12 Laws of Karma

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Law One:

As you sow, so shall you reap. Sounds very Bible-based, doesn't it? The majority of these teachings are. This first law is better known as "The Great Law." It is also characterized as the "Law of Cause and Effect." It is the embodiment of the principle of Reciprocity, which is what "Karma" is really all about. Our attitudes and actions impact the universe about us. A pebble dropped into a still pond causes ever expanding ripples. In time our actions come back to us! We reap what we sowed.


Law Two:

You attract what you are, not what you want. This is also known as the "Law of Creation." With whatever you surround yourself; the space you create within which to dwell in this life; declares who you are … and one tends to attract to oneself those of like disposition. If your focus in life is on evil, for example, you will most likely attract evil persons as companions and find yourself within evil scenarios more often than not. One may say they desire to live righteously, but it takes far more than empty words and faint desire to lift oneself out of one's circumstances. One must actually begin to BE, if one would ultimately BECOME! In other words, we create both our circumstances and our destiny by who we choose to be in our journey through life. One's surroundings are strong clues to one's true inner nature.


Law Three:

What you resist, persists for you. This is the "Law of Humility." One can learn a great deal about who someone is inside simply by observing those things and those persons to which or to whom he objects. If one refuses to embrace the poor, for example, this speaks volumes about the condition of his heart, and that heart condition persists as long as he continues to resist acceptance of and association with and assistance to the poor of this world. The path to enlightenment and liberation, is the path of humility! If everyone who differs with us on some issue is viewed as "the enemy," then we are in a persistent state of enmity because of those whom we wrongfully resist. This is not the pathway to higher planes of existence.


Law Four:

Wherever you go, there you are. This is known as the "Law of Growth." True change must begin with yourself. Wherever you may flee to in life, in order to escape some situation, is pointless if the problem is you. Wherever you go, YOU will still be there … and with all the same dysfunctions. Human nature suggests that we change everything and everyone around us; this law of Karma suggests we change ourselves. This is the source of genuine growth toward enlightenment and fulfillment. It is easy to change one's outward circumstances in the hope of finding greater peace and joy, but the reality is that genuine peace and joy come when we ourselves are transformed (from the inside out, which in turn will impact our external circumstances).


Law Five:

Whenever there is something wrong, there is something wrong in me. This is the "Law of Responsibility;" also known as the "Law of Mirrors." Simply stated, we must take full responsibility for our lives (both the good and the bad). It is easy to blame others when things go wrong, or perhaps not quite according to our expectations, but to determine where the real blame lies may require us to look intently into a mirror. There stands the one responsible! Are we part of the problem, or part of the solution? The answer may well lie in where we place the blame for the former.


Law Six:

Whatever you do may be insignificant, but it is still important that you do it. This is the "Law of Synchronicity;" also known as the "Law of Ultimate Connection." Everything in the universe is perceived to be connected, thus there is no action performed that is truly insignificant. What you and I might perceive as inconsequential, may actually, in the grander scheme of things, prove to be extremely consequential. Thus, we must learn personal discipline and humility, and fulfill our individual tasks in life with a sense of purpose and even pride. We each matter; no one is insignificant.


Law Seven:You can't think of two things at the same time. This is the "Law of Focus." Some also refer to it as the "Law of Direction and Motives." We must possess a singleness of purpose; a spiritual focus; if we would achieve enlightenment. We must set our minds on things above, and not try to be "double-minded." Hidden agendas and motives are not conducive to spiritual liberation. We must be pure of thought and intent.


Law Eight:

If you believe something to be true, then sometime in life you must demonstrate that truth. This is the "Law of Willingness." In other words, if we profess belief in something, then we must be willing to personally invest ourselves in sacrificial service to that to which we affirm belief or faith. A life lived apart from visible demonstration before others of our convictions is a LIE. James, after declaring that faith apart from evidence is worthless, stated, "I will show you my faith by my works" (James 2:18). In other words, he was willing to demonstrate in his life the very truths to which he professed to believe. If one doesn't practice what one preaches, is such a one truly convicted of his or her beliefs?!


Law Nine:

You can't go home again, but you must try. This is the "Law of Here and Now." One cannot relive the past, although one can learn from it. Thus, we must "revisit" the past for the purpose of learning, but we must never seek to "return" there for the purpose of dwelling in it. The "what IS" will always suffer if we are fixated in the "what WAS," and we will never move forward into the "what CAN BE." The apostle Paul certainly was challenged by his past, and learned from it, but he chose not to return there "to dwell" upon it. "But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus" (Philp. 3:13-14). Someone once said, "Dwelling on old dreams prevents you from having new ones!" If one chooses to "live in the past," one forfeits the future!


Law Ten:

The more things change, the more they stay the same. This is the "Law of Change." History will continue to repeat itself; the cycle of rebirths will not end; until we learn to make the necessary changes that will liberate us. Thus, it is not the change that occurs all around us that is critical – in point of fact, there may be great change all around us, yet still nothing is altered with respect to our karma – rather, it is the change that occurs within us that is critical, and will ultimately make the difference in realizing our ultimate destiny.


Law Eleven:

When you focus on your life, good things happen. This is known as the "Law of Patience and Reward." Anything that is good, anything that is worth having and of lasting value, requires patient, persistent effort. It also requires the proper perspective on one's life, and right priorities. Those who focus only on the rewards, may come up lacking; those, however, who focus on living their lives according to spiritual priorities, will experience the rewards of such living in due time. Cause and Effect. Focus on your life, and you will be rewarded; focus only on the rewards, and you may end up losing life itself.


Law Twelve:

What you put in, you get back. This is the "Law of Value and Upliftment;" also known as the "Law of Significance and Inspiration." Your contribution is of worth, and it will bring about a result. If you contribute something positive, you may expect a positive return; contribute something negative, and what comes back to you may not be as pleasant. Cause and Effect. Karma! Reciprocity! What you put in, you get back! One's contribution to something will either uplift it or decrease it, depending on the nature of the contribution.