by Lawrence Wilson, MD

THE LAW OF CAUSE AND EFFECT

INTRODUCTION TO THE LAW OF CAUSE AND EFFECT

The law of cause and effect, also sometimes called the law of ultimate justice, is one of the most important concepts in the world. It is found in almost all major world religions in some form. It is debated in churches and synagogues throughout the world. It is so basic a teaching that it deserves far more attention than it is given. Here are several ways that the law is expressed by different groups in the world:

1. All of one’s actions, words and even thoughts have far-reaching consequences that will come back to haunt each of us eventually. For this reason, one must guard one’s mind and body constantly to control one’s thoughts, words and actions so as not to engender problems in the future.

2. Each one is responsible for all of his or her thoughts, words and actions.

3. No good deed goes unrewarded, and no evil deed goes unpunished.

4. There exists an ultimate justice in the universe that transcends time and even space. This ultimate justice is equal justice for all, regardless of race, color, creed, sex, sexual preference, nationality, height, weight, intelligence, place of birth, and much more. Like any real justice, it takes into consideration circumstances of all kinds. However, it is not social justice, which is about favoring certain groups, such as women, blacks, gays, or Hispanics. Social justice is a perversion of the law, and is discussed later in this article.

CLARIFICATIONS OF THE LAW

The law applies:

1. To everyone, even babies and children. It applies regardless of race, creed, color, national origin, situation or anything else. No one is exempt ever, and the law is never suspended for anyone, ever.

The law applies to babies and children to the extent that they have thoughts, emotions and take actions in their lives.

2. Everywhere on earth, and even up in the air and in outer space.

3. All of the time, even while you are asleep or if you are in a coma in a hospital, for example. It even applies after death. This means that if one is a discarnate entity, which means a soul whose body has died, one’s actions and even thoughts and emotions still matter.

4. It carries forth from the past and into the future as far as one can imagine in both directions. In other words, the law transcends time and space. Many people say that the law of cause and effect is false because some bad people get away with murder, rape, robbery and so on. Meanwhile, some of the finest people seem to suffer horribly and die young.

The reason for this is that our understanding of the world is limited in time and by our location. The law, however, is not limited. So, for example, it might take eons of time before a wrong is righted, but the scales of justice will be evened out and each person will get his or her punishment or reward.

Similarly, one cannot expect that justice will be done in the same location as the crime or bad behavior. For example, one might have done something improper in America, but the justice or correction may take place in another nation, in some rare cases.

5. The law can apply to any possible situation. However, the most common and most important types of situations involving the law of cause and effect usually have to do with interpersonal relationships such as:

A. Family attachments and situations.

B. Other personal relationships at work or friendships.

C. Sexual attraction, and sexual and romantic relationships and attachments.

D. Anything involving money, power and prestige, and particularly abuse of these.

E. Some illnesses, accidents, disabilities, and other work situations.

6. The law applies to your thoughts, words and deeds toward yourself. For example, if you abuse yourself, or take your life, you are responsible for this murder and you must pay the consequences, even though it only affected you. In reality, nothing in this world only affects you, by the way.

Similarly, if you counsel others to lie, cheat, steal, commit adultery, or something else that is not proper, you are responsible for this, to a degree, though not as much as if you commit the bad behavior yourself.

Similarly, if you instruct someone how to live well, regardless of whether they follow this advice or not, you will be rewarded for this. The important thing is you have thought, spoken and acted in a way to help another to move ahead in his or her life.

The theme or purpose of the law is not punishment. The purpose of the law of cause and effect, or ultimate justice, is to learn how to think, how to act, how to behave with others, and how to love. This important idea is discussed later in the article in more detail.

The workings of the law are extremely complex. They are far beyond human understanding. This is one of the most important principles of the law of cause and effect. For example, even if a person tries very hard to live honestly, charitably and with love for all, one may not be aware of the consequences of all of one’s actions. As a result, one cannot predict all of the eventual consequences that may occur as a result of any action that one takes.

