Karma – Morgan O. Smith

Awakening Never Arrives Because It Never Began

A seeker imagines a future moment where everything will break open, where clarity finally dissolves the boundaries that have shaped a lifetime. That imagined moment appears to sit somewhere ahead, waiting to be earned through discipline, suffering, or the slow maturation of wisdom. Yet the entire notion of “ahead” belongs to the dream of becoming. The one who waits is already suspended inside the very awareness they are longing for.

A deeper look reveals something far more radical: awakening does not unfold across time. It is not a culmination of choices, experiences, or lifetimes. It stands as the ground from which all choices, experiences, and lifetimes arise. What feels like progress toward realization is simply the awakened state appearing as movement, as if it were journeying toward itself while never leaving its own source.

Every universe, every branching possibility, every karmic ripple flows from that unshakable presence. No path leads to awakening because awakening generates the paths. A being may feel capable of choosing away from truth, yet that very sensation is part of truth expressing itself as forgetfulness. Even resistance is a shape taken by the same presence that cannot be diminished or delayed.

Karma does not carve a road toward liberation; karma is the motion of reality already awake, already whole. The cycle of birth and death functions as the dream’s choreography, giving consciousness a taste of separation so it can experience the beauty of returning to what never left. The sense of being “unfinished” is simply awareness folding into the appearance of incompleteness for the sake of its own exploration.

Awakening is not the goal of an individual, nor the endpoint of a soul’s journey. It is the condition that makes both individuality and journey possible. Meditation, inquiry, devotion, and hardship do not cause awakening; they are the movements of awakening playing as effort, yearning, and revelation. The river does not create the ocean; it is shaped by it.

From within the illusion of becoming, awakening looks inevitable. From the perspective of the absolute, inevitability is irrelevant because nothing ever fell out of the state it seeks to reclaim. Every lifetime is a reflection of that single truth refracted through time, space, karma, and choice.

Awakening is not the outcome of the cosmos.
Awakening is the reason the cosmos appears at all.

Morgan O. Smith

Get Your Free Copy of My Book, Bodhi in the Brain!

https://subscribepage.io/oTSZQu

Beyond Karma, Beyond Time

The One Who Contains All Things

What you are has never been bound by the actions of the body or the movements of the mind. The deeper truth sits prior to every cause and every effect, untouched by the momentum of karma. What you truly are cannot be located within a timeline, cannot be measured against a sequence, and cannot be confined to any story of becoming. Yet everything that appears within the vastness of existence arises through you.

Karma unfolds because consciousness dreams motion. Space opens because consciousness dreams room for its own expression. Time stretches because consciousness dreams duration to witness itself. These movements are not separate from the one who perceives. They are waves forming and dissolving in the same stillness that has never moved.

When you see this directly, not as a philosophy or a concept, something slips free. The universe no longer appears as a project that began somewhere or will end somewhere. The sense of a starting point dissolves. Nothing was ever born at the level of your deepest nature, yet everything continues to bloom within you. This paradox is not a contradiction; it is the living truth of nonduality. You are simultaneously the presence that is and the silence that reveals is-not.

Karma belongs to the realm of appearance. Awakening reveals the one who sees every appearance without being shaped by any of them. The moment this becomes embodied, the cosmic play becomes transparent; not trivial, not meaningless, but known as an expression rising from the ground of your own boundlessness.

Most teachings attempt to describe this through metaphors, scriptures, or borrowed insights. But direct experience dissolves every teaching. The one who realizes does not repeat someone else’s words; they speak from a clarity that cannot be inherited. That clarity sees the world arise, dance, disappear, and return again, all within a presence that never fluctuates.

This is the mystery: you transcend the entire universe, and yet the entire universe is held within you. Existence and non-existence touch in the depths of your own awareness. That meeting point is not two. It has always been the same field, one continuous reality appearing as countless experiences.

When this truth ignites within someone, everything becomes part of the same divine unfolding; even the desire to awaken, even the teachings themselves, even the act of seeking direct experience. The cosmic play includes the seeker, the found, the teaching, the silence, and the realization that none of these ever stood apart from the one who sees.

Morgan O. Smith

Get Your Free Copy of My Book, Bodhi in the Brain!

https://subscribepage.io/oTSZQu

The Evolution of Karma

From Fear to Freedom

Karma is often spoken of as a simple equation, action and consequence, sowing and reaping, yet its meaning changes dramatically as consciousness evolves. What begins as superstition matures into wisdom, and what once felt like punishment reveals itself as love wearing the mask of correction. Each stage of development reshapes the lens through which karma is seen, shifting from fear-driven obedience to effortless alignment with the infinite.

