Cause and Effect

Cultivate a desire to be extremely healthy, aware and alert, as well as intelligent and wise. Asking for guidance at all times, in all situations, is the first step on this path.

by Dr. Larry Wilson — 

This article is about one of the most basic laws operating on planet Earth, that of cause and effect. In the karmic sense, the law of cause and effect states that all of our thoughts, words and deeds have far-reaching consequences that, over time, come back to us in reciprocal ways.

Many people’s knowledge of this law originates from religious or philosophical teachings. For example, the well-known verse from Galatians 6:7 states, “Whatever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” And most of us are familiar with the ethical principle, the Golden Rule, which appears throughout many teachings in history: “Do unto others that which you would have them do unto you.”

Another way to express the law of cause and effect is that one is responsible for all of one’s thoughts, words and actions. Thus, you must constantly guard what you think, say and do, so as not to create problems for yourself and those around you.

The law of universal justice

Yet another way to convey the same idea is that a universal justice exists that transcends time and space. This means that no good deed goes unrewarded and no evil deed goes unpunished. This justice is equal for everyone, regardless of age, race, color, creed, sex, nationality or anything else.

By this measure, “social justice,” which favors certain groups, such as minorities and the handicapped, is totally false. It is a perversion of the law of cause and effect, which holds everyone equally accountable. Let us examine this law in more detail.

How does the law work?

The law applies to your thoughts, words and deeds toward others and yourself, as well as how you counsel others. For example, if you abuse your body or worse, take your own life, you are responsible for this murder and must suffer the consequences, even though it may seem to  affect only you. In reality, however, nothing you do in this world only affects you.

Similarly, if you direct others to lie, cheat, steal, commit adultery or something else that is morally improper, you are responsible for those acts as well, though not necessarily as much as if you had committed them yourself.

Conversely, if you counsel others about how to live well and they follow this advice or even just hear it, you will be rewarded for promoting positive ethical behavior. What happens to the person is less important; the crucial point is that you have communicated in a way that attempts to help another move ahead in life.

Beware of a common error with the law of cause and effect 

A common mistake people make is in believing that the law applies to every trivial detail of their lives. For example, some people think that making a wrong turn, not being able to find a parking space, dropping a glass on the floor and other such daily mishaps are all results of the law of cause and effect. It is possible, but usually not the case. So please do not make the mistake of thinking that everything occurring in your life is a sign of something else.

When does this law apply?

The law applies all the time, and it can affect any situation or person. However, the most common and important situations involving the law of cause and effect have to do with the following:

1. Problems that arise in your family of origin
2. Other personal relationships
3. Sexual and romantic relationships
4. Anything involving money, power and prestige
5. Many (but not all) illnesses and most physical disabilities, such as the loss of a limb or a skiing accident
6. Work and other social situations
7. Events that involve a whole community or nation, or even the entire planet.

The law thus transcends time and space. Some people say that the law of cause and effect must be false because bad people get away with “murder,” while some wonderful people suffer horribly or die young. This is incorrect. Our understanding of the world is limited by time. The law itself, however, is not limited. So, for example, it might take eons before a wrong is righted, but the scales of justice will eventually be balanced completely, and each person will get his just punishment or reward in due time.

Purpose of the law and who controls it

The purpose of the law of cause and effect is not to punish, but to assist mankind in developing wisdom, intelligence and a strong personal will to do good. This is important because many people believe the universe is basically unfriendly, and we are continually punished for our errors. In my view, this is not true at all. We are guided to behave better through the application of the law of cause and effect.

As to who is in charge of the law, we do not know for sure. However, most religions attribute the law to God or to advanced beings such as angels who oversee and control this world.

What about the law of grace?

Grace has been described as the unearned and undeserved forgiveness or intervention of some force such as God in our lives. For example, a person may survive a crash when, by all odds, he should have died. In some other instances, a person whom everyone believed was bad turns around and changes for the good.

Grace may be an exception to the law of cause and effect or it may just seem like it, when in reality, it is the law operating differently. This topic is more advanced and therefore beyond the scope of this short article.

An entire moral philosophy or imperative

If one truly understands the law of cause and effect, it becomes a complete moral value system. One should live to enrich and assist others at all times, and strive to avoid harming others in any manner whatsoever. This becomes the guiding principle for a happy and healthy life on Earth.

At times, however, it may be difficult to know how best to stay safe when you are unsure of what to do. Here are several examples, with my suggestions:

1. Proper intent will often get you through life. This means do your best and ask for guidance throughout any situation.

2. If someone attempts to harm you or your family, you may have the right to risk harming the other person in order to protect yourself and your loved ones.

3. When you must choose whether to care for yourself or to take care of another, the answer is not always clear. A basic guideline is that if you can handle the situation without risking your own death or disability, then help the other first. However, this is not always the case. If someone wishes to take advantage of your kindness in matters such as money or even your time, it may be inappropriate to give these away. The decision will depend upon the context of the situation and who is involved.

