What is Karma?
Karma is one of the West’s best known Eastern Mystical concepts, even featuring in popular songs by John Lennon (Instant Karma), David Bowie (Karma Man), and Culture Club (Karma Chameleon) among others.
The meaning of karma is the concept of “action” or “deed”, understood as that which causes the entire cycle of cause and effect. Karma could also simply be defined as “what goes around, comes around,” or even simpler, “do the right thing.” Its essence is the art of how we live in our day-to-day life.
Generally, every person has some inclinations or preferences. When the consequence goes in our favor we call it a reward and when it does not, we immediately label it as punishment. With reward comes pleasure whereas its absence brings grief.
For example, if you fail to get a promotion despite doing everything on your part to impress your boss, you get depressed. This is because, in this case, you have made your expectations the basis of your karma. We often desire to control the outcome but we can hardly control the consequences because there are so many factors that contribute to it.
However, when we enjoy doing something, being able to do the job becomes a reward in itself. All we have to do is to increase our attachments with karma, at the same time detaching ourselves gradually from the expectations.
Understanding your karma can make the same difference to your life as swimming with or against the tide. Get it right and good things will flow naturally. But getting it wrong can mean one frustration after another.
The first step in dealing with existing karma is awareness and acknowledgment of it. For example, if you find it hard to acquire or hold money, you need to practice good money management. If you find it hard to make friends you need to be that bit nicer to others. If you’re not sure how to work with your karma, ask for guidance and be open to the answers.
Karma works at a more immediate level by returning to you what you give to others. There’s nothing particularly mystical about this. If you’re friendly to others, you receive friendship. If you’re generous, people are more inclined to be generous to you. And what about luck?
Luck is the quality that seems to attract good things to some people and repel them from others. But is luck real, or all in the mind?
To some degree luck is an illusion, or simply a matter of how you look at life. Say someone won $10,000 on the lottery, but just missed the jackpot by one number. Some would consider themselves lucky to get $10,000, while others would be cursing their misfortune not to win a million. If you find yourself cursing your luck, take time to count your blessings. You will find they are many.
Human nature tends to notice others’ good fortune and our own bad. In fact everyone has their share of problems, burdens, challenges, and blessings too, to lighten the load. The key here is to focus upon your own pathway.
Having said all that, luck as a manifestation of karma, is real. Some people do attract money jobs, or the right partner. All we can do is try to recognize our own particular conditions and to operate to the maximum within these. For example, if you’re unlucky at gambling, don’t gamble, or if you do make sure the amounts involved are insignificant.
When you understand Karma you will recognize that you DO have a place in this world and your importance is more vital than you ever thought before. You’ll feel less vulnerable because you will recognize that no one can hurt you but yourself and with that you have more control than you ever thought possible.
So be grateful for your Karma; without it we just couldn’t grow spiritually. We would just keep having all our negative situations over and over again, day after day. I believe that being grateful for what we have and following the simple guidelines of karma keeps bringing good things our way.
As John Lennon 
writes in his song,
Instant Karma’s gonna get you
Gonna knock you off your feet
Better recognize your brothers
Every one you meet
Why in the world are we here?
Surely not to live in pain and fear
Why on earth are you there?
When you’re everywhere
Come and get your share
