There’s no good karma or bad karma—it’s all just karma! We label desirable actions and outcomes as “good karma” and unfortunate and less desirable actions and outcomes as “bad karma.” These categories are often helpful because they compel us to think about the consequences of our actions and choose actions that create positive and impactful results.
We explore the theme of karma in this issue to inspire conversation and reflection on the actions we take, big and small, that affect people, knowingly and unknowingly, in the immediate future and for years to come.
Our karma is the result of the choices we continually make. According to yoga philosophy, our karma comes from our conscious and unconscious intentions. These intentions, whether we are aware of them or not, form the basis of our choices and actions. They also affect how we react to forces and situations seemingly outside of our control. Other people’s karma and the decisions they make influence our decisions and consequently the actions we take and vice versa. This includes leaders of countries and companies, the victors and the victims of past wars and holocausts, the falling in love of our great- grandparents and the prayers of our parents. Whether we know it or not, we all share equal responsibility for shaping the world we live in through our actions.
Vedic astrology, self-reflection and understanding, psychotherapy/ psychoanalysis, and other processes can help us understand our karma and identify actions we can take to have a happier, healthier, more impactful life. Deepening the understanding of our complexity may lead to self-compassion and identity with others who also feel the same suffering. Ideally this compassion leads to action.
Our actions have consequences. Like the classic example of a stone thrown into still water creating ripples that last over time and space, our actions impact other people right now and also years from now, in ways we may never know. We experience the karma of our ancestors, our spiritual teachers and our world leaders. We influence the karma of our friends, lovers, students, children, neighbors, and also for the organizations to whom we offer our time, service and donations, the people who work in faraway factories whose products we buy, and those who will inhabit this planet 100 years from now.
What kind of ripple effects do you make with your life? What decisions can you make that will make this world better, more peaceful, more awake? I hope the articles in this issue inspire you to live powerfully and positively.
Lourdes Paredes
Publisher, Founder, Editor-in-Chief
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