Karma
is a word that people have often heard, but how many truly know the
meaning? It can be explained simply as cause and effect.
This concept originated in ancient India and has been a part of Hindu
and Buddhist philosophies. The law of karma ensures that past
actions of a person affect their present and future experiences,
including their future lives. Both Hinduism and Buddhism combine
karma with reincarnation. Karma affects not just this life in the
future, but future lives as well. The actions you commit have
consequences for both yourself and others. Karma should not be
seen as purely individual. Karma is universal and involves the
whole world. The consequences of your actions could affect more
than just you.
Heather and Jessica were seated on the couch watching old
western movies with their Grandfather. Heather and Jessica were
cousins and only seven months apart. They were very close and had
grown up practically sisters. Now, they were days away from being
sent to Afghanistan. They had decided to enlist in the Army
together and were now prepared to fight for their country.
"Grandpa, you're old and wise, right?" Jessica asked.
"Well, I'm wise, but I wouldn't say I'm old. I've just got a
couple years under my belt," he responded.
"Can you tell us some stories from when you were in the war?
I think it will help us understand what you've been through
and prepare us for what is to come," Heather
requested.
"What? Are you writing a book?" he asked. They all
laughed. Grandpa Beeney was an old soul with a young heart.
He loved his granddaughters more than life itself and he wasn't
prepared to watch them go. "There are some stories I heard
while I was stationed in India during World War II. These stories
have stuck with me and truly had an impact on my life. I think it
would be important for you to hear them and learn from them. It
helps to teach us that our actions have consequences and sometimes
those consequences affect others as well as ourselves."
Grandpa Beeney was 78 years old, but he still claimed to be
29. The girls moved closer to hear the
wisdom that he wanted to share. He had been sick for a while now
and the girls knew this might be the last time that they would get to
see him
and spend time with him. He might not be able to make it as long
as
they were stationed overseas. They wanted to learn as much as
they could and enjoy his company. He was a great storyteller."
As we listen to the stories he tells, make sure to keep in mind
the concept of karma. What goes around comes around and sometimes
it's not pretty. For every action there is a reaction and it's
often the opposite of what we hoped. We get through the day
knowing that everything happens for a reason and that sometimes you're
the bug and sometimes you're the windshield. Since these girls
are headed off to war and their Grandfather lived through it, we will
look at the stories of warriors from the Mahabharata. We will
read about Karna, his decision to lie, and the consequences he had to
face because of his lie. These consequences unfortunatley reared
their ugly head during a most unforuntate time during battle. We
will also read about Yudhishthira, his brothers, and their
decisions. Instead of making a logical decision from what they
saw, most of them decided to proceed with little caution. Would
you make the same mistake? Let's read on.