For example, one may still be involved in a car accident in which a life is lost, even if one takes great precautions to drive safely. Also, illnesses can arise as consequences from realms of which one is not aware. For this reason, be vigilant and know that the law of cause and effect is all around you, all of the time. Continuously pray and ask for guidance, as one never knows when this law will impact you.

You are never in control of the law. This principle follows, more or less, from the ones above. It simply means that the law of cause and effect is so pervasive and complex that there is no way to understand and control it. The best we can do is to recognize it, respect it, honor it, and realize it is far more complex than our small minds can comprehend.

Many people believe they can control, short-cut or otherwise avoid or change the law to some degree. They make excuses for their behavior such as I was late for work, so I drove too fast and killed someone. This is not a good excuse, however, although it might be if the work involved saving thousands of lives, I suppose. Even so, do not try to make excuses in your mind to attempt to control or circumvent the law. It is always a bad idea. If you make a mistake, just admit is, ask for mercy, perhaps, and move on.

A COMMON THEME IN ALL WORLD RELIGIONS

The law of cause and effect is a basic spiritual principle that is echoed in most o the world’s religions and spiritual teachings. In the Western Hebrew and Christian bibles, for example, among the best known statements of this concept are:

· “Whatever a man soweth, that also shall he reap” – Galatians 6:7.

· “Do not do unto others that which you do not wish others to do unto you.” – Rabbi Hillel, and also found in Matthew 7:12 and elsewhere.

· “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.” – Matthew 25:40.

· "Life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise." - Exodus 21:24-25.

Many other biblical verses could be cited that teach the same lesson.

Eastern religions such as Hinduism and Buddhism give this idea even more weight. In Sanskrit, the word for this principle is karma. It has been terribly misunderstood in Western nations, in part because it is sometimes taken to extremes, such as not killing an earthworm, yet allowing one’s body to starve for food.

THE LAW IN MODERN DAY LANGUAGE AND IN PHYSICS

Modern slang. The principle of consequences for every thought, word and action is expressed in statements such as:

What you put out, you get back.

What goes around, comes around.

If you dish it out, you must be able to take it, too.

People who live in glass houses should not throw stones.

In physics. In the world of physics, a similar concept is known as the law of conservation of energy. Isaac Newton wrote that, “For every action, there is an opposite and equal reaction.”

Albert Einstein wrote that E=MC². This is also a statement of the conservation of energy and matter. It states that a finite amount of matter will convert to energy and vice versa. This is similar to saying that energy that is expended in a particular way will remain until it is neutralized or changed into something else.

AN ENTIRE PHILOSOPHY OR MORAL IMPERATIVE

If one truly understands the principle above, one soon realizes that it becomes a total moral value system. One should live in such a way as to enrich and assist others and oneself at all times, and strive to avoid harming others or oneself in any manner whatsoever. This becomes one’s guiding rule or prescription for a happy and healthy life on earth.

This is the most critical idea to understand in this article, or, for that matter, in your entire life. With this in mind, for example, one can understand that the Ten Commandments of the bible are but a small subset of this larger moral code. This is why anyone who thinks the Ten Commandments are too hard to follow, or too much to bear, will not like the truth. The truth is the Ten Commandments are just the beginning, if you really want to live healthfully and happily.

This is also why those who hate the bible and its teachings are doomed to failure, eventually. They do not realize that the bible, while perhaps not perfect, contains the seeds of this principle that is a great secret or key to success in every area of life. One may moan and complain, in other words, but one will not succeed if this law is not recognized and made the centerpiece of one’s life. It should be taught to young babies and children, as that is how important it is.

I want to repeat this principle. The law of cause and effect is, in fact, the most important moral imperative and system of morality possible for human beings. There is nothing superior to it. The Ten Commandments and the rest of the bible and other books is but a subset of this law or principle. Another excellent subset of the law is the Golden Rule, which states, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”.

