Have you ever watched the television show My Name is Earl? Although I try to avoid television in general (and sitcoms in particular), that’s actually one show that I get a lot out of. It’s based on the Law of Karma, and follows Earl’s adventures as he tries to right his past wrongs, so that, as he puts it, he doesn’t make Karma any angrier than he already has.
And this morning I got another excellent article from Tony Mase for my Success Articles site33, titled “The Universal Law Behind the Golden Rule”.
One of the most important distinctions that I got from it was from the following line:
He [Jesus] was *not* saying this [Do unto others...] because others, themselves, will “do unto you†what you have done unto them.
Jesus was saying this because the Universe, God or whatever you prefer to call the “Universal Power†behind all things, will “do unto you†what you have done unto others!
Wow… I got it!
In the past, I had rejected the do unto others concept, because I had tried it, and didn’t get the results I expected.
I thought that if I did unto a particular other, then that other should do unto me.
Tit for tat.
And I also never understood why some of the experts on the Law of Attraction, or Prosperity Consciousness, or Tithing, would say to do it without expection, while others would talk about expecting to reap a hundredfold.
But now (best Jim Rohn impersonation)… “I gooooot it!”
It all goes back to the Source. It’s the Source (God, the Universe, Fred, whatever) that provides these things to us, as we provide them to others.
[As I typed those words, I just got that gut level feeling that said "Yup... you do got it!"]
So what should I do if I really do “got it?”
Give it away… and know that it will come back to me.
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- the Success Articles site no longer exists, so I’ve removed the link to it, and changed the link to the article333
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I discuss maximizing this “do unto others” principle in my religious posts every Sunday.
The theory is that there is a “Best way” to score up “karma points”, or “Prayer points”, or “divine currency”.
However the Heavens count it, we should be maximizing it and tapping into it better. If no one can, then the resource probably doesn’t exist.
Please read and post some comments, I’d like to hear what you think on my analysis so far:
http://www.everydayeconomist.com/archives/category/religion/
That’s a really good sitcom. I like that he tries to make amends for the wrongs he’s done to others. Found you via Blogmad
Hey Lyman, it’s easy to see how that statement could be intrepreted in the way you initially did. I only realised the difference myself when I first read Conversations with God.
But I have to say – My Name is Earl – Quality show!!!
:p
Everyday Economist – thanks for the comment and the link. You’ve got quite a bit of information over on your blog… a lot to mentally and spiritually digest! Just give me some time to really give it a good read, and I’ll leave some comments.
Jane – it is great, isn’t it! They’ve really done a good job portraying a real human being who is finally trying to do the next right thing.
Amit,
Conversations with God is a great book… it’s one of those that helped to keep me on a spiritual path, and recognize the oneness of it all. I hadn’t thought about it in quite a while; thanks for the reminder!
My problem with that so-called Golden Rule (do unto others as you would have them do unto you) is that it leaves it all up to what I think they want, need, whatever. Shouldn’t others have some say?
For example, I might be the type who likes to be helped. So I run around helping others whether they want help or not. Like the boy scout of cartoon fame who helped the little old lady across the street even though she didn’t want to go.
I never thought of it as reciprocating, just arrogant.
Hi Betsy,
You’re comment made me think of something that Tony Alessandra talks about, the Platinum Rule:
“Do Unto Others As They Would Have You Do Unto Them.”
Makes a lot of sense… for sane people.
Back when I was really struggling with my depression, drinking, porn addiction, etc., etc., there were times when the thing that I wanted others to do unto me was to blow my brains out. Just put me (and those I “loved”) out of our collective misery.
Thank god they didn’t (although many of them justifiably had the desire to).
In your boy scout example, I don’t think that he was trying to help the woman out of a sense of love, but out of a sense of ego and obligation.
As I understand it, it’s all about the motive. Jesus also talked about the things on the outside proceeding from the things within. So I’m not talking about the surface motive, but our true motive, which I don’t always know myself until I’ve gone and done something that I thought I was doing to be helpful, but I was really trying to only get something for myself.
If it’s only for me, it’s selfish. If it’s only for you, it’s suicide. If it’s for both of us, it’s beautiful.
Thanks for the food for thought!