4. If a situation arises in which you can save one person but not others, how do you decide whom to assist? This is a difficult dilemma that may depend on many factors. As a general rule, keep focused on asking for guidance. Save whomever you can without risking your own life. Risking your life may not be wise from the perspective of the law.

5. If you have a choice to save an animal species or to help human beings, which should you choose? People are more important than animals. Some environmentalists would disagree, but I believe they are incorrect. Animals are expendable compared to people — even an entire species of animal. People are never expendable.

6. Should you favor your own family, friends and neighbors over helping others whom you do not know? This is another difficult question. However, you have obligations to your family that must not be ignored. At the same time, there really are no “strangers,” “foreigners” or “aliens” in the entire universe. These are mere labels and nothing else. In terms of the law of cause and effect, all humans are related and interact with each other on equal terms.

7. What should you do when offered a large sum of money for a job or project, when you know full well it is undeserved? All too often today, young men and women are tempted by high-paying jobs to become corrupt lawyers for a government agency or a company, for example.

Another not uncommon example is women being offered high salaries in return for sexual favors to the boss. Others may be offered large sums of money to look sexy and hawk products on television. They are easily misled by the assumption that such behavior is acceptable and even necessary in order to attract viewers, and may convince themselves that the product will benefit people.

In such cases, one must be guided by their conscience. Not lying, cheating or stealing apply here very closely. Also, do not degrade the body or the mind, as there are always consequences.

There are exceptions. If you will be thrown out of your house and onto the streets if you do not accept a job offer — no matter if it is morally compromising — taking the job out of necessity is acceptable. Keep the job only as long as you must, until you can find a better opportunity. However, given such a scenario, it would be wise to consider other options, such as moving to a smaller home, rather than prostituting yourself. Never put yourself into unsafe circumstances, though. This applies to all walks of life and occupations, relationships and family situations.

How should one generally stay safe and best fulfill the law of cause and effect?

• Minimize your ego in all thoughts and activities. This does not mean being a doormat. It means realizing that you are primarily here to assist others, not yourself. By truly being of service to others and acting honorably at all times, you will usually be taken care of as well.

• Cultivate a desire to be extremely healthy, aware and alert, as well as intelligent and wise. Asking for guidance at all times, in all situations, is the first step on this path.

• Cultivate a desire to move beyond your past. This is important because most of us have made mistakes or done things of which we are not proud. This is not important as long as you desire to forgive and move on. A problem occurs only when people hold onto their anger or their errors as though they are condemned forever, which is not true.

Let go of anything that keeps you from being all you can be. This does not mean abandoning your family, work or friends. It means letting go of all destructive situations and people.

• Learn to truly allow life to unfold around you without putting up too much resistance. This does not mean becoming passive. Rather, it means giving up anger so you can move through your life as easily and smoothly as possible.

• Rest, rebuild and detoxify the physical body. Nutritional imbalances hold a lot of people back, ruin their energy, negatively affect their thinking and emotions, and cause them to make incorrect decisions. This can often be remedied easily and rapidly with a more yang diet (in Chinese medical terms), more rest and sleep, and an overall healthful lifestyle.

This is accomplished by eating a diet consisting of approximately 70 percent cooked vegetables with some quality meats, soft-cooked eggs and a little whole grains. Stay away from almost all fruit, juices, raw foods and chemicals in foods and sweets, as these are extremely yin and tend to cause more problems, according to my 30 years of experience.

• Get more oxygen into your body. One way is to run an ozonator/ionizer air purifier in your home and work space. Another way is to spend more time in an area with many plants and trees that give off oxygen.

• Prayer and meditation. Moving energy downward through the body is most helpful. This can be done while praying for guidance or by using the Roy Masters’ meditation exercise. Many other meditation tapes are also available on the Internet.

• Other. Many people have used fasting, yoga and other methods to reduce the consequences of past sins. Today I cannot recommend these methods. Generally speaking, they do not work and can be unsafe. Do not fast for more than a day or two for any reason. Also, watch out for yoga and other similar programs, as many people incur injuries in these classes without even realizing it. Their bodies are simply not flexible enough to perform many of the positions, and most teachers are not vigilant or knowledgeable enough to prevent injuries.

For more information on these subjects see: www.drlwilson.com.

Seek truth in everything, and try to follow truth as it is revealed to you.

Dr. Lawrence Wilson has a medical degree and has been in the health field for more than 25 years. His books include Nutritional Balancing and Hair Mineral Analysis, Legal Guidelines for Unlicensed Practitioners, Healing Ourselves and Manual of Sauna Therapy and The Real Self. He also co-authored Toxic Metals in Human Health and Disease and contributed to The Dangers of Socialized Medicine. www.drlwilson.com or 928-445-7690.

Reprinted from AzNetNews, Volume 30, Number 1, Feb/Mar 2011.