By Dr. Jonathan Isibor.
A certain friend of mine used to fondly say to me: “Hey Joe, life is serious business; you got to understand it and live it well”.
In reply to his jokes I would simply say “Sure, life poses so many questions begging for answers and explanations”.
Who knows, perhaps this is why Socrates once said, “The unexamined life is not worth living.”
It is common knowledge that many persons endure a miserable rough ride along the path of life; while some appear to enjoy all the good fruits of their labour.
Some react violently and vent their anger on society whether or not they realize that by so doing they compound the problems of life and living for themselves.
Yet others resign themselves to fate, waiting patiently like the proverbial dog that waits for the crumbs to fall from his master’s table.
In my youthful days, I had entertained several challenging questions in my mind; questions which seemed unanswerable.
I had wondered whether or not God punishes anyone for his or her sins, especially when it is said that God is a merciful father.
Does the same God love one individual and aid him to make a huge success in life and at the same time make life’s experiences unbearable for another, visiting him or her with sufferings of untold magnitude?
My curious mind, however, was without doubts that the entire creation was not a purposeless event.
As I probed further, I became convinced that nothing happens by chance, and that there is always a cause for everything that occurs in one’s life.
Many sacred books have admonished man to “Do unto others as he would want others do unto him” for “As man sows, so also shall he reap.”
These, indeed, are very profound statements! Certainly, the purpose of living and the effects of man’s actions in fulfilling this purpose are regulated faithfully, impartially and unfailingly by natural and spiritual laws.
Do we live again? In examining this question let us imagine certain circumstances in life which sometimes are real and do occur.
The first situation to be considered is that of a person with a humble and deeply religious upbringing and who, through dint of hard work, has become world acclaimed for his altruistic service to humanity and his immediate community.
But alas, his life is suddenly cut short in a ghastly car accident, with the other three occupants surviving! Now, my question.
When and where will this deceased person receive his rewards for the good deeds done while he was alive?
Again, here is another individual known for his notoriety and criminal activities in his community. He continues to live in affluence until he passes on at a very ripe age.
If one reaps what he sows as the law relates, when will this individual receive commensurate repercussion for his reckless life? Would he just go scot-free?
Is it not justifiable and logical to reason or believe that divine justice would require that he comes back to life someday to right his wrongdoings? Or does natural justice consider age, status, race or wealth in its operation?
It is common knowledge that a convicted criminal who is alive is sent to prison to serve his jail term.
Oftentimes I hear some persons claim that a criminal such as the one earlier described will be sentenced to “hell” to atone for his misdeeds. I have kept on wondering about the location of “hell” in this created universe!
Reflecting further, one may want to wonder and ask where on earth precocious children of four years of age obtain their astounding knowledge and education from.
Could this feat have been made possible as a result of some schooling had in their present lifetime, or is this privileged ability the result of some stored information that has suddenly registered in their consciousness from previous accumulated knowledge from a past life?
It is a statement of fact that humans are the most evolved of God’s creatures here on earth.
Created with a mortal physical body and an immortal soul, man is endowed with Consciousness and Free will.
Armed with these gifts, man sojourns this beautiful and richly endowed earth, learns the lessons of life and expand his consciousness as he progresses along the spiritual ladder of life; the ultimate being perfection or enlightenment through personal realization of our identity in and with God.
God, in His infinite mercy, expects this growth in consciousness on the part of all created beings, because we are His Divine expression here on earth.
If perfection is the ultimate, how possible is this an achievable goal within just one earthly life?
This is where I find the law of Karma and the doctrine of Reincarnation perfectly plausible in explaining the causes and effects of human actions in the course of living.
What then do these laws mean? What facts of life do they represent? Are they punitive in their operations?
The Law of Karma:
Simply stated, Karma is the law of action and reaction which guides consciousness. Sir, Isaac Newton (1642 1727), mathematician, physicist, a Rosicrucian mystic and one of the foremost scientific intellects of all time, postulated that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.
The metaphysical expression of this law is that Karma relates that no matter how insignificant you think your action may be, once taken it is projected out into the cosmos and eventually returns to the individual with equal power.
This alone is enough cautionary measure for us all such that everyone must watch what he or she does or says!
It is interesting to note also that just as there is individual Karma, there is also collective Karmic justice affecting families, communities, nations etc.
Therefore, it behooves us all to live our life well in our present state so as to resolve our past negative Karma, and will simultaneously be creating positive Karma for the future.
Viewed from this perspective therefore, there is really no good and bad Karma. There is only self – created experience that gives us the opportunity for spiritual refinement and growth. (To be continued).
Dr. Jonathan Isibor is an Associate Professor of Microbiology at Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Edo State of Nigeria. He can be reached at: joe_isibor@yahoo.com
