Karma Is A Teacher, Not An Avenger

People often talk about karma as if it’s some form of divine punishment or retribution that will eventually be visited upon those who have wronged them. Letting karma “take care of it” is a comforting reassurance that we may be rewarded for being the ‘bigger person’ in unfair situations. And certainly it is always advisable to do the right thing when others are being petty or behaving badly.

But this is not karma.

The universe is not in the business of handing out ‘karmic punishment,’ for we are not judged as ‘good’ or ‘bad’ for our choices and actions. All of our choices and actions have value and teach us lessons. So, why would there be any need for a universal system of punishment? Or reward, for that matter?

This is not to say that karma does not exist. On the contrary, we can see karma at work all the time in everyday life, down to the most mundane things we choose to do. However, karma is not a force of reckoning, but the cause and effect of energy, which is a universal law.

When we live a heart-centered life, doing good deeds and being kind to ourselves and others, we will feel joyful, happy, fulfilled and at peace. We thrive in the vibrant flow of positive energy. On the other hand, when we live a heartless life, do things that are wrong, destructive, and evil, and we are unkind or cruel to ourselves and others, we will feel miserable, hopeless, dissatisfied, depressed. We suffer in the thick mud of negative energy.

This is the nature of energetic karma. When we emanate and flow with energy that is good, we feel good. But when we exude energy that is bad or evil, we suffer.

The universe does not carry debts. It always returns back to you what you gave it ~ Drishti Bablani

But what about all those people who seem to have no conscience, integrity, or moral compass, who do terrible things with impunity? Not only do they often get away with it, but many of them seem to be rewarded for the harm they cause! Is there no fairness or justice in the universe

The truth is that karmic energy is not something we necessarily see in action. Karma is the energetic consequence of the actions and choices people make. It may seem to us that someone is “getting away” with their misdeeds or cruel behavior because we cannot see or feel the true consequences they are actually suffering.

Karma shows up in many different ways for different people. For example, it shows up in many people’s lives as isolation, loneliness, lack of love and belonging, which are some of the most fulfilling aspects of human life.

The reality is that being cruel, greedy, selfish, or unkind never feels good. It may seem that someone is unaffected because we don’t see any outward signs of their suffering, but the reality is that they are somehow visited by the same negative energy that they put out into the world.

We can never know what is really going on inside another person, emotionally, mentally or energetically, especially if they don’t want us to know. People usually only show the best parts of their lives. Rarely do we know the real inner struggles of others.

Instead of it being an avenger or tormentor, karma is a teacher. It shows us where we need to make changes in our lives to achieve greater joy, harmony and fulfillment. Negative karmic consequences manifest to force us to look at what we need to change, heal, or grow through. This is the true purpose of karma. Karma seeks to guide and redirect us. It points us in the direction of our best self and highest good.

Karma moves in two directions. If we act virtuously, the seed we plant will result in happiness. If we act non-virtuously, suffering results ~ Sakyong Mipham

We are all born with free will. We can either choose to accept our karmic life lessons, or we can choose to resist them. If we resist, we are usually revisited by intensifying new versions of the same karmic lessons, until we finally get the message and choose to integrate it into our soul evolution.

So, true karma is a personal, private process. Sometimes we can see very clearly the karma that someone else is dealing with, but we can never really understand the full depth of it. Nor does it help us to judge others for their path, because by judging others we only create negative energy and bad karma for ourselves!

Ultimately, it is in our best interest to trust the eternal wisdom and divine plan of the universe. Instead of wishing karmic ‘revenge’ on others, we should focus on clearing our own karma.

Trust that everyone has their own struggles and lessons to work through, and remember that growth is a choice. Focus on watering your own soul garden to allow your own blessings to bloom, instead of concerning yourself with the karmic choices of others.