At the earliest level, karma is pure survival instinct. The world feels hostile and unpredictable, and unseen forces must be appeased to ensure safety. The primitive heart interprets karma as a storm to endure or a curse to lift. As tribes form, rituals emerge, dances, offerings, sacrifices, gestures meant to influence invisible powers. Karma becomes a chant of control: “If I act correctly, the gods will spare me.”

Later, as morality crystallizes, karma transforms into a cosmic scoreboard. The universe appears governed by divine law, rewarding the righteous and punishing the wicked. Good deeds promise heaven; bad ones, rebirth or torment. This view comforts the soul with order but binds it to duality, virtue and sin, reward and penalty. The self remains separate from the whole, forever calculating its balance sheet in the eyes of the divine.

Rational thought then dismantles myth and replaces faith with logic. Karma becomes causality, stripped of mysticism. The mind begins to see that every thought and action has a psychological echo. The focus turns inward: emotional patterns, cognitive biases, behavioral loops. The sacred turns scientific. What was once divine justice becomes neurochemistry and feedback loops. Yet beneath analysis lies the same longing for meaning; a search for the invisible intelligence behind visible consequence.

As empathy expands, karma broadens into a shared field. The suffering of one is recognized as the suffering of all. Ecological, social, and ancestral interdependence reveal a larger moral ecology. Karma is now the pulse of the collective; the planet’s way of balancing itself through the actions of its inhabitants. The desire shifts from being “good” to being whole, from fear of punishment to care for harmony.

Integral awareness sees karma as consciousness refining itself through experience. Every situation, pleasant or painful, becomes a mirror; a feedback loop teaching the self about itself. What was once labeled misfortune becomes medicine. Karma is not something done to us but something expressed through us, a self-correcting rhythm of the universe returning us to coherence.

Beyond even that, karma dissolves. The one who acts and the one who receives the result are seen as the same awareness, dancing within itself. Causality collapses into immediacy. Every moment becomes self-liberated the instant it appears. There is no ledger, no lesson, only the timeless presence expressing as everything. What remains is compassion without motive, action without actor, freedom within form.

Morgan O. Smith

Get Your Free Copy of My Book, Bodhi in the Brain!

https://subscribepage.io/oTSZQu

Illumination of the Soul

Spiritual Enlightenment and Moksha

As seekers on the path of inner wisdom, we often encounter the concepts of spiritual enlightenment and moksha. Both are beacons that promise to guide us out of the darkness of ignorance, yet they are not the same.

Spiritual Enlightenment is a term that has found its roots in the West, heavily influenced by the philosophies and meditative practices of the East. It implies an awakening to a reality that transcends our ordinary experience of self and the universe. The enlightened being sees the interconnectivity of all life, perceives the illusion of the ego, and often experiences profound peace and understanding of the present moment. It’s an expansive realization of consciousness, often accompanied by a deep compassion for all beings.

Moksha, on the other hand, is a Sanskrit word that originates from ancient Indian philosophy and is integral to spiritual traditions like Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. Moksha goes beyond the realization of interconnectedness; it represents the ultimate release from the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth — the wheel of samsara. It is not merely an enlightenment of the mind but a liberation of the soul from the karmic ties that bind it to the physical plane.

The distinction lies in their ultimate goals and the pathways to reach them. Spiritual enlightenment is often seen as a milestone, a significant spiritual awakening that may happen time and again, deepening one’s insight and wisdom. Moksha, however, is the final destination — a state of eternal bliss and cessation of all suffering.

To consider enlightenment and moksha is to dance with the profound mysteries of existence. Are they two different peaks or simply different paths up the same mountain? Perhaps the journey is less about the distinctions and more about the profound transformation each individual undergoes in their quest for the ultimate truth.

In our modern age, where the material often overshadows the spiritual, revisiting these ancient concepts might offer a lens to reevaluate our lives purpose. Whether we seek enlightenment or moksha, the essence of our search is a testament to the human spirit’s unyielding quest for the absolute.

And so, we continue to explore, meditate, and live virtuously, with the hope that whether through enlightenment or moksha, we may all find our way to that which we most deeply yearn for — peace, understanding, and liberation.

