.

Our mind is a fertile field. We reap what we sow. We simply have to
Choose which packet of Seeds we are going to plant in our mental
garden. And being this Choice is entirely up to us, we may as well
Choose the packet which contains the Seeds of Positive Action.

Furthermore, in addition to our personal Thoughts, the fertile field
of our mind is also subject to the people with whom we associate,
the places we visit and the situations in which we become involved.

Wise Seekers understand the Consequences which can result from
the people, places and situations (fields) they encounter throughout
their Travels. Therefore they seek out only those fields which contain
the highest quality Seeds and avoid those fields which contain tainted
and low quality Seeds.

When the Wise Seeker stumbles upon a field which contains tainted,
low quality Seeds he, or she, immediately removes themself from
that particular field and moves on in search of those fields which are
tilled with the highest quality Seeds. For it is within the richly
Seeded fields that the Wise Seeker will find the Peace, Harmony,
Wisdom and true friendships which are always the ultimate objective
of his or her Journey.

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
it to other like-minded individuals, organizations and sites.

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 2009

Thoughts, Actions and Karma

"I have always thought the actions of men
the best interpreters of their thoughts."
-John Locke

A legion of Thoughts enter our mind each and every day. Most are
but fleeting visitors, many may linger for awhile, but some become
our permanent residents. It is these last Thoughts, our permanent
residents, which are responsible for shaping our character and
creating our Destiny.

Thought is the precursor of Action. Our fleeting Thoughts are like a
quick soft breeze: they briefly catch our attention then continue on
with their journey without stirring us to any Action. However, as we
shall see, the other types of Thought can, and do, stir us into Action.
And it is these Thoughts which are the catalyst for creating either a
Karmic Event, a personality characteristic, or a combination of both.
With this in mind, let us take a look at the four different combinations
of Thought and Action.

The four combinations are:
1. Negative Thought followed by no Action
2. Positive Thought followed by no Action
3. Negative Thought followed by Action
4. Positive Thought followed by Action

Negative Thought followed by no Action: A negative Thought
which we recognize as such and quickly dismiss from our mind
creates no negative Karmic Event.

As an example, let us suppose we are having a Thought of "getting
even" with someone because of some misdeed they have done to us.
However, upon becoming Aware that this negative Thought has
entered our mind, and realizing that nothing good can come from
this Thought, we immediately dismiss it.

In this instance, because we quickly dismissed the Thought, we have
created no negative Karmic Event. In addition, because we have not
allowed this Thought to fester within us, we have also prevented it
from becoming a negative part of our personality and character.

If, however, we allow our mind to continually dwell on many
negative Thoughts something different happens. Although it is true
that we have taken no Action on these Thoughts, and have incurred
no negative Karmic Event, the very fact that we are allowing our
mind to entertain so many negative Thoughts, over long periods of
Time, means that our Thought process will eventually create
character flaws which can impair our Decisions and Actions. We
cannot create a positive lifestyle, and Destiny, if we continually
entertain negative Thoughts.

Positive Thought followed by no Action: When we have
Positive Thoughts, and Ideas, but take no Action on them, no
positive Karmic Event is created. We are merely fooling ourselves
if we Believe that "positive thinking" alone is enough to improve our
character and create a better life for us. Individuals who fall into
this category are simply glassy-eyed day dreamers whose "wishful
thinking" never comes true. Thought without Action, just like talk
without Action, cannot manifest itself in the physical world.

Furthermore, it is important to keep in mind that Choosing not to
act is, if fact, an Action! When we have positive Thoughts, but do not
act on them, we are sending a conflicting signal to the Universe.

We are telling the Universe "Yes", we do want to experience positive
Events but, "No", we are not willing to do what is necessary to bring
our Thoughts into fruition. We thereby create a Stalemate between
Thought and Action whereby our non-action cancels out our positive
Thought.

Negative Thought followed by Action: Negative Thought
followed by Action is self-destructive. This combination produces
not only a negative Karmic Event, it also creates a negative person-
ality trait within us.

To get a better "feel" for this Principle, let us take a close look at an
example which portrays the effects of a negative Action:

Prior to engaging in a negative Action we must first dwell upon the
Thought which creates this Action. Next, we must agree to proceed
with, and act upon, this Thought.

At this point we have voluntarily created a negative agreement
with ourselves which attaches itself to, and becomes a permanent
part of, our character. This mental agreement must occur prior to
us taking Action on our Thought.

And finally, we follow through with our Action.

Once we have "done the deed", two things occur as the result of
our Action.

First, the negative character trait, which we have incorporated
into our personality, makes it much easier for us to carry out
other negative actions in the future.

Second, we have created an Action, an Event, for which there will be
both a negative Karmic Event and a Consequence.

Whenever we entertain a negative Action we must always ask
ourselves, "Are we willing to pay the price that accompanies our
Action?"

As a final note: Gossip, criticism, ridicule, constant complaining, and
the demeaning of others are also the resulting Actions of negative
Thoughts. We incur the same Consequences, Karmic Debts, and
character flaws for these verbal Actions as we would have incurred
if we had taken physical Action.

Positive Thought followed by Action: Positive Thought
followed by Action produces a positive Karmic Event. It also instills
a positive personality trait within within our character.

Positive Thought followed by Action is the method by which we
create. It is the process by which our dreams, ideas, and ambitions
- which begin as latent thoughts within Our Subconscious - Become
manifest in the physical world.

Everything that is Beautiful and Inspiring is the result of a Positive
Thought followed by Action. Whether it is a magnificent work of
art, an enchanting piece of music, or a majestic Universe, these are
all the result of a Positive Thought followed by Action.

Divinity creates. And Divinity resides within us. Therefore, we
possess the Divine Ability to create the world of our dreams. All it
takes is a Positive Thought followed by Action.

See also: "Karmic Paths and Roads"

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
it to other like-minded individuals, organizations and sites.

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 2009