How is free will related to the karma cycle?

 

Karma is so largely interpreted as something negative. Instead of understanding what it is, people fear it; not knowing that you are already stuck in a cycle. You repeatedly do the same actions every day and reap the same karma for it. You have to acknowledge it and take certain actions to be fully accountable for it and slowly heal. Karma is not some punishment-reward cycle but rather its cause and effect. It’s the basis of all existence. It doesn’t distinguish our actions as good or bad or judge us on any moralistic categories. Karma literally means that you will reap the effects of your actions. Sometimes when you eat something unhealthy, you might face the repercussions instantly or in a day. It may also happen that you may see its effects after 10 years. But, you will not remember why it happened and you may associate the consequence with something happening at that time and think about karma wrongly. So what you need to do here is step back and see where you are going wrong and know that you change it. What does our ‘free will’ have to do here? We choose to call karma fate when our own actions become so hard-wired in our brain that it becomes a habit and eventually shapes our personality because of which we see its effects. So what if we just know how to get rid of those habits we’ve embedded in our brains all our life. What if we could willingly take efforts to detach ourselves from our old habits. Firstly, Realize– that you are the director of your destiny. This law of cause and effect operates on all 3 life levels: physical, mental, and energy. One who addresses these levels doesn’t run away from it but enters where it really is- deep down in yourself. And that’s when Karma has no hold over us. How to use this free will for our benefit? Be present at the moment- When we live each moment totally, we recognize where we are limiting ourselves and change our behaviors accordingly for changed results. Movement- Moving your body with any form of physical activity will ensure dissolving body karma. Because sitting is like smoking- a slow killer! Meditate– Physical aim of meditation will create a distance between us and our physical, mental, and energy bodies. Once we get away from our mental body, we’re set free. Remind yourself that you can change your karma and that you are not your acquired identity. With this truth, you will be reborn daily.