Our ultimate aim as human beings is the fully enlightened and omniscient state of 'Humanhood'. Most of us take being alive as relatively healthy human beings for granted. In Buddhist texts, human life is often referred to as extraordinary and precious. It is the result of an enormous accumulation of virtue, accrued by us over countless lives. Every human being has devoted a great amount of effort to attaining this physical state. Why is it of such value? Because it offers us the greatest opportunity for spiritual growth: the pursuit of our own happiness and that of others. We must appreciate this human vehicle and do all we can to ensure we protect our virtue for the good of ourselves, and all those around us.
So, it is important to develop a degree of spirituality which is done through walking an ethical path. There are ten non-virtuous actions noted in Buddhist writings and each of these actions has many levels. To give ourselves more reason to desist from them, we must understand the workings of the law of cause and effect, known as karma.
Karma which means "action," refers to an act we engage in as well as its repercussions. The consequences of various non-virtuous acts determine the circumstances of one's life in different ways. Sexual misconduct such as adultery, results in your experiencing difficulty with the company you keep as being untrustworthy and in which you yourself will suffer infidelity and betrayal.
When we weigh a particular act, to determine whether it is moral or spiritual, our criterion should be the quality of our motivation. When a woman for example, makes a resolution to sleep with a married man, is she simply motivated by physical attraction, selfish pleasure and the fantasy of false love, or can she make a moral and spiritual choice to resist this non-virtuous act by considering the ultimate negative effects? What about the suffering that will be caused to the man's wife, his family, children, his reputation and employment, and what of his own karma? Then there are the effects such an act will ultimately echo in her own life which themselves, could later harm others.
When we consider our acts in the light of their effects on others instead of the effects they may have on us, it becomes easier to avoid a non-virtuous path and make our choices more self-honoring and more spiritually fulfilling. These choices ultimately lead to more long-term happiness for ourselves and those around us.
But, it is said that knowing the detailed aspects of the workings of karma is limited to a spiritually aware mind. It is beyond our ordinary perception to fully grasp the subtle mechanics of Karma. But when people come into our life who are more interested in our well-being than their own interests or personal gains, it is important to see these highly realized and self actualized beings as the teachers they are.
Correcting karma is not easy. We can't return bad karma to the store for a full refund. But we can exchange our non-virtuous actions for more mindfulness and more consideration for others instead of our own limited, self-serving, temporal desires. Sometimes we need to surround ourselves with good people who are already aware of the inner workings of karma and who are willing to assist us to change our ways and walk a more virtuous and fulfilling life-path. You can choose your path. One way is to welcome others who can help you, and avoid those who may lead you down a less-than-virtuous path. - A.N.
