Groups > Spirituality and Consciousness

Cindy and Durq(Deb), thanks so much, because these positve thoughts are life-changing in the affirmative.

I am continuing to grow, practice, teach, and feel the power of positive thinking; and sending that healing energy outward.

I have given this subject a lot of thought over the years. My conclusion is that karma is energy, either positive or negative, not good or evil. It has force, example, run as hard as you can and expend a great deal of energy or walk and generate very little. What comes back comes with equal force. You can unintentionally hurt someone - the energy is still negative. What comes back will be negative. Hopefully we learn from these experiences. We pay attention and become more aware of the effect we have on each other and the universe. I believe it is the universe way of teaching us to become more than we are. If we learn, we move forward, if we don't, we are destined to stay in the loop until we get it right. It's a theory.

Thanks heavenly55 for your comment. I would agree with you that karma is an energy. While I certainly dont know exactly what karma is, my latest idea is that its like an impression on our energy field that constitutes in part, who we are. Thats why we cannot always be consciously aware of our "good" or "bad" karma, actions deliberate or not deliberate. Rather, "karma" is not a moral awareness of good and bad, rather it is an impression of past actions which make up the energy force of our being. Our actions, whether good or bad, make impressions on our energy fields which constitute life. These impressions attract like experiences seemingly good or bad, hence cause and effect. Accumulated actions constitute accumulated results.

As one gentleman said a page or 2 back. It's not good or bad, it's just the law. Sort of like magnetism. Depending on the orientation they either attract or repell. Religion's function is to try to get us to recognize and live in harmony with this law.

Hi RobertD, Yes Karma in its abstract form may not necessarily be good or bad, as it is action based on action (cause and effect), yet our experience of it is as either good or bad. We all want good karma. No one really wants to attract bad karma and suffering to themselves. Mick refers to karma as "momentum" and asks what would happen if the engines were turned off. Im not quite sure what he was trying to imply here, but I assume he was suggesting that there is a possible way to stop amassing karma? Would that be possible?

Here's another definition. It is supplied by the SGI, a lay organization which, I believe, is a legitimate representative of Nichiren Buddhism.

"When Shakyamuni Buddha incorporated the ancient Indian principle of karma into his teachings, he turned a concept of resignation into one of hope - from a view that life is predetermined and people are powerless, to a view that life contains unlimited possibilities and empowerment.

"Unlike the ancient Indian view of karma, Shakyamuni's Lotus Sutra teaches - and, ultimately, the practice of Nichiren Buddhism demonstrates - that we can break free of the confines of past causes. It is explained in the Lotus Sutra that present within us is the true or original cause of our pure, cosmic life force undefiled by the causes and effects influenced by delusion.

"Nichiren Buddhism reveals this original state of life as the Buddha nature. By bringing forth in the present moment the influence of this inherent true cause, the influences of our negative causes and and effects are lessened. Their power to influence the future is diminished.

"We can change our negative karma by challenging life's hardships through Buddhist faith and practice, which spurs the emergence of our Buddha nature. As we bring the light of Buddhahood to shine in our lives, the negative effects we suffer due to individual past causes greatly diminish."

RF