Karma, Snake Oil and a Clear Path

A dear friend of mine was presented with the most fascinating proposition the other day. For the “paltry” sum of $2,000, a “spiritual master” he had met was going to “clear” his karma. What an amazing opportunity don’t you think? How many of us would pay to “clear” the obstacles that stand in our way, and for only $2,000 to clear an entire lifetime of pain and suffering? But Really?

In the face of adversity, it is very tempting to try and find an easy way through. Just as we attempt to find the shortest distance between where we are today and where we want to be, looking for a shortcut is part of life’s temptations. However, we cannot avoid the inevitable and we cannot circumvent destiny…we can only make choices that alter our present moment and as a result our future present. There is a significant difference between trying to find the shortest distance, and sacrificing our journey for the destination.

Glowing Buddha

If we hypothesize just for a moment that for a sum of money, someone could clear our path to success, fulfillment and happiness – wouldn’t the wealthiest among us be the happiest? Wouldn’t those with access to the greatest resources be the ones with the clearest karma? We know of course that the wealthiest people are sometimes the most miserable, and we also know that money and happiness do not go hand in hand. You see, we cannot clear or carry the burdens of another just as we cannot pay another to do the same for us.

Our life is defined by the path we take, by the decisions we make. Every choice sculpts our identity in one way or another on this physical plane. Who we choose to be and how we choose to act define us, and learning to overcome adversity is one of the greatest gifts we are afforded in this lifetime. Service and growth is our mantra in this life…and helping others learn to do the same.

However to be clear, there is no shortcut to enlightenment, just as there is no shortcut to love or happiness.

Bhagavad Gita Spiritual Karma

The physical body is a metaphor for our lives; it is an amazing organism that goes through constant periods of growth and atrophy. A bodybuilder will tell you that in order for muscles to grow, they must first break, and the growth results from the body over-compensating the repair to protect itself from future stress. Just as in life, we have our heart broken and as a result we become perhaps overly protective. An animal bred in captivity will have no idea how to survive in the wild, and the same is true for a sheltered child trying to survive in this world. Simply put, we need stress and growth as tools to teach amongst other things, how to survive and how to follow our truth. We cannot circumvent destiny, no matter how attractive it may seem in the moment. The suffering we face in life is most often self-inflicted, and the internal pain we experience is often as a result of our inability to face and overcome our own truth – we cannot pay someone to eliminate this privilege for us.

Assuming that we had the funds available, there is no amount of money we would pay to alleviate severe physical pain. If it were possible, we would probably do the same for the emotional or spiritual pain we face in life. Wouldn’t it be great if we could just pay for someone to alleviate the painful loss of a loved one? How much would we pay to eliminate the emotional strife of divorce or betrayal? Even if it were possible, wouldn’t we be attempting to circumvent our own growth?

Sometimes our challenges are so vast, our pain so deep that we become vulnerable and tempted by the snake oil salesman who offers to do for us what we were unable to do for ourselves.

We are DEFINED by our experiences, including the “spiritual master” who bilked us out of $2,000 as he promised to clear out path – but perhaps that was the lesson in itself.

As challenging as these situations may be, we are defined by our reactions to them and the subsequent choices we make.

Guru and Disciple

Do you have an extra $2,000 burning a hole in your pocket? Do you want to put that money toward the clearing of your karma, the connection to your truth and the opening up of your path in life? Invest it in yourself, but take responsibility for your choices and take control of your life. We so often forget that we are in the driver’s seat, and our life experience is the result of our choices.

Just for fun, I have included a list of 10 things that you can do today for a lot less money, with conscious intent, that can have a profound positive impact on your life and your future.

1. Spend time in nature – get out of your office, leave your home and connect with the earth, with the smell and sound of nature.
2. Get a massage – nurture yourself, care for yourself…not in a narcissistic way but with the understanding that you cannot care for another unless you are first able to care for yourself.
3. Have a psychic reading…who knows, you may learn something about yourself. There are so many different types of clairvoyants and readers, find someone who can help you learn about you.
4. Numerology is the study of your name & birth date, assigning numbers to the letters of your name. Just for fun, have your numerology done, you may learn something!
5. Get a past life regression – even if you are a non-believer, you’ll have a great time and perhaps heal yourself through your past lives.
6. Take some yoga classes…it will cleanse your body, strengthen your spine, and perhaps get you back into your body.
7. Try meditation. If you are unable to sit still, do something meditative like taking a walk or working in the garden.
8. Be of service; help someone without receiving anything tangible in return. We are here to serve, to assist others, and your reward will be more than any monetary compensation.
9. Play a musical instrument, sing, paint, or write. Express yourself, find your voice.
10. Most importantly, get to know yourself. Like it or not, you are stuck with yourself for as long as you are here. Be honest with yourself, and most important, TRUST YOURSELF!

Good luck in your journey. If you are unable to follow my wisdom, I simply ask you to follow and trust your own…that is why you are here!

2 Website Comments

• 
  Shirley July 17, 2009 at 10:42 am

  How true. Look within yourself for the answers. There is so much you can do for yourself to achieve the peace you deserve.
• 
  sfauthor July 17, 2009 at 5:48 pm

  Nice posting.