The real meaning of karma

“Suffering and happiness are always near. Which will you choose?”

The real meaning of karma

The concept of karma comes from India. In western countries, when something bad happens, it is joked about – that’s just karma! Or in other words – your destiny. The Sanskrit word “Karma” comes from the ancient Pali language word “Kamma”.

In direct translation, it means Action. We understand “Destiny” as a fate which we can’t change, but as I have mentioned, the term “Kamma” has the direct meaning of concrete action. Here we can come to the conclusion that all that happens to us is a direct consequence of our actions and the choices we have made. Each action has a reaction. As you have probably noticed, different people react and act differently in the same situation. But before we continue, let me tell you about one science experiment that has an impact on the things being talked about.

Isn’t reality an illusion?

Scientists, in seeking to find out how we perceive reality, decided to make an experiment. They invited several well-known sportsmen to their laboratory. After outfitting them with the appropriate recording equipment, they were asked to imagine as clearly as possible, that they were performing sports, although all of them were sitting comfortably in laboratory chairs. The results even surprised the scientists themselves. While staying seated in their chairs, the same muscles relevant to one or another sports actions were contracting in the bodies of the sportsmen. The same was going in their brains. The same brain centres which usually switch on when sportsmen play sports became active. The conclusion – we live in two different realities. One of them is in our head. The other we see.

After this, the next question arises: Which came first – the hen or the egg? … and maybe, the thought or the action? My experience, gained through observing myself and others, says that in the beginning there is a thought, and then action follows. All that we do in reality is at first created in our heads. Look into your head deeper – it’s very dark in there, and this book you are reading is just a flow of photons entering in your retina and providing your brain with information. Naturally, one more question comes to mind – isn’t reality an illusion?

All is thought

We are all part of the big picture, and all is related to it. If you hurt someone today – wait till someone hurts you. What you throw, the same will fly back. After watching many people, a realization comes that they are all totally irresponsible for their actions. In talking to each of them separately, they all seem to realize what is good and what is bad, but react in a totally opposite way to their knowledge and common sense in certain situations.

Let’s finish this article with some words said by Buddha: “You are the master of your own destiny. You create the future by yourself.” In my own words: “You are the master of your own Karma. Your thoughts are the same as the circumstances around you!”. Which do You choose?

Exerpt from ebook “52 Quotes to live by”

Zett Why. Quotes to live by. Tension generates violence.

Everything what belongs to you comes easy and with joy...

Zett Why

Tension generates violence

Human way is hard enough, when consciousness is put in the shade with goals. While we haven’t achieved, we have a possibility. After achievement we also have a possibility. Achieving something, we shrivel up more and more. It pollutes our consciousness. Problems won't be solved if we will increase speed. Jumping to uncertainty requires us to throw off all our entity and knowledge. More than one state and human will fall down from increasing achievement speed.

Then you increase speed, tension grows. Tension generates violence. Violence brings suffering. As a consequence, any alive organism becomes ill. It seems that human is created in such a way, and that constant achievement is the real movement. Unfortunately, it's the straightest way to suffering.

Everything what belongs to you comes easy and with joy. Other things probably don't belong to you. When achieving it in violence, you only harm yourself.

Inner potential and desires

Remember rare life situations, when everything used to work by itself, like without efforts. It was enough to think that you desire something, and it used to become true. You only were surprised, how it all happened. It's not a secret actually. Your desire became one with inner potential.

An adult, raising a weight of ten kilos, doesn't need to make big efforts. A hundred isn't limit to trained person. As body muscles, inner potential also can be increased. But here you should remember, that it is done by internal, not by outer means. Each part has its own means.

Watching people from the side, every time I make a conclusion, that many things are limited by our senses and intellectual frame. The biggest problem is that when we think that we want something, it's often difficult to differentiate, which desires are ours, and which are imposed by society and environment. It's very hard to separate desires, created by egoism…

More quotes to live by you’ll find on my Facebook page.

Water is the most yielding substance, but no one has won over it yet…

Being yielding is an advantage

Bowing to something is in one or other way mentioned by many religions. One of well-known lessons tought by Christ says – “if someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also“. But show me a christian, faithfully following such a precept. The interpretation of being yielding is strained in our society. Being yielding actually is not self-effacement or humility in the name of some profit in uncertain kingdom of God. Devotees understand it like wordless acceptance of injustice, unconcern, common problems of mankind.