If you truly understand this imperative, you do not need too much else. This is why Jesus said one does not need to read complicated books such as the Jewish Talmudic laws, and so on. These are, in fact, less important, and perhaps confsing and even incorrect if you understand the basic principle that you are responsible for all of your thoughts, words and deeds regarding yourself and everyone else, at all times and places. The lesson is be very careful what you think, say, do or cause others to think, say or do.

USING THE LAW TO GET AHEAD

There are no shortcuts. Understanding the law of cause and effect will help anyone avoid mistakes that waste time, money and energy. For example, many people think it is okay to “jump ahead” financially, socially, professionally, or even spiritually, even if it means trampling upon or violating the rights, possessions, self-esteem or reputation of another. However, the law of cause and effect is clear that such behavior will come back to haunt you at some time, and you will be required to make reparations and amends to all whom you have harmed.

At some point in time, you will have to “backtrack” and undo or make up for your mistake, repent of your error and learn the proper way to behave toward others.

In this sense, there are no easy shortcuts to growing wise and mature and even prosperous. Do not believe anyone who says otherwise. Lessons must be learned, and some will be more difficult than others. As this occurs, success in every area of life comes more easily. This, too, is part of the law of cause and effect. Additionally, while there are no shortcuts, there are ways to use your time wisely. This is discussed near the end of this article.

Do not worry about what other think of you, as long as you are doing the right thing and thinking correctly. If you do this, others will not be able to stop your real progress, no matter what they do. If they decide to burn you at the stake, it is okay in the sense that you are in the right, and justice will be done someday. This is important to understand because it can give one courage and tenacity that is sometimes needed in this physical world. It has inspired the pioneers, the leaders and the brave people for millennia, and it will continue to do so as it is the law.

However, do not go too far and intentionally antagonize or upset others, even when your cause is just. This is a common mistake and perversion of the law of cause and effect. Intentionally acting to anger and upset others is always a form of violence against others. This even includes just “putting yourself in their face”, as it is called. This is never justified or wise. Please be careful about this.

COMMON ERRORS AND CONFUSION IN UNDERSTANDING THE LAW OF CAUSE AND EFFECT

1. The belief that you are in control of the law. This error is most common among “new age” thinkers and individuals. Everything that occurs is taken as a sign, and the person believes they know what it means.

If one finds a parking space in front of one’s favorite department store, this is a sign that this is where one must shop. If it rains when one schedules a picnic, then it must be the law of cause and effect telling us to not have picnics. This begins to become absurd, and can be a sign of mental illness. The law of cause and effect does not usually involve such trivial matters, although it could.

2. The belief in “fate” or pre-determination of suffering. This has been used in the Orient, particularly, and even in the West, to control the population for millennia. The basic way this is done is to say that if one is born poor, for example, that one must “deserve it”. After all, if this were not so, the person would have been born into a wealthy or upper class family. Similarly, those born into royalty “deserve” to be the rulers and “deserve” all their wealth and power because if they did not, they would not have been born into a royal family.

Although there may be a grain of truth to this idea, it does not follow logically from the law of cause and effect. Also, the law does not permit anyone to abuse or take advantage of anyone else, which royalty does all the time. So the entire interpretation or idea of pre-destination is actually wrong.

3. The idea that one must carry guilt and shame forever for one’s past thoughts or behavior. This is also very common. The law says or implies no such thing. In fact, holding on to guilt and shame usually just slows down the absolving or resolving of one’s past.

4. The idea that one must torture, maim or even kill oneself to “make up” for past “sins” or improper thoughts, words or deeds. This is the martyr idea, and is also very popular, even today. Sometimes it is subtle, such as a parent who feels he must give all his money to his children because he did not pay enough attention to them when they were young. A woman may feel she must stay in an abusive relationship because perhaps she had an affair years before. A businessman may think he must work himself to death because he does not provide enough money for his family, and so on.

These people are forgetting that the law states that harming yourself is just as bad as harming another, and perhaps worse, since you usually have more control over what you do to yourself. So martyrdom is always incorrect.

