Magical Thinking and Karma
Magical thinking is believing the universe has rules like “bad things come in threes,” or, “if something good happens it will be balanced out by something bad,” or that certain objects, actions or gestures will keep evil spirits away, that certain shapes and symbols have special powers, that certain combinations of words have power beyond their meanings, and so on. The concept of “magic” is the belief that some source outside yourself has power to make things happen in supernatural ways.
There are no such rules. But if you believe them, you act accordingly and put in motion very normal cause-and-effect situations. Aside from random occurrences, what really causes things to happen are our own actions and behaviors. For instance, you might be awaiting the “third bad thing”, so you notice it when it occurs, but you don’t count the fourth or fifth thing, or anything that happened before the first thing. Or in a universe full of both good and bad events, you pick a good one and a bad one as “evidence” that they result from each other. Or, on a more positive note, you feel good when you light a candle because it has come to represent to you the creation of a holy space, and you are therefore creating a peaceful state of mind through your own decision to do so.
Words, also, certainly elicit feelings and situations, because of how we say them and interpret them, but the words themselves have no power other than what we say or what we perceive others to say. Even chanting, which has the physical effect of producing endorphins that make us feel good, holds no magic. When Deepak Chopra said, “Words don’t describe; they create,” he meant that that they describe your intentions, and your intentions are indeed powerful.
If there is anything close to “magic”, it is your intentions, because they are creative beyond anything you dare to imagine. But the results of your intention come from you, not from some outside source, and therefore they are not magic. Magical thinking is our way of refusing to take responsibility for the fact that WE create our reality, and that there is no magic beyond our own amazing and infinite creative ability. We are afraid of our own power. Your true Self (not the small self) is so infinitely creative that magic isn’t even vaguely necessary!
Another form of magical thinking is the misconception of what Karma is. The most common idea of Karma is that “the universe” or “God” somehow rewards or punishes us for our actions. But the universe has no gripe against us, even if we think it should, nor does it reward us. It simply is.
And if we believe in a God or gods, then someone else’s religious or spiritual belief that differs from ours would be wrong. If some of us are wrong and some are not, then why would we all experience what feels like Karma? Surely “God” would bestow reward only on those who believe “correctly”, and punishment on those who do not. But joy and sorrow, good and evil, trouble and convenience, health and illness, life and death come to us all.
Have you ever noticed that what we think is Karma is usually something that is fairly obviously related to what we did? That’s because there is a relationship – but it’s not a magical one. Karma isn’t something that happens from any outside source. It is what happens as a result of simple cause and effect, and is further affected by our beliefs about our actions.
I knew a man whose life purpose was to cheat others. He believed this was the best way to “get ahead” in life because, he said, “After all, everyone cheats me.” His life was a cycle of cheat and be cheated. What he never realized is that when he cheated someone, they felt a need for revenge, and the consequences of this vicious circle were never-ending. That was real Karma.
The vicious circle principle applies in war as well. A country goes to war because: 1. they think the other country is plotting against them, or: 2. They have a sense of lack – they think the other country has an asset they need and don’t yet have, and of course the other country wants to keep that asset for themselves. The concept of sharing or trading isn’t on the table. So war ensues. That is real Karma.
When we respond with resistance to another’s aggression, no matter how mild or severe it may be, we perpetuate the problem, and that is real Karma.
But there are always ways to break the cycle of our self-caused Karma. In the case of the cheating person, it’s very simple. The fewer people you cheat, the fewer will cheat you. Revenge is not necessary or helpful. Therefore, be honest and the cycle will stop.
In the case of responding to someone’s aggression, there are peace-minded questions you can ask them, such as:
- “How can we resolve this well?” – which gives them a sense that you trust they have the intelligence to help work it out and that you also respect the need that caused the aggression.
- “What do you need that I can provide?” – which gives them a chance to share their perceived need.