Christians took a formula of responding to an aggressor without violence, and are trying to go along the life way bowing, in easy manner, not getting to anybody other’s road, stopping short at praying. Although try to step onto their callus, and the imaginary bowing will be gone. However, this belongs to another topic. And above all, church teachers and wise people in this case talk about special quality. Quality, which helps to survive and win without fighting.

Water doesn’t fight, but it always wins

Problems in our society begin from childhood, and grow in one line with development of a person. Since early years we are being tought to win and achieve what we want, with any price. But show me home, where you can learn to be yielding. Women are honoured with yielding character by nature. Observe them, and you will learn many good things. Feminine power is hidden exactly in their ability to be yielding. It can seem that a woman descends to her husband and even humbles. But the point is in the result. In such a manner she gets everything what she seeks. I call this Water Character. So watch water – it doesn’t face any obstacles in its way. When water encounters a stone, it simply flows around, not hitting hindrance until goal achievement. Water doesn’t fight, but so it wins.

Egoism is the greatest enemy to bowing

What will you choose?

It is said that the more humans get older, the wiser they become. Observe the elders – majority of them will own being yielding as a quality. Only after going along great way of life, in which we experience continual losing, humiliation, and absolute failure of self-confidence, we try to realize being yielding as a little bit more than desperate prostration.

To get totally free from disgust to the idea of bowing, and understand it as a way to the real human freedom, to find strength in seeking bowing as a quality, we need to conquer ourselves and change personal values at first. You will need much time for all this. Egoism and old habits won’t capitulate easily. You will want to riot in each step. Until finally and not hiding from yourself, you will confess that it’s relevant to choose in the situations of life – I can proudly continue hitting the wall, or I can bow to it and adapt.

I ensure – when you turn bowing into your quality, you will come much more further. Start from small steps. As you learned to walk in childhood, learn being yielding today. First victories will bring joy, which will work as a stimulus to move on. And the miracles will begin after that. What are they – you will know later. Be attentive and observe yourself.

I reveal you one more secret – looking at circle of communicating people, you should notice that basically each one is talking to himself. He who can hear his friend, is the winner in such a situation. With an intention of achieving it, we must reduce our significance till zero. After that you should do everything to strengthen the significance of others. When you follow this principle, people will notice that you don’t cause any danger. As a consequence, they will become more honest with you. Paradoxically, your significance in their eyes will only grow…

2nd quote from 52 quotes to live by
By Zett Why

Quotes to live by

The supply of inspirational quotes are inexhaustible. The inspirational words are here, not only to inspire, but most importantly, to encourage change. When you read inspirational quotes, you would often feel a sense of renewed energy and that urge to improve your current state. We can get inspiration not only from the words of famous and successful people, but also from the everyday talks we have, conversations we overhear, or even a surprising remark from a nine year-old. Inspiration may come from anywhere. It is simply a matter of paying a little attention and putting those thoughts into action.

Quotes to live by

The following are some of the greatest inspirational quotes to live by:

1. "Don't let what you can't do stop you from what you can do." (John Wooden)

Sure, there's a lot of things you feel you can't do. The next best thing is to learn. Learning and trying something new is a big step into conquering the "can'ts" in your list.

2. "Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall." (Confucius)

Failures may be failures but they also present opportunities for growth. When we fail, we try to understand what we did wrong. By doing so, we learn, and we improve. It is the experiences of rising from failures that creates successful people.

3. "If you are going through hell, keep going." (Winston Churchill)

As they say, if you're already at the bottom, there is no where else to go but up. The situation you are in now won't last forever. Keep living until you attain your greatest happiness.

4. "To Live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that's all." (Oscar Wilde)

Many people are merely empty bodies walking around the world, not really experiencing life. Remember not to get trapped by the routines of everyday life. Take time to break off from your routine and do something you really, really want for a change.

5. "If you want to be happy, be." (Leo Tolstoy)

If you are sad right now, it is always your choice to be happy. It is as simple as that.

6. "We must be the change we want to see." (Gandhi)

This world is far from being perfect. If you want things to improve, start with yourself. It is you that you have a hundred percent control over. You might as well use that power to change the things that you can.

Quotes to live by