5. The idea that one is just as guilty of a sin if you kill someone in an accident, for example, as if you took out a knife or gun and murdered the person. This is also not true, especially if one was driving or exercising care at the time of the accident. The law is flexible and recognizes circumstances in all cases, in fact. An accidental shooting, maiming or death is not nearly as severe as a deliberate and pre-meditated crime. The motive, circumstances and intent of all parties are taken into account in the law of cause and effect.

6. Confusion between the ideas of “social justice” versus equal justice. Social justice is a radical Marxist idea that some individuals or groups should be treated better or differently than others in society. It is really a form of social engineering. Other names for the same thing are affirmative action, group rights and hate crime legislation. These are identical, and please make no mistake about this. They all mean that people should not be treated equally. Some should have more rights and/or be subject to more lenient rules of conduct than others. This is supposedly to make up for past injustices, or to rearrange society in some way, such as making sure there are more Hispanic people in colleges, for example.

The idea of social justice is always a perversion of the law of cause and effect. The latter does indeed always take circumstances into account. If a person commits a crime out of desperation because he cannot find work due to racial prejudice, for example, this will be taken into account. Earthly judges and juries have always been aware of circumstances, and they are often considered in criminal trials.

However, the problem with social justice, affirmative action, group rights and hate crime legislation is the attempt to force leniency or strange standards upon judges, juries, colleges, corporations, and everyone else. This is taking the idea of circumstances much too far, and always creates reverse discrimination and a new type of tyranny. In other words, one’s skin color, ethnic background or sex alone is not sufficient to determine that he or she should be treated differently from others in most cases.

PROBLEMS IMPLEMENTING THE LAW OF CAUSE AND EFFECT, AND THE PROPER INTENT

At times, it is difficult to know what to do to fulfill your obligations under the law of cause and effect. Here are some tips in these cases:

1. Choose your response carefully. Realize that you cannot control the law of cause and effect, and often cannot control outer circumstances. However, one can and does choose how to respond to all situations.

For example, just a proper intent will often get you through. It means that if you decide first and always that you will just do your best and ask the creator, or God, or the universe for guidance, you will generally be safe, even if you do not always act that wisely.

In other words, try not sink into anger, resentment, despair, regret, anxiousness, depression, guilt or fear. Keep a clear head and proceed swiftly to do your best in the situation. This is usually the best course.

2. Pray about what to do or say. Then watch and listen carefully for answers, as they may come about in odd or unusual ways. Answers may also take time, so do not hurry through situations that are unpleasant, if possible.

3. Maintain your healthful diet and lifestyle as much as possible. This is often critical to keep your head clear and your heart pure. Many people forget to eat well, sleep enough, take their nutrient supplements, and do their healing procedures when facing a difficult decision or situation. This just makes things much worse.

4. Always take time to relax each day. Do not think you must race around and “accomplish” all day long. Rest and relaxation are just as important for everyone, and often help to solve difficult problems and situations as much as , or more than running to and fro.

If possible, meditate using the Roy Masters exercise only. This can also be a great help, in my experience. Doing it while taking a leisurely walk is even better. Be sure you are relaxed and not in a hurry, though.

5. Do not sink into aloneness and loneliness. Seek the counsel of wise, mature people in whatever way you can. You would be surprised how this can solve problems. This may mean consulting professional counselors, attorneys, etc., or it can mean telling a dear friend what you are facing. I have come to believe that whatever problem I have, someone out there would like to and can help me through it. This has proven true, although finding the help one needs can take some time.

6. Do your best to stay positive. This means to make the best of the situation, even if it seems awful. It does not mean to lie by saying that “all is well”. However, it means to keep your head up and your shoulders back, and stay positive as much as you can. Caring for yourself extremely well at these times really helps this effort.

HANDLING SOME DIFFICULT SITUATIONS

The following are situations in which the right behavior may be confusing or difficult to figure out:

If someone attempts to harm you or your children, should you resist and risk harming another person? The answer is almost always - yes.

Is it okay to break the law if doing so seems necessary to protect or overcome some problem? As a general principle, one should attempt to follow the laws of your town, state and nation. Having said this, many laws are poorly designed, and some are actually immoral and not fair at all. There may be times, therefore, when one may be justified in not following the law, especially if your life and the life of your loved ones is at stake.