- “Please tell me what I have done that has made it necessary to have taken this action?” – which gives them a chance to explain not just what they think (or know) you did, but also why they didn’t think you would be willing to talk about it before they had to aggress.
Other situations we mistake for “Karma” are illness and poverty. If you are ill, it’s not punishment coming from the universe or from “God” for something you did. It may be for a practical reason such as a lack of self-care, or it may just be completely random. Or if you are poor, it may be that you have neglected to do what it takes to be solvent, or it may be that it is a random and unavoidable circumstance. The universe is random, after all – it does what it does.
Random circumstance, however, can sometimes be changed. If you are poor, there is a chance you can rise above it, given the opportunity and willingness. If you are sick, there is a chance you can take measures toward healing. So rather than wallow in despair, saying, “It’s my Karma,” you can accept Who You Are: the Light of the World. You are That no matter what your circumstances.
Magical thinking is rampant. It’s common to think that if we can just learn enough about how the universe operates beyond the realm of what we think of as mundane, we will gain enlightenment. Actually, that’s looking for enlightenment in all the wrong places. The universe and all that is in it, as amazingly complex as it seems, is just the small world. Reality is infinitely bigger but infinitely simpler than all the complexity we’ve created to blind us to the simple Truth. One cannot find enlightenment by studying the things of the small world.
The Truth is that we are already enlightened; we are beings of Love, not citizens of a small world that is made of illusion. There is nowhere to look for enlightenment. It is Who We Are. Looking for it is a form of denial of Who We Are, a way of rejecting our own Light by thinking we don’t have it yet. For some reason we think it’s a big responsibility to be the personification of Love and Light, but in fact nothing is easier than being Who We Are. What’s hard is pretending we are not; that takes a great deal of energy.
So rather than seeking enlightenment through understanding the secrets and magic of the universe, see those for what they are: illusions created to divert you from simply being what you already are and always were even though you have tried so hard not to see it. Be the only You that is Real and which, coincidentally, is easy to be: Love Personified.
What are Our Faults?
How many times have you said, “If I knew what all my faults are, I would try to fix them.” You know some of your traits that your perceive as faults, and you may or may not have tried to fix them, but all the while you also believe that you don’t know what all of them are – that some are hidden from you – and that others can see them but won’t tell you.
In reality, others tell you every day. Not in words or even in their reactions to you, but by being who they are. You can easily see what you think are faults in others. You notice them constantly, you might remark upon them, and you might be annoyed by them, or you might choose to ignore them. All the while, you believe these traits belong to these other people.
In fact, the traits you perceive in others are your traits – the “good” ones and the “bad” ones. Not just in general, as in human fallibility, but specifically and in detail. They are all right there in plain sight for you to see. All you have to know about yourself is right in front of you. There’s a saying, “If you want to know what kind of person you are, look at who you hang out with.” That is a true and very astute statement. But beyond the obvious, it could even more accurately be stated, “If you want to know what kind of person you are, look at everyone you encounter.” And look at them in detail.
Why? Because this is your world. It exists in your perception, and it is therefore your creation. You perceive the personalities of all those beings that you think of as separate from yourself. Your perception is in your mind, and that is the only place anything exists, because it is the only place perception occurs. There is no one truth about the world and its inhabitants except that which you perceive. Therefore, any attributes you give the world and its inhabitants are yours.
You do know what your traits are, and you do know what your strengths are, and you do know what your perfections are, and you do know what to do with them all. Choosing to believe that you do not know is merely denial; it not only denies your “faults” but it denies your perfection, it denies Who You Are because it denies that you are the perceiver and therefore the creator of your world.
It’s important to know that the reason you perceived all these traits, good and bad, is because you wanted a world that is entertaining. Entertainment, as I’ve said often before, is not all just fun. When you go to a movie or watch TV or read a book, you call it entertainment, and yet it is all about challenges. The drama of overcoming faults and challenges is what creates the story, the entertainment. Therefore, there is no reason to judge yourself for having created an entertaining world – it is your choice. If you don’t enjoy it, change it.
