Realising the Philosophy of Karma

The philosophy of karma has intrigued me. Yet, I could never accurately place it. As humans, our spiritual inclinations often make us wonder about the purpose of our existence.

And today, unexpectedly, something clicked.

As someone who notices energy and its transformation, I believe that souls are energy. After death, this energy transforms. Maybe it becomes a being with its own work to do, something unfinished from a previous life. In that sense, whatever form we take, that becomes our karma.

But if the soul’s work is done, it probably takes the form of stillness - like a quiet presence, a flicker of light, the wind, the air we breathe. So, if there’s something left to resolve, a block to overcome, it’s reincarnated into a form that will experience whatever it needs to, to complete the energetic design.

No wonder we feel like a pawn in the grand scheme of existence

All along, we may have misunderstood karma. While it may seem like life is teaching us a lesson at a personal level (rightfully so), it isn't. Maybe our life experiences are the energy transformation required to complete the energetic loop.

Maybe it feels complex and deeply emotional, because we’re human: evolved, creative beings who love stories. We narrate our experiences, give them meaning, and shape them into lessons. But how can we ever look at the world objectively when we’ve only ever known it through our own subjectivity?

I think karma isn’t moral, or even personal. Maybe it’s just energy moving through many forms - and us, with our stories and sensitivities, are how it feels itself move.

The Weight of Should Be, Should-Have-Beens

As humans, we collectively struggle with the idea that some of our experiences should have unfolded in a certain way - that if only things unfolded as per the scene in our minds, it would have been ideal and everything would have worked to our advantage.

But this idea is just another way we attempt to exert control over an experience that can't be.

Our growth rarely emerges from what seems ideal in our minds. It emerges from the unknown, from the moments that threaten to break us down. Often these experiences feel unfair, even undeserved, yet they become the base of our strength and conviction. They shape the way we show up in the world.

No matter what direction I might have wanted my experiences to go in, they wouldn't have. Because then, not only would I not have become the person I am now, but also, life does not work as per our whims.

But that's the thing - when we fight too hard for an alternate storyline, we miss the wisdom of the one we’re actually living.

Moving through life, I see more clearly how little we can harness control over—especially time, and the way it all unfolds.

Sure, another path may have spared us heartache in this moment, but who’s to say what other pain might have accompanied it? Our minds deem one version “better,” but life often knows otherwise.

Maybe, the most spiritual, rather, the most human thing we can do is meet what unfolds in front of us with humility and grace. To remember that our current experience is not an obstacle, but the exact ticket we need to move into the next phase of our life.

Take it lightly, take it easy. One step, then the next. Walking with life, rather than against it, as it unfolds for us.

What it Means to Keep Low Expectations

The place of really low - or even no expectations is a surprisingly nice place to be. You simply have no idea of what's coming. Even when - especially when - everyday life feels the same.

The absence of expectation creates space for something new to emerge instead. It becomes a space of the unknown to easily flow through. Or, it simply becomes a space where the universe smooths its flow.

This is not necessarily an external event. Rather, it becomes a mindset with which we perceive any circumstance.

Maybe the issue isn't the expectations themselves, but their intent.

For example, when we place expectations on people, circumstances and the future, these often feel unrealistic because those are the aspects on which we can't claim control.

However, when we place expectations on the attitude with which we show up, or the boundaries we choose to assert, that becomes a fairer ground. These kinds of expectations refine the way we engage with the unknown, while keeping us anchored in our values and our sense of self.

Similarly, expectations around personal goals can be helpful. But the problem arises when we associate stringent timelines or treat them like mechanical checkpoints. These expectations don’t honour the organic nature of growth and transformation. They might eventually feel unrealistic.

You see, life rarely plays out the way we have imagined. The process always differs. It's never linear, the way our mind maps them out. However, when we keep our minds open, allowing the universe to shape us into the person we are destined to become, we find ease in accepting the changes asked of us.

Even when those changes call for letting go of old habits, patterns, or even entire identities.

In this openness, expectations don’t vanish; they transform. They shift from trying to control what’s outside us to guiding how we move within.

On Spirituality

From what I understood back then, spirituality looked a lot like leaving behind a materialistic lifestyle and setting up a life in the hills away from humanity.

It seemed tied to extreme minimalism and a perfectionist approach to personal growth. It was about aiming for a one-time, all-encompassing breakthrough, one that would immunise us from the physical world of illusions. It was about transcending oneself to the point where one floats above it all. It was just another competition.

In some spaces, especially within the manifestation and law of attraction circles, I’d hear phrases like “ignore the 3D”. The focus was on vision, on mastering the art of attraction, on unlocking the hidden codes of the universe. It almost felt like a cosmic hackathon, as these coaches claimed to be the developers of destiny.

I had some plans for myself, while life had other plans for me.

In this journey, I realised that spirituality wasn't about escaping life or controlling outcomes. It was about learning to meet reality as it is, rather than what I wished it would be.

As I tread this new realisation, I see spirituality as something dynamic. It is evolving - redefining itself based on where we are in life. There's never just one lesson or breakthrough - not for us, and not even for others.