Morgan O. Smith

Yinnergy Meditation & My Book, Bodhi in the Brain…Available Now!

https://linktr.ee/morganosmith

The Infinite Dance of Karma

The Cosmic Web of Cause and Effect

Karma – a concept that has intrigued minds for ages, symbolizes the infinite dance of cause and effect. It is the fundamental fabric that weaves our actions into the cosmic narrative. Rooted in ancient philosophies, karma isn’t merely a spiritual notion but a universal truth, pointing towards the intertwined reality that everything is connected, directly or indirectly. Our every action, no matter how minuscule, sends ripples across the universe, affecting the self and the collective in ways seen and unseen.

But what exactly is karma? It’s often simplified as the law of moral causation, but its essence runs much deeper. It encompasses every action, and every movement that has ever occurred, is occurring and will occur in the universe. It’s not just a human-centric concept but a universal truth. Every cause sets forth a chain of effects which in turn become causes for further effects. The ceaseless cycle of cause and effect is the cosmic dance of karma.

Imagine the simplicity yet profundity of a heartbeat. With each beat, blood circulates, carrying oxygen and nutrients that sustain life. This seemingly automatic act is karma in motion, a fundamental action upon which the rhythm of life dances.

Now expand this lens outward to include the actions and interactions of all beings, the movement of planets, and the birth, and death of stars. Each of these is both a cause and an effect, weaving an intricate web of karma. The notion that the rotation of the earth around the sun, the drifting of galaxies, and even the cataclysmic explosion of the Big Bang are knots in the vast net of karma evokes a humbling perspective on our existence. It’s not only our deliberate actions that contribute to this cosmic choreography but the natural, involuntary actions and the colossal, unfathomable cosmic events too.

In this boundless network of action and reaction, the dichotomy of good and bad karma surfaces. Our perception of karma is often clouded by our limited understanding and the immediate repercussions we experience. What may seem like bad karma resonating from our actions might open doors of opportunities for another or perhaps, contribute to a larger cosmic narrative that we are yet to comprehend. The notion of good and bad is, after all, a human construct, an attempt to make sense of the vast, intertwined chaos that is the universe.

Every challenge, every serendipity, each misfortune, and stroke of luck, are threads in the cosmic tapestry of karma. Our actions, regardless of their nature, contribute to the greater narrative, pushing the boundaries of our understanding, and urging us to reflect on our place in this infinite dance of karma.

Understanding karma transcends the simplistic moral scales; it’s about recognizing our cosmic interconnectedness and the eternal, beautiful, and sometimes terrifying dance of cause and effect. As we tread along our individual and collective journeys, may we become more mindful of the ripples our actions send across the cosmic sea, contributing to the harmonious symphony of existence?

Morgan O. Smith

Yinnergy Meditation & My Book, Bodhi in the Brain…Available Now!

https://linktr.ee/morganosmith

The Ouroboros of Samsara

An Endless Cycle of Self-Inflicted Suffering

The universe is filled with symbols that describe the cyclical nature of existence. One of the most captivating is the concept of ‘Samsara’ from Eastern traditions and ‘Ouroboros’ from ancient civilizations. While they emerge from different cultural contexts, they bear striking resemblances, encapsulating the endless cycle of birth, death, and rebirth and the continuous loop of life-consuming itself.

### Samsara: The Wheel of Existence

Samsara, derived from Sanskrit, signifies the cyclical process of birth, death, and rebirth. It’s a fundamental concept in Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jainism. Many Eastern spiritual practices aim to break free from this relentless cycle and attain enlightenment or Moksha. Why? Because Samsara is not just about rebirth – it’s about suffering. Every birth brings with it aging, sickness, and ultimately, death. The attachments, desires, and ignorance in life lead to actions (karma) that bind us to this wheel, causing endless suffering.

### Ouroboros: The Eternal Circle

The Ouroboros is an ancient symbol depicting a serpent or dragon eating its own tail. Found in many cultures, from ancient Egypt to the indigenous traditions of the Americas, it’s emblematic of the eternal cyclical nature of the universe. Creation out of destruction, life out of death. Just as the snake sheds its skin only to be reborn, life continually renews itself even as it ends.

### Biting One’s Tail: The Self-Caused Suffering

The fascinating aspect of the Ouroboros is the act of the snake biting its own tail. It’s a voluntary act of self-consumption, symbolizing self-reflection and the cyclical nature of things. But what if we viewed this act as a representation of self-inflicted suffering, much like the karmic traps in Samsara?

Every time we hold onto grudges, indulge in harmful habits, or remain ignorant of our true nature, we bite our own tail. We become both the cause and the recipient of our suffering. And just like the snake cannot see beyond its circular path, we often find it challenging to envision a life beyond our self-inflicted pain.