If you have a choice to take care of yourself first, or to take care of another, when do you choose to care for yourself, as opposed to caring for the other? This situation is common and can be very confusing. In an emergency, such as pulling someone out of a burning car or a fire, a rough guideline is that if you can handle the situation without risking your own death or disability, then help the other first.

However, sometimes another just wishes to take advantage of your kindness in some matter such as money or even just your time. In these cases, the answer depends upon who is involved, and the context of the situation.

If a situation arises in which you can save just one person, but not others, how does one decide whom to assist? Keep your thoughts on asking for guidance always, and save whomever you can without risking your own life, as a general principle. This idea, by the way, applies to physicians and nutritional coaches as well. How do you decide whom to help, and how much time and energy to spend with each person? These are good questions to ponder, and we are all learning in this area. There are no simple answers, except to keep your life balanced so that you maintain your focus and good judgment at all times.

If you have a choice to save an animal species, or to help human beings, which should you choose, as both seem worthy? This one is easy. Save the human beings. It is fine to help save the whales, for example. However, some environmentalists think the world’s problems are due to human beings and would prefer save animals instead of people. This is incorrect. Animals are expendable compared to people – even an entire species of animal. People are never expendable, ever.

The only time to focus on saving an animal species is 1) if that species serves humanity in some way, or 2) if loss of a species would unleash a horrible environmental catastrophe, and this is hard to know in advance. In both cases, the goal is to save the people, not just to save the animals for the sake of saving the species.

If a person is very ill, when should one spend money on heroic measures to maintain the person’s life, instead of spending the money helping other people? This is a difficult decision. In general, most people over the age of about 65 have fulfilled their life purposes and are ready to leave the earth. This may sound very cruel or cold-hearted, but it is true.

In this sense, current welfare programs such as Medicare and similar programs around the world that spend literally billions of precious funds heroically “saving” old, ill people are a waste of money and resources. The money would be far better spent on saving the babies, the mothers-to-be, and the younger people from disease and death. I believe this will be made clear in the near future. I believe all societies must come to grips with this difficult question, beginning with an honest discussion of the problem without name-calling or political rhetoric.

If you have a choice whether to save your own family or group, or to save a group of strangers, whom should you choose? Your own family has certain ties to you. However, at times, strangers also have ties to you and you are best served helping them instead. The answer requires careful prayer and attention.

I mention this situation because many people love their family or tribe, but hate or are afraid of strangers, those of a different social class, a different nation, or a different race. In reality, there are no strangers. All of mankind is one large family. This is what the bible teaches, especially the New Testament. This truth will be taught to the world, I believe, in the near future. It already is being taught via the internet that connects all people, everywhere on earth. In fact, there are no “strangers”, “foreigners” or “aliens” in the entire universe. These are just words and nothing else. In terms of the law of cause and effect, all are related and all interact with each other on equal terms.

What does one do when offered a large sum of money for a job or project when one knows fully that it is not deserved? This can be a very difficult decision, and it happens often. Young people are offered high-paying jobs as lawyers, for example, to work for a corrupt company or a corrupt government agency.

Young women are offered high salaries if they will have sex with the boss. Women are also offered large amounts of money to look sexy, and to tell lies about products on television, for example. They are told it is okay because one must attract the viewers and the product will help some people.

One must be guided by conscience in these matters. Do not lie, do not cheat, and do not steal apply here very closely. Also, do not degrade the body or the mind, as there are always consequences. A rare exception is that if you will be thrown out of your home and onto the streets if you do not take a particular job, then perhaps take the job and stay only as long as you need to stay until you can find a better one. However, in almost all cases, you will be happier and safer living in the streets rather than prostituting yourself.

What does one do if one is in a very unhappy relationship, but you feel obligated to your children, for example, to remain in the relationship? In most cases, as long as the relationship is safe, meaning there is no physical or severe emotional abuse, one should and must stay. They key is not to be selfish in regard to your children, who need a supportive and loving environment that they rarely get when a family breaks up. However, in a few cases staying together is worse, though not often. Prayer and maybe some professional counseling may help clarify the best solution.