Spirituality isn't an aesthetic.

It's not an identity.

It's not a perfected lifestyle, nor a final destination with zero attachments.

It's the art of noticing - the lessons that are alive, present, momentous and a range of contradictions.

It is recognising your humanness, and that sometimes your grandest visions can fall short. It's about owning your smallness, yet taking a chance towards your greatest self. There's nothing stopping you. Maybe there's a vision you're holding close, and there are infinite ways to get there.

And maybe it's not even about getting there. Maybe it’s about responding to now, to what this moment is asking of you.

Spirituality, I've come to learn, is your connection to yourself.

It’s how you belong to yourself.

And how you relate to others - all from within that belonging.

"A man is whatever room he is in"

Because spirituality, at its core, reminds us that there is always space for humility. That you don’t have to know it all. That you never will. And that’s the most sacred part of it all.

On Regrets

We fear regret, because regret comes from the fact that we can't change our past. Yet, to avoid the weight of feeling this regret, we also push ourselves to pursue anything and everything that comes our way - without realizing how hyperfixating on these pursuits can feel strenuous, and eventually, harm our wellbeing.

As humans, it's we might feel the need to compare our internal efforts with others' lifestyles. It's easier to lose ourselves to this never-ending comparison - to fall into the trap of wanting what others want. And in this way, we lose our ability to clearly think about what we truly want for ourselves.

Yet, the fragile nature of life is a good reminder that our time here is fleeting. When we realize this, all the time can feel never enough.

The thing is, we crave our own validation. And because we aren't used to easily giving ourselves that validation, we crave it from others.

What I mean is, because we fear regret later in life, we could be mindlessly pursuing everything we can, so we don't feel the weight of these regrets in the future. Maybe we need to learn that experiencing regret isn't a failure. It doesn't define your life or your experiences.

Your regret isn't your life's measure, just a part of it. Regret is more about acceptance and learning from our past experiences, not that the said experience was a mistake. You never know, it might have just been one of those things that just wasn't for you.

No matter our age, and no matter our experiences, we can always choose something new, even when we failed at doing something before. And that's okay.

It's about pursuing things because you want to, and not because you're fearing future regret.

It's about trusting yourself to make better choices, to actively face your regrets, and to overcome them as many times as needed.

Maybe it's more about the pause - to truly observe, reflect and know what would be a good choice for your growth. The possibilities are endless.

Your life is an experience meant just for you. It's not a performance for others. 

The Energy Of Opposites

Recently, I experienced a new insight while practising yoga - we need to create space within to follow through with it externally.

It is called the energy of opposites - when two opposing qualities/energies work together to create something new. These qualities are not limited to the physical world but can also extend to the emotional and energetic realms. For instance, root to rise, lean back to move forward, lean in to let go, and accepting what exists right now leads to what can be.

Stepping back to move forward is a crucial component of the momentum. It provides a gentle nudge - a little support, to ground into our presence, before we can move forward with full control.

Practising this can help us stay rooted in our essence while pursuing everything outside us. Our pursuits then become a reflection of our being. Our forest of resources is accessible within. Nurture within, to bloom and grow outside.  

The Void - The Realm of Deliberate Creation

The void represents a vastness that encompasses both nothingness and infinity simultaneously. It lies outside the limits of our understanding. However, this concept becomes beneficial when we embrace it.

Many of us aren't well connected to our bodies. We cannot discern our own values, needs, and desires from those of others or general trends. So, in the presence of external influences—whether societal trends, expectations, or personal relationships—it's easy to absorb their wants as our own.

Moving through life, we each encounter edges - a threshold beyond which we have never been. Peeking through this edge can feel daunting, not knowing how it'll all shape up. Falling into this abyss can feel terrifying, filling us with fear, doubt, and a sense of isolation - for this space is an unchartered, unexplored territory - perhaps something no one around us has experienced before. The weight of this can feel existential, emotionally paralyzing, and physically draining.

During these moments, rather than resisting or interpreting them in a negative or fearful light, we must allow this experience to consume us. The last time I encountered such a void, I supported my emotional and physical self, as I took over the observer seat - to witness the experience. I lay on the floor for as long as I needed, giving myself full permission to feel the depth of my helplessness and hopelessness. I didn’t try to fix it or make sense of it. I simply stayed with it.

And then, unexpectedly, something shifted. Insights began to rise—subtle at first, then clearer. They guided me toward my next steps, revealing what I could not have found elsewhere.

This is the power of the void. It is not an absence but rather, a well of creation. The very despair that threatens to consume us is also the space where revelations are born. These insights are deeply personal, emerging only when we become still enough to listen. When we resist, we drown in the discomfort. But if we surrender, we find the tools we need to move forward.

The void, in all its vast nothingness, is a catalyst for transformation. It awakens our creative energy and keeps us aligned with our path. So, allow yourself to experience the depths of not knowing. Stay with the uncertainty. Because within it, the next step awaits you.

What is your experience asking of you?