Trying to Understand Karma

I struggle with the concept of karma, which means “action” in Sanskrit.  I understood karma to align with Newton’s Third Law: every action has an equal and opposite reaction.  Throughout my life, I have heard karma referenced in expressions like “what goes around comes around” and in reminders to follow the Golden Rule.  It became a concept that stoked shame in me.  If something bad happened to me, I interpreted it as a consequence of my past bad behavior.  If I really thought about it, I could ruminate over exactly what bad deed landed me in that position. 

Last year, I came across a writing about karma by Pema Chodron.  She addressed the understanding that many of us share that if something goes wrong, we are being punished for past misdeeds.  And she said this is the WRONG interpretation of karma!  Instead, she says karma is the teaching you need in order to open your heart.  It is our human nature to protect our hearts, to build armor and shields to keep us from being hurt.  And the beauty of our lives is that all of the lessons we need to open our hearts are built into our lived experiences.  This is karma!  It’s an opportunity to learn and practice softening our hearts, cultivate self-compassion and compassion for others.  It’s not a punishment, it’s a lesson.  

This shift in perspective makes a big impact in my life.  Do you ever notice that you find yourself repeating mistakes and patterns?  This is karma at work.  Instead of feeling victimized, consider asking yourself what lesson you might learn from this repetition.  You can bet that the lesson will lead to a greater understanding of yourself, your relationships, your boundaries and your heart.