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Grace and Karma

What is karma? It is a word that is used often for the wrong thing. Many times karma is used for fate. This is not entirely true. Because nothing is greater than the will of man. In Indian philosophy, karma is the influence of an individual's past actions on his future lives. The Buddhists interpret karma as the ethical cause and effect. This Cayce reading makes a distintion the difference between karma and cause and effect.

These are not so much karmic as purely material cause and effect, though cause and effect to many are the same as karmic. Yet, karmic is that brought over, while cause and effect may exist in the one material experience only [2981-2].

Cause and effect deals within one lifetime, whereas karma deals with multiple lifetimes. This meeting of actions from past lives is refered to as "meeting self" in many of the readings. Cayce makes corelation to references in the Bible.

"As ye sow, so shall ye reap." [Gal. 6:7] And, "With what measure ye mete, itwill be measured to thee again." [Mat. 7:2] And, "As ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them." [Mat. 7:12] [370-3].

Hence, Destiny is: "As ye sow, so shall ye reap." And like begets like! And the first law of nature, which is the material manifestation of spiritual law in a physical world, is self-propagation - which means that it seeks self-preservation and the activity of the same law that brought the thought of man (or the spirit of man) into existence - companionship! What, then, is karma? And what is destiny? What has the soul done, in the spiritual, the material, the cosmic world or consciousness, respecting the knowledge or awareness of the laws being effective in his experience - whether in the earth, in the air, in heaven or in hell? These are ever one; for well has it been said, Though I take the wings of the morning and fly unto the utmost parts of the heavens, Thou art there! Though I make my bed in hell, Thou art there! Though I go to the utmost parts of the earth, Thou art there! Truth, Life, God! Then, that which is cosmic - or destiny, or karma - depends upon what the soul has done about that it has become aware of [276-7].

Many readings state that karmic debt is built whenwe fail to do what we know we should and that sins of omission are as great as sins of commission [13-4].

Cayce has also stated that we never build up debt to other individuals, we only build karmicdebt with ourself.

Thy relationships to thy fellows through the various experiences in the earth come to be then in the light of what Creative Forces would be in thy relationships to the ACT ITSELF! And whether it be as individual activities to those who have individualized as thy father, thy mother, thy brother or the like, or others, it is merely self being MET, in relationships to that they THEMSELVES are working out and not a karmic debt BETWEEN but a karmic debt of SELF that may be worked out BETWEEN the associations that exist in the present! And this is true for every soul [1436-3].

We shouldn't look at the conditions of our job, home, income, good luck, etc. as outcomes of karma. Being rich may be a greater challenge, than being poor for a given individual. So being rich or poor does not indicate whether you were good or bad in a previous life. Conditions exist that would best benefit you to meet actions from past lives.

Throughout the ages, man has made several covenants with God to help with his progression. When Jesus came to the earth He brought with Him a new covenant, the law of grace.

The call is ever that as He gave, "A new commandment - that ye love one another." filling the whole purpose of His activity and lesson in materiality. The first was, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy body, thy mind, thy soul, - thy neighbor as thyself." This is the whole law. Grace is that ye love one another [1058-5].

The Cayce readings state that the potential to live by the law of grace had always existed, but it wasn't until Jesus came that it became a reality for all mankind.

Man can still live by the law of karma, if he so chooses. If we choose to follow Jesus' admonition and love one another, even as He has loved us, then we will be living under the law of grace. Otherwise the law of karma will take over. As Cayce has said,

What ye sow, ye reap, unless ye have passed from the carnal, or karmic law to the law of grace [5075-1].

And again,

To be sure, the law applies. For in the beginning of man in his becoming a living soul in the earth, laws were established, and these take hold. But do not lose sight of the law of grace, the law of mercy, the law of patience as well. For each has its place-especially when individuals desire to be channels through which God may manifest [2977-2].

The law of grace is better way to meet karmic debt. If we truly live the law of grace, then karma is removed.

These are a part of the karma, unless there is kept that law of grace through which karma is NOT an actual experience [1535-3].

Meeting those things which have been called karmic, yet remembering that under the law of grace this may not be other than an urge, and that making the will of self one with the Way may prevent, may overcome, may take the choice that makes for life, love, joy happiness, - rather than the law that makes, causes the meeting of everything the hard way [1771-2].

To live the higher law, we must be loving, compssionate, patient, and merciful. Like begets like.

KARMA is rather the lack of living up to that KNOWN to do! As ye would be forgiven, so forgive in others. THAT is the manner to meet karma [2271-1].

Edgar Cayce Readings (c) The Edgar Cayce Foundation