“Urban Shaman” has the first article about ‘Karma’ that does not make me feel hopeless. Thank you Serge Kahili King.

“One common western tradition holds that you are rewarded in this life for obeying specific
social or religious rules and punished in this life for breaking those rules, no matter how long ago you obeyed them or broke them nor whether or not anyone was there to see you do it.

My interpretation of the above s about the damage to humanity caused by unhealthy festering guilt. I can’t understand why religion for such a long time insists on dis-empowering believers as though forgiveness does not exist. Of course Catholics will insist on confession.

“Another more modern western tradition lays the praise or blame for your present attitude, action and circumstances on heredity and your early social environment. The implication is that you were shaped by forces beyond your control and cannot be held responsible fr what your genes, your parent or society did to you.”

I cannot subscribe to the above belief because I don’t believe in victimhood nor martyrdom.

Steve Jobs and Wayne Dyer are glorious examples of “Now is the moment of power.” Both had childhoods that could have prevented them from becoming who they turned out to be.

“The Shaman tradition…says:”… the past did not give you what you have today”.

“It is your beliefs, decisions, and actions today about yourself and the world around you that give you what you have today and what make you what you are.”

“Your environment and circumstances in this moment are the direct reflections of your mental and physical behavior in this moment.”