Don’t we all punish ourselves when we have hurt another? Whether verbal or physical, psychic or mental, when we send negative energies to someone else creates harm. Remember when the elders admonished children with “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything.” Being harmless goes beyond saying nothing, although that’s a start. For those who see the auric field (the bio-electromagnetic field around the body), the damage from a negative thought form is clear. The mere thought of something negative leaves a person like a dark, dirty ball of disgust, travels to the intended recipient, and explodes in that person’s auric field. It is then absorbed into the person’s field, creating energy blockages … and creating damage.
Then the concept of Karma kicks in: everything one does to another is returned (and generally three times worse in intensity). The more intentional the damage, the greater the karmic retribution. We harm others because we think they are deliberately working against us, attacking us, and maybe they are. If they really intend to harm us, it is because they are directly afraid of us or because they are afraid that someone else will harm them if they do not persecute us. Either way, the perpetrator of the damage will eventually get the lesson back, and the lesson will always be perfect for that person. The karmic return is not to punish, but to teach us how to be better human beings. When we hurt and suffer, at some point we realize how much pain we have caused others by our own actions.
The dangerous point is to realize that we ourselves have caused harm; Countless people throughout the centuries have been trapped in the stage of self-loathing. Listen people: the constant blows to the chest while muttering ‘mea culpa’ do nothing but bruise the chest. To obtain forgiveness one must give sorry-me first. How to forgive and obtain forgiveness will be discussed elsewhere; for now, how about we think about not creating harm in the first place?
Begin by ending the day by contemplating any actions that have caused harm, both to yourself and to others. Go over the day in your mind and carefully observe each exchange; Think about how it could have been handled better. Decide that next time you will act differently … harmlessly. Consider the things you do to yourself as well; calling yourself derogatory names fits into this field of thought. Decide to take a break and think before you act next time. For those who meditate regularly, focus on all harm and harmless permutations (which will keep you busy for about a year). This attention to ending harmful behaviors will help raise awareness in ways that are rarely imagined. To practice harmlessness is to learn to forgive and love yourself.
© 2010 Dr. Valerie Olmsted All rights reserved