### Breaking the Cycle

While these symbols might paint a bleak picture of existence, they also offer hope. Just as the cycle of Samsara can be broken through enlightenment, the Ouroboros signifies rebirth and renewal. But this requires self-awareness.

By recognizing the patterns of our actions, understanding the roots of our desires, and embracing self-reflection, we can begin to release our grip on our own tails. This doesn’t mean the cessation of life’s challenges, but rather an enlightened approach to them, devoid of self-inflicted suffering.

In conclusion, Samsara and the Ouroboros serve as profound reminders of the cyclical nature of existence and the potential pitfalls of living unconsciously. They beckon us to awaken, to understand our role in our suffering, and to seek paths that transcend these ancient cycles. As we navigate the journey of life, may we always strive to understand the deeper meaning behind these symbols and find the courage to let go of our tail.

Morgan O. Smith

Yinnergy Meditation & My Book, Bodhi in the Brain…Available Now!

https://linktr.ee/morganosmith

The Veils of Maya

Navigating Illusion in the Quest for Truth

The labyrinthine nature of existence, adorned with its pleasures and pitfalls, has been a subject of deep contemplation for ages. At the heart of many philosophical inquiries in Hinduism lies the enigmatic concept of ‘Maya’. Far from being a mere illusion, Maya reveals layers of truth, each pointing towards an understanding of the universe and our place in it.

**The Cosmic Dance of Prakriti and the Three Gunas**

Imagine the universe as a grand stage, with Prakriti, the primal nature, as the backdrop. From this vast expanse springs forth everything we see, feel, and experience. Yet, what gives rhythm to this cosmic dance?

Enter the Three Gunas – Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas. These are not just passive qualities but dynamic forces shaping our experiences. The serenity of a tranquil lake embodies Sattva, the turbulence of a storm epitomizes Rajas, and the still darkness of the night echoes Tamas. Together, they create a spectrum of experiences in our lives.

**The Individual’s Tryst with Ignorance**

Closer to our personal experience is Avidya, the fog of ignorance clouding our perception. Under its influence, we misidentify with our transient selves, overlooking the eternal essence within. It’s like mistaking the waves for the vast ocean.

In this state, we are ensnared by Karma, the ever-entwining web of action and consequence. The Kleshas, those tormenting afflictions, further deepen our entanglement. Desires and aversions play tug-of-war, with the ego stoking the flames.

**The Divine Masquerade**

But is Maya merely a cosmic error or a deceptive trap? Not necessarily. Maya, when seen as the divine power or Shakti, becomes the grand choreographer of the universe’s dance. It’s a divine play, a Leela, where the One chooses to manifest as many, experiencing itself through myriad forms.

**Beyond Duality: The Advaita Perspective**

The school of Advaita Vedanta offers a profound insight. It suggests that beneath the multiplicity lies a singular truth, the Brahman. Maya, in this view, is the sublime artist crafting the many from the one, making the undivided appear divided.

**Conclusion: The Play and Beyond**

Maya, far from being a mere illusion to discard, becomes a lens to navigate our existence. It offers lessons, challenges, and experiences, pushing us to question, understand, and ultimately transcend.

In the dance of Maya, we are both the dancer and the audience. The key lies in recognizing the play, enjoying its beauty, and seeking the truth beyond the performance. In this quest, we don’t just find answers about the universe, but also about ourselves.

Morgan O. Smith

Yinnergy Meditation & My Book, Bodhi in the Brain…Available Now!

https://linktr.ee/morganosmith

Reincarnation Unfolding

The Mystical Dance of Life at the Subatomic Scale

Reincarnation is often conceived as a cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. This process, however, is not confined merely to the level of an individual’s life journey, but also at a minute, an invisible scale that continuously unfolds within us.

The human body is composed of about 37 trillion cells, with each one possessing its lifecycle. Old cells die and new ones are born in a ceaseless symphony of life. Every second, millions of cells in your body reincarnate, dying and then being reborn anew. This minute cycle mirrors the grandeur of the reincarnation concept, challenging us to rethink what it means at the fundamental level.

To delve deeper, each cell consists of molecules, atoms, and subatomic particles, each undergoing their cycles of transformation. These minuscule particles don’t die or are born in the traditional sense, but rather transform, changing their states, swapping places, decaying, and then being reincarnated into different particles. From this viewpoint, reincarnation becomes a ubiquitous process that is playing out at every moment.