How to change it? The answer is very simple: accept it. That may seem like an oxymoron. “How can acceptance fix it?” Well, are you happy with the way it is? No? Has it changed so far? Apparently not. It is how it is. So it’s how you think you feel about it that makes you happy or unhappy. If you truly did not want it, you would not perceive it the way you do.
This is it. Love what is. Forgive the world – forgive yourself for creating your perception of it – and all faults will be healed.
Spiritual Predators
There are charlatans who have found a secret to amassing fame and fortune at the expense of spiritually-minded people: these “spiritual predators” know that if they act mysterious, wise, special, and claim to know spiritual secrets, people will flock to them. These spiritual predators have taken in many an unwitting victim. Although one may feel at least for a time that the path they are being drawn into is beneficial, it can prove to be just another distraction.
For instance, it is popular now to expose certain secret societies’ “codes” for this and that; to disclose mathematic, scriptural, verbal, or ritualistic formulas to produce special effects or to open portals to heavenly worlds. Some of these codes and rituals are ancient, and may have interesting and even astounding phenomena attached to them, but those phenomena are merely fascinating magic and serve no particular purpose.
(It’s a shame that in fact, many who encounter the title of A Course in Miracles assume that it is another formulaic instruction manual promising to produce magic in the form of “miracles”. That is definitely not what the Course is about. The Miracle is the change in oneself that changes the way we perceive and experience everything, rather than a change in something outside ourselves.)
If someone can levitate, for instance, does that prove they are enlightened? Does their levitating enlighten you? Or does it merely show you that the world is not what you thought? You already knew that. Deep within, we know the truth about the world – that there is something beyond it that is unlimited, more real and more permanent. But the way to recognize it is simple and does not have to involve magic.
Religious Apparitions, such as the appearance of Mother Mary at Lourdes, are commonly thought to be “signs from Heaven” – and if so, the fact that people of varying religions experience apparitions of entities from their own religions simply proves that all religions are valid. One cannot say, “Your apparition is not valid but mine is, because mine is the only true religion.” According to the Course, “Heaven” is a state of mind in which all things are seen in the light of Love. So a religious apparition is the Mind talking to the mind in the language that the mind can understand.
Religions are systems that allow people at different levels of readiness to participate in growing spiritually. Even though most modernly-practiced religions bear little resemblance to their origins, most still do contain some elements that point to realization if one is sincere. As the Dalai Lama said, “Do not seek to convert a person to your religion. Rather, make them better practitioners of their own religion.”
How can you tell who is a true master? It’s easy: by the change in your state of mind and your life that their influence produces in you. It’s not about how much data or information you gain, but about your baseline well-being. If you emerge with a permanently deeper sense of Love for all beings, and more joy, then the practice was good for you.
If the practice involves objects such as statues, crystals, beads, wands, and so on, be aware that the objects themselves have no power – they simply symbolize something. (Some, such as crystals which have electrical connectivity properties, have physical uses, which are of the small-world.)
In some religions, icons are worshipped. Originally, icons were created to remind us of the attributes of the entity they represent. Having pictures or statues of masters and saints you relate to is not idolatry if you are simply letting them remind you of the enlightened nature of those beings.
Certain activities, such as Kirtan chanting, medieval Christian chants, reciting of mantras, repetitive dance movements, and meditation, produce endorphins in the body that make us feel euphoric. They are not harmful; they point to joy and give us a small hint of what Reality is. They are not harmful, but euphoria is not the ultimate goal; it merely points to the goal. Feeling good personally is a step in the right direction that ultimately leads to the Love that encompasses all beings absolutely.
The Erroneous Path and the Place of Peace
Imagine someone who is born blind trying to imagine what the world, or anything in it, looks like. They can feel, smell, taste and hear, but they cannot see, and have never seen, anything. Even knowing what sight might be like, what it means to see, is impossible. There is no way to imagine it, and any idea of it is bound to be highly inaccurate since vision is inconceivable and there is no reference point of any kind.
