Karma

Recently I have thought a lot about karma. In the past I have used it as an excuse to do harm to others or at the very least expect or wish harm to be done. Growing up in a volatile household, controlling my anger has been a path in itself. 

 If it is in someone else's nature to do something, why should karma dictate it to be in mine? Lest I become the very thing I have set out to avoid. How can we "love thy neighbor" but still disapprove of others behavior.

Hate the sin but love the sinner, as I am a protestant and wish not to prosecute others in the name of my faith (RC's), as I have my own tribulations to worry about. In any good use of the word, I need to worry about my own karma, not others.

And after all is said and done karma has shown itself to be, to me, a revengeful and spiteful concept. People concerned with karma are usually more or less concerned with the material application and who or what has done what to who.

Very rarely do people see the bad things that happen to them as part of their spiritual journey of growth, but rather, use it as an excuse to point out the faults in others. Maybe you deserve what happens to you, and perhaps karma is out of your control.

Karma as a concept is interesting, the belief that the universe always wishes to move into a state of equilibrium, true maybe for physical forces, but what about life? I have pondered for some time, karma may preach justice, but does it forgive?

A.R.