In light of this perspective, where does the soul reside? Is it just in the whole or also in the parts? If we consider the soul as the essence of life and consciousness, then every cell, every molecule, and even every atom has a part of this essence. This soulful essence, then, is constantly dying and being reborn, experiencing its cycle of reincarnation at a cellular, molecular, and atomic level.

Then arises the concept of karma, a law of moral causation. Can it apply at a subatomic level? At first glance, it might seem improbable. After all, karma is about action and consequence, and cells or atoms don’t have agency in the same way humans do.

However, if we think of karma less as moral action and more as causality, things start to take shape. Each cell’s fate—its health, its functioning, its lifespan—is determined by previous actions, or karmas, at the molecular and atomic levels. These actions could be genetic expressions, protein formations, or even quantum fluctuations.

Molecular karma plays out in the creation of proteins, cellular karma in the orchestration of life processes, and atomic karma in fundamental interactions. The sum of all these karma of parts can even influence the karma of the whole, impacting our health, our mind, and our life.

Through this lens, the concept of reincarnation and karma expands beyond a spiritual or religious doctrine and becomes a fundamental principle of life, from the grand scale of human existence to the tiny dance of atoms.

Thus, the journey of life and death is not a one-time event; it is a constant process. Every moment, we are dying and being reborn, at various levels of our existence. Our karma, too, is being created, fulfilled, and carried forward at these multiple levels. Such a realization can provide us with a profound perspective on life, death, reincarnation, and karma, reminding us of our intricate connection with the cosmos.

This understanding, although awe-inspiring, is only the tip of the iceberg. The philosophical implications are profound, leaving us to ponder the mysterious dance of life and death that is taking place within us, every moment, at every level.

Morgan O. Smith

Yinnergy Meditation & My Book, Bodhi in the Brain…Available Now!

https://linktr.ee/morganosmith

The Spiritual Development Design Theory

Life as a Path to Enlightenment

From the moment of our conception until our final breath, each of our experiences – no matter how mundane or extraordinary – holds the potential for spiritual growth. This is the core tenet of the Spiritual Development Design Theory (SDDT), which proposes that our lives are intrinsically designed to guide us toward spiritual enlightenment.

Under the purview of SDDT, every aspect of life is purposefully orchestrated. Even before we are born, the cultural, familial, and societal beliefs that will shape our existence lay waiting to impart the spiritual roadmap that will guide us on our journey.

Consider the simple act of brushing your teeth, making your bed, or even sipping your morning coffee. Mundane? Perhaps. But under the lens of SDDT, these everyday routines become spiritual exercises in disguise, avenues to develop discipline, patience, humility, compassion, and gratitude.

Think of the wide array of traditions, cultures, and practices around the globe. Despite their apparent differences, SDDT sees them as different paths leading up the same spiritual mountain, offering varied yet equally valuable lenses through which to interpret the spiritual world.

In SDDT, the changing of the seasons is more than just a shift in weather. Each transition mirrors the spiritual journey itself, echoing the cycle of birth, growth, decay, and rebirth that underpins many spiritual belief systems.

And what about our careers, hobbies, and pastimes? SDDT invites us to consider how these pursuits can either distract us from or contribute to our spiritual growth, depending on our levels of conscious engagement. They can serve as opportunities for creative expression, societal contribution, and purpose fulfillment, thereby aiding spiritual development.

Our relationships, too, are significant under the SDDT. Each person we interact with is seen as a mirror, reflecting aspects of our spiritual selves back at us. These relationships can act as catalysts for our growth, pushing us toward a deeper spiritual awareness.

But what of our possessions? The SDDT acknowledges that they can either be chains that bind us or tools that free us, depending on our attachment to them. It gently nudges us towards the wisdom of detachment, reminding us that true fulfillment comes from within.

SDDT also embraces the fluidity and constant shifting of roles and perspectives throughout our lives. These fluctuations serve as spiritual lessons, pushing us to become more empathetic, compassionate, and understanding of the interconnectedness of life.

Ultimately, the Spiritual Development Design Theory proposes a radical idea: that our journey from cradle to grave is an intricate spiritual odyssey, where every experience is a stepping stone towards the ultimate goal – spiritual enlightenment. This perspective challenges us to approach each day, each encounter, and each challenge as an opportunity for spiritual growth, casting our lives in a profoundly transformative light.

Our journey to enlightenment is a personal path that we all navigate differently. But the understanding that every moment holds the potential for spiritual development is a universal insight that can enrich every life. This is the power and promise of the Spiritual Development Design Theory. So, what spiritual lesson will you uncover today?