The Ancient Wisdom Series

The Law of Cause and Effect

By John P. Johnston

The concept of karma is frequently used to explain bad luck. When something bad happens we immediately turn our thoughts to the cause. Strictly speaking, karma is both the cause and the effect. When we experience an effect, there is always a cause; however, the effect can be, and frequently is, totally unrelated to our personal actions. The little known truth is that personal karma is not a factor until the personality is stabilized as the central controlling entity. This achievement represents a level of development wherein the personality has gained a significant measure of control over the three lower vehicles, and is therefore acting as the directing agent. Until that evolutionary step is attained we reap, not personal karma, but the karma created by families, institutions, nations, and humanity as a whole.

Group karma affects large numbers of people, examples of which are cancer, sexually transmitted diseases, and AIDS, which are manifestations of humanity’s combined karma. Those particular karmas derive from mistakes made on the continents of Lemuria and Atlantis, and they are all related to the misuse of the sex drive, whether overindulgence, or total repression. The next major karma, aside from the terrorist movement, which is being controlled and directed by the Lords of Darkness, will be related to natural resources. Unless changes are made, and those changes result in a wiser, more equitable use of resources, large segments of humanity will likely experience severe hardship. Be that as it may, there is also good karma on the horizon, and we can expect the release of new information, and the arrival of advanced souls prepared to solve this problem.

Beyond the karma created by humanity as a whole, family karma is perhaps the most daunting, followed by the karma associated with political parties and major religions. Those karmas are related to extreme passion, and therefore manifest deep psychological problems. Humanity’s psychological problems are rooted in the past, and when they surface they bring with them attitudes and behaviors that seem completely irrational in the modern world. The most effective cure is meditation, not with Soul consciousness in view, but with the stabilization of the emotional body as the goal. This should involve standard breathing techniques, followed by the contemplation of joyful, idyllic scenes. The use of color can be extremely helpful, especially the light green of springtime, which promotes the synchronization of the three lower vehicles of consciousness.

Karma is a complicated affair for many reasons. For instance, karma doesn’t always fall lifetime to lifetime, but can arrive thousands of years after the cause has been set in motion. This happens for a couple of reasons. First, the effect generally manifests when it can be effectively dealt with, whether by the individual, or by humanity. Second, the effects of group karma invariably manifest when the affected souls are in incarnation. Another complicating factor is the fact that karma can make its presence felt at any point during the course of a life. Thus, karma created by adults can affect children: witness the prevalence of congenital defects. Karma created by the male population can emerge in women, or vice versa: witness the many instances of gender confusion. Karma attributed to ancient warriors and scoundrels frequently manifests in the life of an otherwise upstanding citizen, such as a priest or school teacher: witness the ubiquity of sex crimes, especially those perpetrated against women and children, which in ancient times was accepted as a fact of life. 

Because karma is so often associated with the negative, we frequently turn our backs on the good karma we have earned, both individually and collectively. Our good karma is near at hand, awaiting our invitation. All that it takes to activate that karma is for us to recognize and acknowledge the fact that we are all Children of God, and therefore deserving of everything good. Good karma is many times more powerful than negative karma, and can therefore make an immediate difference in the quality of life. 

Karma is often viewed as a form of punishment, when in reality karma is nothing more than an opportunity to learn from our mistakes. Therefore, karma should not be feared, but welcomed as an answer to our prayers. When we forget our own needs, and attend to the needs of others; when we accomplish something useful; when we create something beautiful, we are building good karma.