Karma and ACIM
Karma is an interesting subject for many spiritual students. Those who seek to find additional light on it from A Course in Miracles are somewhat disappointed as the FIP edition does not make one mention of it, though the original edition does mention it in one verse:
“‘Vengeance is Mine sayeth the Lord,’ is a strictly karmic viewpoint. It is a real misperception of truth by which man assigns his own ‘evil’ past to God. The ‘evil conscience’ from the past has nothing to do with God.” OE Tx:3.15
It is also interesting that the Circle of Atonement found a transcription of Helen’s notes with some more comments on Karma. It forms a section in the COA edition titled “The Question of Karma.”
It reinforces the idea that karma is linked to the past concerning which God has no interest for He dwells in the eternal present. On the other hand, He says this:
“There was a past, but it does not matter. It does not explain the present or account for the future.
“Are you interested in healing insanity or in studying its past?
“The history of a split mind is not a constructive focus for those who are being trained in an integrated and true concept of themselves.”
It sounds like Bill and Helen may have been enquiring about their past lives for they were told this:
“I am quite willing to tell you about your past when it no longer is of any interest to your ego, and if it is of help to someone else.
“For instance, they often relate a bodily condition to the past even when they affirm that mind is the builder.”
The thread that deals with karma is not all negative for it says:
“The chief value of the concept lies in its helpfulness in counteracting the idea of hell, a belief that is hard for the ego to relinquish.”
Many fundamentalist believers think we have only one life and if we do not accept their interpretation that we will go to hell for eternity. That is a pretty fearful thought.
On the other hand, teachings of reincarnation and karma say there is no such thing as eternal punishment. Instead, we are to merely right the wrongs we have committed in the past. This is something much less fearful.
So, is this all we have to go on concerning karma?
I submit that the answer is no. We can see the truth of this when we realize that karma is merely the playing out of cause and effect, and cause and effect have both positive and negative repercussions. Those who see karma as only producing a punishment do not understand it.
Here is a simple example: If you take out a loan from the bank you are now a debtor and must pay it back. This corresponds to negative karma.
On the other hand, if you create a savings account and make deposits you will find the bank owes you instead. This corresponds to positive karma.
The basic idea is that some causes that we initiate move us forward and others do not.
It is interesting then that even though the FIP edition does not mention karma, it does say a lot about the principle behind karma which is cause and effect.
As it is with numerous other subjects, one has to examine the context when the Course discusses cause and effect.
For instance, it stresses that “God is the only Cause.” T-14.III.8.
“Fear cannot be real without a cause, and God is the only Cause.” T-9.I.9
Because God is the only cause then only the things caused by God are real. This includes the Sonship which is caused by God:
“The Son is the Effect, whose Cause he would deny. And so he seems to be the cause, producing real effects. Nothing can have effects without a cause, and to confuse the two is merely to fail to understand them both.” T-21.II.10
The Son then is the effect of a cause initiated by God, but in the separated condition he seems to be the cause for here everything is reversed.
“Effect and cause are first split off, and then reversed, so that effect becomes a cause; the cause, effect.” T-28.II.8.
From the vantage point of heaven then, the past does not exist and is causeless.
“What you remember never was. It came from causelessness which you confused with cause.” T-28.I.9 “What never was is causeless.” T-17.VII.8
In the true reality, according to the Course, God is the only true cause and only that which is real are those things He has caused to be. We are told that he did not create this world but it was made by the Son when he got a mad idea. He thus made the illusion which was an effect that he thought was a cause.
But while in this world even the Course has to use cause and effect as understood by us or confusion would be the result. For instance:
“I see no neutral things. This idea is another step in the direction of identifying cause and effect as it really operates in the world.” W-pI.17.1.
“What you desire you will see. Such is the real law of cause and effect as it operates in the world.” W-pI.20.5
Even though there is no real cause in this world with eternal effects the Course acknowledges there is a law of cause and effect “as it operates in the world.”
This is basically the same as karma and it has kept us in separation for millions of years:
“Just as the separation occurred over millions of years, the Last Judgment will extend over a similarly long period, and perhaps an even longer one.” T-2.VIII.2.
Why has it taken millions of years for us to awaken from t the dream?
The answer is quite simple. We strongly identify with cause and effect, or karma in this world. When we make some great mistakes and leave the world we receive a life review and along with that is a desire to correct the wrongs we have made. This, plus other desires, draws us back into incarnation again and again with the hope of achieving balance.
The Course on the other hand, presents a plan that can greatly shorten that time in achieving balance.
It is interesting that Helen received an interesting message about her own past and even though it concerned her past it still had a tremendous effect upon her present and without it we would not have A Course in Miracles:
“The world situation is worsening to an alarming degree. People all over the world are being called on to help, and are making their individual contributions as part of an overall prearranged plan. Part of the plan is taking down A Course in Miracles, and I am fulfilling my part in the agreement, as you will fulfill yours. You will be using abilities you developed long ago, and which you are not really ready to use again. Because of the acute emergency, however, the usual slow, evolutionary process is being by-passed in what might best be described as a ‘celestial speed-up.’” Journey Without Distance by Robert Skutch, Chapter Four
The cause of Helen’s ability to hear the voice of Christ was “developed long ago,” and circumstances required she use them again to give us the Course. This was positive karma put to use.
Cause and effect or karma has a strong hold on all humanity, but understanding its attraction to us and how it works is an important step to awakening from the dream.
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