We often hear about karma and think,
"My karma is all about me."
And it indeed is personal,
At least to a certain degree.

But when we think of all life forms
And how we interact,
Karma's a much, much grander thing--
Unfathomable, in fact.

Societies have karma, too.
Let THAT idea gel.
And all the nations on this earth
Have their karmas as well.

Because of causes and conditions
All of us are here,
Inhabiting a planet that
Resembles a giant sphere.

What we do affects other people
In ways we can't always know.
And we are currently reaping what
Was sown long ago.

But karma, instead of being a system
Of punishment or reward,
Is more just knowing that consequences
Should not be ignored.

We can't undo the past; we can't
Change it in any way.
What we CAN be mindful of
Is how we behave today.

Therefore, it's incumbent on us
To think everything through.
Mindfulness should always influence
All that we say and do.

The karmas of all living things are so
Intricately intertwined,
That trying to understand the connections
Boggles the human mind.

-by Bob B (4-26-24)