If one’s home burns down and all of one’s possessions and money are lost, is it okay to depend on handouts or welfare for a while, or should one always try to survive on one’s own? This is not a hard decision. Never knowingly put yourself in danger. Reach out, and ask for and accept help everywhere you can. Never starve yourself, never live in unsafe surroundings such as a public park, and never endanger your life and your health knowingly. This is a fixed and very important principle of life. Another way I have heard this expressed is to always include yourself in the circle of your love.

These, and similar difficult questions, complicate the implementation of the law of cause and effect. In general, the Western view of this has been to try to preserve one’s own body and integrity, more so than the Eastern interpretation of the law. That is, Western nations have fought wars to defend themselves, for example, whereas in the East some would prefer to die rather than to take another life.

One of these approaches is not necessarily better than another. However, the consequences of these approaches have been quite different. The West has developed advanced technologies. These include horrendous weapons of war such as the atomic bomb. On the other hand, the West has also invented millions of devices that save lives that are much needed in the East, from ways to purify water, for example, to ways to grow more food and build better houses to shelter the people.

So, it has been a trade off. While killing others engenders some consequences, saving lives by the thousands also removes certain hindrances from the ones who do this.

THE PURPOSE OF THE LAW OF CAUSE AND EFFECT IS NOT TO PUNISH, BUT TO ASSIST MANKIND TO MOVE AHEAD FASTER

The purpose of the law is to help mankind grow in maturity, and in this way advance toward greater wisdom, compassion and love for self and others.

In a larger sense, the law of cause and effect is part of the full development of the soul of a human being. This is another key concept in this article that bears repeating. I will say it differently.

One can suffer not so much as punishment. One suffers because the soul wishes to perfect itself. So it must “replay”, “retrace”, “reframe” and “redo” every problem or situation that was handled improperly, until the soul gets it right.

Using the law to your advantage. The key is to set your intent to always think, speak and do what is correct in every situation. If instead of seeking to do what is highest and best, you seek for fame, fortune, power or anything else, it will have negative consequences. This is not a trivial matter, and the same principle has been taught since ancient times in many books and scriptures. The idea bears repeating over and over until everyone understands them. Corruption, tyranny, lording it over others, simple deception, lying, immoral behavior or thoughts, and even exaggeration have no place in a person’s life who wants to move ahead spiritually.

HOW TO PREVENT PROBLEMS AND MOVE BEYOND THE EFFECTS OF YOUR PAST

The law of cause and effect is a force that plays out in everyone’s life. It is a fact on earth and everywhere in the universe, at all times. It is so complex, however, that no one understands it well. Even very knowledgeable people are surprised by it. To live and move quickly within the context of the law, here are steps one can take:

· Minimize your ego in all of your thoughts and activities. This does not mean to be a doormat, allowing everyone to walk over you and abuse you. However, it means to realize that egotistical thinking will get in your way.

· Develop and maintain a strong desire to move beyond your past. This is not the same as a strong belief or even understanding of the law of cause and effect. It is more than this.
It is a strong desire and intent to be all you can be, unhindered by hidden or other forces from the past that would harm you in any way. It is a strong desire to be extremely healthy and aware, and to let go of all influences and situations from the past that would harm you.

· Rest every day. Taking time to relax and rest during the day, for example, can help you stay clear, healthy and centered.

· Discipline your entire day and life. Following a nutritional balancing program is an excellent way to do this, as it forces one to exercise the will and discipline in the important area of food, rest, sex and other areas of life that are often difficult for people.

· Follow a more yang diet and lifestyle with cooked food, meats, eggs and few sweets, no sugars, no wheat, and no poor quality food.

· Seek the truth in everything, especially with guidance, and practice the truth as it is revealed to you.

· Do the Roy Masters meditation with my modification of it to move energy downward with as much force as possible through the body. For more on this topic, read Meditation.

