Moonrise 13Moon Digital Magazine Volume 1, Number 9 - October 13, 2015 | Page 29

good or bad. Karma, to my way of thinking
is the sum of results. It’s continually being
contributed to and so, ultimately Karma
represents your ultimate character.
Dharma, on the other hand, is more
concrete. It looks at the truth of one’s
existence – what makes up the essential
core of your being. It is more concerned
with what lessons you are learning in the
here and now. Another way to look at it is
to ask yourself, what is it that makes you
authentic? How is authenticity represented
in your life?
And, for the sake of clarity, please know
that there are any number of differing
interpretations of these two terms,
depending on one’s worldview. I’m not
here to argue for or against one school of
thought, but rather to let you make your
own determination.
I’m simply providing information. If you
want to know more, there are many
reputable sources to scour for in-depth
information.
If you haven’t already verbalized the
fact – life as you knew it… has changed…
substantially. The person you were is no
more. The person you believed you were
becoming is… well, pretty much a work in
progress.
The reason for the uncertainty is because
you can spend a lifetime working to
untangle the threads of your life and what
you are really here to accomplish. When
we first arrive, as babies in our parents’
arms, we know what we’re here to do,
but due to the laws of nature… we quickly
forget. As we grow up and mature, we
move farther and farther away from
our universal connection. And for some
of us, one day we awaken with a new

understanding that life as we thought we
understood it, just doesn’t exist.
In that awakening, there is a stirring
within that causes us to go back to the
beginning. To un-think everything we’ve
been taught and open to a new way of
being and living. We are forced – maybe
that’s too strong a word – to examine
our own truths. Oftentimes it requires us
to deconstruct our memories, as well as
imaginatively translate our dreams and
thoughts.
We have to go back to the building blocks
and determine what makes intuitive
sense. Once we begin finding hints, we can
allow ourselves to be guided along as the
journey proceeds forward. It’s only when
we hesitate, lapse back into unproductive
habits and practices, and/or succumb to
fear that we find ourselves trapped.
If we stick to the path set out and begin
living and experiencing the lessons, we
uncover more clues and new pathways
that connect the past (karma) to our
present (dharma).
Want to know the truth? In a nutshell,
the answer is different for everyone. The
question can be asked a million ways
and you will find a million answers. It’s a
private journey. The landscape may look
the same, but the paths we take from here
to there will differ in complexity, length,
endurance and the list goes on and on.
It’s really about determining whether
or not we have responded to the
accumulation of karma and whether the
truth of our present lives (dharma) is
representative of who we truly are – from
the inside out.
Be authentic!
Moonrise

October 2015

Page 29