12 Laws of Karma - The Law Of Growth

It simple says that wherever we go, there we are. Known as the Law of Growth, change should always begin with ourselves. If we try to escape life in order to flee from any situation, it will be pointless because the problem is ourselves. Wherever I  go, I will still be "there" with all my issues and problems.

Our human nature often suggests we have the power to change everything and everyone around us, this law says that we have to start with ourselves instead. Because it is the beginning of true growth toward clarity, enlightenment and eventually fulfillment. It will be easy to change circumstances outside ourselves in the hope of finding peace and joy, in reality that true peace and joy come when we change ourselves, inside and out, that will affect everything around us.

12 Laws of Karma - The Law of Humility

It is said that whatever we resist, persist for us, this is the Law of Humility. We can learn a lot about who someone is inside as simple as watching and observing those things and those persons to which or to whome the person objects. If a person, say, refuses to embrace the poor, this says volumes about the condition of the person's heart, and that condition persists as long as the person continues to resist acceptance of and association with and assistance to the poor in this world. The way to enlightenment and liberation is the path of humility. If everyone who differs with another on some issue is looked upon as "the enemy," then we are in a persistent state of opposition because ofthose whom we may wrongfully resist.

12 Laws of Karma: The Law of Creation

We attract what we are and not what we want. This is the "Law of Creation." Whatever we surround ourselves, the enclosure or space we create in which we live in this lifetime, says much about who we are and we do tend to attract those of like kind. If our choices in life are all evil, for example, we will most likely to attract evil persons as companions and find ourselves within bad situations more often. We may say we desire to live righteously, but it takes far more than empty words and shallow desires to lift ourselves out of our circumstances. We must actually begin to BE, it we would eventually BECOME! In short, we create both our situations and our destiny by who we choose to be in our journey through life.  Just take a closer look at our surroundings, these are strong clues to our true inner persons.

The 12 Laws of Karma: The Law of Cause and Effect

I would like to start a series in between posts, about something we all knew about but not really paying attention to. We knew all about it, but we could not care less about its effect on us. We live mostly in a "que sera sera" attitude or maybe does not really care.
So it is my sincere hope that after this series we can deliberate and even review our thoughts and actions and have a better, if not good, one at that.
So the Laws of Karma is being introduced here and together, yes, you and I, we'll take the journey back within ourselves and search into our hearts and souls for that path towards greater good.
There are 12 Laws of Karma and each one is in relation with another, for one cannot exist alone and together they are so powerful that it can change the world in a snap of a finger.

Today I'll share about the most familiar Karma of all, The Law of Cause and Effect.
As we all know that whatever we sow, we always reap. It may sound very biblical but the majority of teachings are all about it. This first law is otherwise known as "The Great Law". Simply the embodiment of the principle of Reciprocity, which is really what "karma" is all about.

Our attitudes and actions affect the universe about us. A stone thrown onto a water creates a ripple that seemed to go on, expanding until it reaches the bank and return the ripple back to its source. Let us ask ourselves how many times we did something and eventually experience that same act? Have we done something that reaps good effect? Just today, what did we say and do that may reap good and/or bad karma?
Everyday we encounter situations that make us choose, and it is up to us whether the choice would echo something of good nature or the other way around. So think before we act and in this way life's blessing will come in abundance, and if we begin taking responsibility for our thoughts and actions right now, we will be given back what we desire. Essentially creating many positive outcomes and experiences in our day-to day life.

Ode To A Housemate

I decided to try to live with a another nationality, I chose to share a two-room apartment with a Sri Lankan nurse. It was like at first sight, he was nice, accommodating and funny at that. He likes to talk about his day to day activity in full facial expression, voice modulation, action and laughter. He always make me laugh out loud.
We've been together more than a month now, and I've learned that he was a bit OC when it comes to cleanliness. Our bathroom is sparklingly clean and heavenly disinfected, you can sleep on it even! He loves to cook and most of the time I will find myself just sitting down and eating with him. One thing though as a Sri Lankan I noticed they are fond of coconut milk, spicy chilis and mustard seeds. All his concoctions are never without these three ingredients, from vegetables to meat meals, it was always spicy and creamy. I am not a "hot" meal person, I am very sensitive to spicy foods, and I've already ate while sniffing and teary eyed from the food he prepares everyday. After that he would wash every pot and pan, plates and glasses, wipe the cooking range, wipe the table and the wash basin and leave the kitchen as it nothing had ever happened in it.
He doesn't like me washing as he told me that my hands would get rough, he always ask me for permission to anything he does at home, even when using the washing machine. He calls me "princess" because he said I am like one which made me laugh again.
He spoils me everytime by bringing home four tetra packs of juice everyday, as in everyday! My personal refrigerator are almost full of it, as I cannot cope with drinking and the supply I get from him everyday. One of the things we have in common too is our love of smoothies. I would wake up everyday with a freshly made smoothie in my large mug ready for drinking, although we have different tastes as I like mine creamy and his juicy. So he will reserve half of the creamy mixture for me and mix again his with an additional water.
He was all these maybe because through our conversations, as he laid out on me his life, his family and experiences, his being a Buddhist made all the difference. These people of Buddha are known to be kind, honest, service-oriented, down-to-earth and peaceful. He is all these also, coming from a lowly life in Sri Lanka, his father a farmer who tried hard to send them all (5 of them) to school, finish college and give then as much comfort he can afford, his mother from a wealthy family who were disowned when she ran away with the man she loved. They live happy and simple lives, his father would till the soil everyday without complain with only the love of his wife and future of their children as his inspiration. His mother turned her back to her rich background and lovingly built a home with love, kindness and happiness abound. I can see and feel that with my housemate, he would often quote either his father or mother whenever we talk about good things, like how his father told them that "it is always better to ask than to take what is not yours," or his mother would tell them, "when you don't have you ask, but whenever you have you always share."
He dreamt of entering the monastery after Saudi (which I think is soon), it was his childhood wish, to be a Buddhist monk. He enthusiastically tells me how he already had a teacher who will guide him when he decided to really come. He even invited me to join him, which come to think of it is not a bad idea.
I once browsed in the net about Buddhism and its doctrines and I found it interesting and personally engaging. They say Buddism is either a religion or a way of life, for they are much into self enlightenment, meditation, social work, peace and love of humanity.
I am learning from him a lot, from my past experiences, there are limitations when it comes to living with people you don't know really who they are but eventually find out and then things get a little complicated. There are times when you saw it coming but you still engage in it cause you always "thought" it would be ok but it won't. Whilst with Dissa, his name, I don't feel that tension, limitation and pretention. He is what he is, and I can be me when I am with him. I don't feel I need to adjust with him, but rather let loose myself and just be me and there is this respect and treatment that he shows me everyday that is so precious, I feel humbled and ashamed at times when my behavior is not apt to his philosophies in life.
Like what I said before it's just more than a month, but I feel we I already known him all my life. Don't get me wrong, this is not a romantic issue, rather something deeper. They say there is always a reason for everything, and they believe in reincarnation and karma, maybe this connection has something to do with that. Maybe.