· Drink some open water with your 3 quarts of spring water daily. Read Open Water for more on this topic.

· Obtain more oxygen using an ozonator/ionizer air purifier, and by breathing the freshest and purest air possible. For more about this, read Oxygenation And Healing.

· Learn to truly allow life to unfold around you without much resistance. This way you will move through your past burdens as easily and quickly as possible.

METHODS TO AVOID FOR UNDOING YOUR PAST ACTIONS, WORDS AND THOUGHTS

1. Fasting from food. This method is mentioned often in the bible because it slows people down and helps them to reflect and perhaps think clearly. However, today most fasting is quite harmful. Please do not deprive the body of food for more than a day or two for any reason, and do not deprive the body of any meal on a regular basis, as some religious and health authorities suggest. The food quality today is generally so poor that doing this just damages and demineralizes the body even more. Not only does it not absolve you from your past actions and thoughts, but is an additional insult against your body, which is like another sin. For more on this subject, please read Fasting on this website.

More on fasting. The word fasting can mean “to hold fast to the truth”. This means to stop doing what you were doing improperly. In other words, do the opposite of what you were doing that caused you to err. If you were lying, then fast from telling lies. If you were stealing or cheating, then fast (or hold fast) from stealing or cheating. This is how I suggest understanding the biblical admonition “pray and fast” to be relieved of sins.

2. Torturing or maiming the body or mind. Many people believe they must torture or severely deprive themselves to undo or make up for past bad thoughts or actions. Some decide to live in poverty, for example. Others remain in horrible relationships, or stay in horrible work situation, for example. This is not usually helpful or necessary. Often it is simply self-destructive.

Just “suffering” for your sins does not necessarily absolve you from them. The best way to be absolved from your past actions is to act in the opposite way, but never in a way that damages or even threatens your physical or mental health.

Torturing yourself in some way, and perhaps damaging your physical or mental health, may make you feel less guilty. In fact, this is a common reason people persist in some behaviors or situations. However, assuaging guilt is not the same as acting in an opposite manner to undo your past.

THE CONCEPT OF GRACE

A topic related to the law of cause and effect is that of grace. The usual view of grace is that, at times, even though you may have thought or acted improperly, God may forgive you or have mercy upon you, and this is called grace. It is expressed in the Christian bible as follows:

"By faith we have been made acceptable to God. And now, because of our Lord Jesus Christ, we live at peace with God. Christ has also introduced us to God's undeserved kindness on which we take our stand. So we are happy, as we look forward to sharing in the glory of God." (Romans 5:1-2)

For "all of us have sinned and fallen short of God's glory." But God treats us much better than we deserve, and because of the Christ, he freely accepts us and sets us free from our sins.

Another interpretation of the idea of grace. I am not sure whether grace actually needs to involve suspending the law of cause and effect – as you sow, so shall you reap. Instead, I wonder if Jesus just brought us some advanced healing methods that enhance or speed up healing. Possible ways this works are:

1. Making oneself to follow healing routines and disciplines. Methods such as nutritional balancing may derive a little of their power from this fact, although it is also just a physiological need. It is almost as though one imposes a certain type of suffering upon oneself by eating properly and living properly, and this hastens the absolving of past improper thoughts and actions.

2. Prayer can have a similar effect. This is taught on Christian television by the televangelists, who regularly perform miracles. A miracle of this type is nothing but a speeding up of a healing process, usually of a physical health concern. I am not sure how these work, but the person receiving the healing must be made very receptive and then healing energy of some kind can flow through and change the body very quickly.

I believe this is available to everyone, in theory, but most people are not open to it, perhaps because they are unaware it is available or for other reasons. In other words, it is not really a miracle, but just learning how to use resources that are available, but most people don’t know about them or how to use them because the medical profession does not teach miracles. They use drugs and surgery instead, which is okay but not nearly as fast and much more toxic.

The televangelists basically explain to people that healing is available, if they will just receive it. Having a large group together, and praying and singing together may open the people up to the true possibilities so that when they come up before the preacher, healings can occur with some regularity.

