Much more than a personal opinion or a religious theory, I believe karma is a basic law of life. The mechanisms of how karma works are unknown – and we can only theorize -, but we know its effects.
In other words, we don’t need to know how electricity works to know that when we turn on the light switch, the light bulb turns on.
The definition is simple: it’s a principle of cause and effect where intent and actions of an individual (cause) influence the future of that individual (effect). (Source: Wikipedia)
We can put it even simpler: Your thoughts and actions create specific effects that manifest and create your life as you know it. You can see their effects in your psyche, emotions, energy and material conditions.
This law is much more than doing “good deeds” out of fear for negative consequences or for the greed of material wealth. When you do it this way, the intention is actually negative, hence, no positive energy is generated in you.
As you try to apply this principle in practice, there are many intrinsicacies to be aware about. I could write a whole book about this principle since it’s something I thought very carefully and can clearly see its effects.
Above all, you know inside of yourself when you’re doing something wrong or something right. You can feel it. The energy is completely different. You don’t need logic or thinking. You feel it. This feeling is much more accurate than your thinking, which may mislead you.
Since few people consider themselves to be bad persons, it’s very common to find excuses or rationales for your negative behaviors. This is where your logic can trick you. It’s common to say things like:
“if that guy steals, I can also steal from him” – Yet, two wrongs don’t make a right.
or
“it’s a dog-eat-dog world out there and I need to survive” – Yet, it’s not an excuse to forget basic human principles.
You can create justifications for yourself all you want, but it won’t stop the negative energy from building up in you.
Personally, I use the law of karma, or the law of cause and effect, as a guiding principle of my life.
A day doesn’t go by where I don’t reflect on it. Most importantly, a day doesn’t go by when I don’t reflect on my own behaviors. I share the process I use on the 10 Steps to Inner Power.