That is one reason enlightenment seems elusive: we think we have to know all about this mysterious state of being in order to get there. When we think we know what it must be like and we go in that direction, we are inevitably going the wrong way. We cannot enter a mystery that we continually try to define.
We also tend to think that our own spiritual development is of primary importance and the only thing we should pursue. Hence, we have books like this one. Actually, what is of primary importance is Love and only Love. Absolute, unwavering Love for all beings. If we love absolutely, enlightenment automatically follows. It is not the other way around, and it is not about oneself. It is about One Self.
So why don’t we love absolutely? Because we are afraid of enlightenment. We think we will lose something. Yet A Course in Miracles tells us we will only gain and will lose nothing.
Many who follow a spiritual path consider themselves “seekers”. What are we endlessly seeking? Whether we call it (“God”, “enlightenment”, “bliss”, “Nirvana”, or whatever), we are seeking a state of being that we believe will be better than the one we currently have.
Seeking implies we are not there yet. This idea causes a state of unrest, a feeling of incompleteness, a vague dissatisfaction. We believe we will be happy and at peace “when we get there”.
Have you considered that believing you are “not there yet” is the very reason you are not there yet? Because you believe you have a goal to reach and you have not yet reached it, you are creating a lack of the very thing you seek.
We imagine what enlightenment must be like, but if we keep following paths to places we can only guess at, we will constantly be on the wrong road, because nothing you can imagine is it. That’s because you think there is an “it” that is different from what you have now. We cannot imagine anything for which we have absolutely no reference point, but we do know where we are now. So why not simply be here?
Seeking is the thing that prevents finding. Stop. You are already there. This is it. Wherever you are, you can choose to see the world for what it is: a perfectly imperfect place in which your decision about your own state of mind creates your experience of it. This is where you live, this is what you have, this is who you are choosing to be. This is your life. You can resist it, you can put it off, you can regret it, you can negate it, you can do with it what you choose – but why not just be at peace with it, because it is what’s so. You can love what is. In fact, it is completely pointless to do otherwise.
Every challenge, every unpleasant situation, is a game the ego plays that you have accepted. Every pleasant and beautiful thing is a symbol of Reality. You have it all: the game and the Reality. What more could you want? Be here now, love what is.
How Much Do We Need to Know?
Many of the spiritual writings and religious scriptures are weighty, thick tomes full of detail on how to behave and what to believe. It’s easy to believe that in order to become enlightened, it is necessary to know everything in those writings, and perhaps to become a scholar. But the reason they are so verbose is not because we need to memorize or even to read everything available to is.
The human brain likes to amass information. It thinks information is important. But those spiritual texts are large because it is hoped that somewhere in them, the phrase or sentence will be fond that speaks to you. The few words that open the door for you. Every individual is different, so which words will open us to enlightenment will be different for each of us. For some, word may not be what does it. It could be some other event that brings about realization.
What all the scriptures do have in common is one thing: Love. In every single spiritual tradition we are told to love each other, and by inference, all beings. Although some scriptures have been “spun” and interpreted as promoting violence and hatred, those are corrupted versions of the originals, changed by a translator’s ego influence, sometimes purposely, sometimes unwittingly.
But Loving all beings absolutely is the one basic thing that we are asked to do, the only necessary action. When you do it you will see that it is all-encompassing. And those who follow that instruction cannot help but become enlightened. What a shame that most of us would rather spend our lives seeking some path that will enlighten us by osmosis without our having to do that one thing that is asked of us.
We don’t need to be enlightened before we behave lovingly toward others. In fact, it doesn’t even matter if you ever recognize that you are enlightened. All we need to do is love absolutely. And if you fail sometimes, forgive yourself and begin again. That is all, that is the “Way, the Truth and the Life”. That is the Answer. Will you do it?
Soul of Compassion 