3. Other similar methods. Similar methods are used by shamans, spiritual healers, gurus and others who either possess certain skills and abilities, or help people relax deeply so they can receive the healing that is really open to us all. Hypnotherapists do the same thing using hypnosis, and some counselors do it using other methods of relaxation and therapy. In fact, all healing can be looked upon as a form of grace.

WHO RUNS THE SYSTEM OF CAUSE AND EFFECT, AND HOW DOES IT WORK?

This is an interesting question, whose answer I do not know. However, the system would require that someone or group of beings knows about the thoughts, words and deeds of every person on earth, and then how to balance these. Perhaps it is run by angels, since no earthly authority could do it. Perhaps it is run by beings so amazing and so powerful that we just cannot imagine them.

CONCLUSIONS

This article introduces a large topic that has been written about for thousands of years. A few of the conclusions I have come to about it are:

1. Many people do not understand the law of cause and effect. This is quite obvious to anyone who is thoughtful.

2. If more people understood it, even at a rudimentary level, they would think, speak and behave a lot better. By so doing, they would brighten up the entire planet earth and help everyone to be safer, happier and a lot healthier.

3. I hope this article brings this law to the attention of many more people throughout the world and helps it to be taught to children in school, on the internet and everywhere else.

ADDENDUMS

ADDENDUM I.

THE LAW OF CAUSE AND EFFECT HELPS DEVELOP THE HUMAN WILL

The law of cause and effect demands that one control one’s thoughts, emotions, attitudes, as well as one’s words and deeds. This requires developing the human will. The will is the ability to control the mind and the body and direct it as you wish.

The reason the human will is important to develop is that it is one of the highest expressions of a human being. For more about this interesting related topic, read The Will on this website.

The law of cause and effect, and the will, are similar in some ways. The law of cause and effect is the idea that every thought, word and deed of a person has consequences. Will is the idea that your thoughts, words and deeds can and do have an effect on the world around you. The difference is that will, by itself, is force and power that can be used either to help and to harm others. Learning the law of cause and effect is not only a way to help develop the will. It is also a way to regulate and channel the human will for good, or for love.

ADDENDUM II.

THE LAW OF CAUSE AND EFFECT IN ESOTERIC JUDAISM

Lest anyone believe that the law of cause and effect is just an Oriental religious concept, I will quote from some Jewish religious texts that are very ancient. These texts are part of the Kabbala, an esoteric Jewish religious tradition. According to their understanding, each Jewish soul is reincarnated enough times only in order to fulfill each of the 613 Mitzvot or the 613 good deeds.

The Kabbala also states that the souls of the righteous among the nations may be assisted through gilgulim (the word means the laws of cause and effect) to fulfill their Seven Laws of Noah. For this reason, the law of cause and effect is seen as an expression of Divine compassion, and is seen as a Heavenly agreement with the individual soul to descend again.

This stress on physical performance and perfection of each Mitzvah or good deed, is tied to something called the Lurianic doctrine of Cosmic Tikkun of Creation. This is a more esoteric concept of creation that is shared by esoteric Judaism and the Mayan civilization, for example.

In these newer teachings, a Cosmic catastrophe occurred at the beginning of Creation called the "Shattering of the Vessels" of the Sephirot in the "World of Tohu (Chaos)". The vessels of the Sephirot broke and fell down through the spiritual Worlds until they were embedded in our physical realm as "sparks of holiness" (Nitzutzot).

The reason in Lurianic Kabbalah that almost all Mitzvot involve physical action, is that through their performance, they elevate each particular Spark of holiness back toward its source. Once all the Sparks are redeemed to their spiritual source, the Messianic Era begins. Some say that we are beginning that messianic era now, and so overcoming our past errors in thought, word and deed is most important today. I know this is quite esoteric, but one can read more about it if interested. I include this just to show that the concept of the law of cause and effect is not just a Buddhist idea, but is also a central part of esoteric Judaism and some currents of Christian thought as well.

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