The holidays are a time that force us to think about love. On this profound, mysterious yet all-important subject, I am going to focus on how karma -- our past actions -- dramatically influence love in our lives. Invoking the karma card here does not just refer to this life but what I believe also includes many, many, many other lifetimes. However, we will put that part on the back burner for the moment. If you believe in the old saying "what goes around comes around," you basically believe in karma. If you find this concept of importance, then you should probably really understand just how deeply it affects our lives.
In trying to understand how karma influences the way love works in our lives, it is helpful to look at love as a higher concept that also has a human form we have a relationship with. How do I, the individual, relate to the concept of love as an entity? Oh, let me count the ways (nod to Shakespeare) this whole love thing can get so messed up and yet also be so sweet. Imagine that every time you take part in a relationship where the feeling of love is central to this relationship that you are also engaging in a relationship with this entity known as "love." Now let's throw the concept of karma into the mix. Karma can also be described by this old saying, "what you reap is what you sow." Sow here is referring to planting seeds in our dear Mother Earth. The concept of Mother Earth is an example of relating to nature as if she has a human form. In Hindu legends, for example, mountain ranges, rivers, the sun, morality, death, and yes, love, all have a human form. These legends teach that each entity of nature, as well as the great concepts that play an important role in our lives, have human forms, just like human beings have a spirit and also obviously a human form.
Humans have a beginning, middle and ending. Similarly, everything in nature is alive, as evidenced that these entities of nature also have a beginning, a middle and an ending. The oceans, the sun, trees, mountains may appear inert, but if you observe them closely over time they change and evolve. Who has not, at one time or another, felt powerful energy emanating from nature? If an entity has energy, it is alive. Scientists have proven stars can die over great lengths of time. There is evidence that oceans existed on Mars that are now obviously dead. A human form dies when its spirit leaves its body. Human forms become alive when a spirit enters the body. So, is it really a stretch to imagine that entities of nature are born when a spirit enters them and die when this spirit leaves their form? The Hindu legends teach that the actions of an individual spirit create karma for that individual. These legends also teach that dharma or right actions is its own spiritual entity and also has a human form. These legends also teach that death has a human form. So if my readers would please try to have an open mind about "love" having a human form, perhaps if they need help in the love department some help might be forthcoming.
Getting back to specifics: Think back to the important people in your life, which could easily include a mother, a father, siblings, friends, lovers, etc., and take the perspective that in every moment of every relationship you were also having a relationship with that larger, mysterious invisible entity known as love. Now, imagine that each time you crossed the line of morality from neutral into bad within the bounds of each relationship that you created some bad karma for yourself. Conversely, imagine that every time your actions shifted from neutral into good you created some good karma for yourself.
An important point of this prelude is that it is a grave error in judgment for anyone to believe that the consequences of transgressions made within a particular relationship will stay totally within the confines of that relationship. These mistakes are flowing from the top of a hill, and you are standing on the bottom of the hill just waiting for the icky stuff to come down on you. On this negative side of the ledger, it is in my opinion delusional to believe that you can mistreat someone in one relationship and not expect some bad luck to slap you in the face in other relationships. On the positive side of the ledger, it is realistic to expect that in a relationship, when a person makes self-sacrifices for the other, treats the other with respect and generally behaves in a way that is wholesome and good, good luck will shine on them, not only in that relationship but also in other relationships, including future yet-to-be relationships. The one caveat to all of this is that it is a total mystery when, where, and with whom these rebound effects will take place.
My next entry on love will address how to change your luck with increasing love in your life and also feeling that love. It is possible to have love in your life but not feel the love. This occurs because karma is extremely precise and subtle.
More thoughts about this and other topics can be found at www.politicalviewskarmapopcultreblog.com.