The Seven Karmic Paths

1. NO PATH: This path is best expressed in poet William Blake’s words: “The road to excess leads to the palace of wisdom.” Those on this path eventually, through experience and pain, will perceive what has value and what doesn’t. Those on this path judge everything from a perspective of self, and often they have difficulty judging what action will result in harmony as opposed to disharmony. The No Path people appear to have little sense of balance and are usually unwilling to accept responsibility for their own lives. 

2. BEGINNING PATH: These people are more responsible, but they enjoy having things “handed” to them. They want everything done “their way” and are materialistic and pleasure oriented. Chances are, those on the Beginning Path will be unlikely to have much interest in anything they can’t eat, touch or enjoy.

3. INTERMEDIATE PATH: Those on this path are beginning to realize that there is an alternate reality. They might become interested in spiritual matters, but tend to be drawn to dogmatic thinking. While they are less “self” oriented, they usually remain very materialistic and pleasure centered.

4. BALANCED PATH: Those on this path have an awareness of karma and carefully consider their actions because they are aware of the ramifications. They are beginning to comprehend unconditional love and seek to detach from the standard illusions about reality. They begin to recognize that life can be experienced as a hostile separateness or a tranquil oneness. Those on the Balanced Path don’t repress their natural urges but refrain from excess.

5. HARMONIOUS PATH: These people require their outer life to be in harmony with their inner beliefs. They “live” their spiritual and self-actualized philosophy. They are beginning to incorporate unconditional love/acceptance into their lives and have risen above blame and judgment. They accept “what is” and are well on the road to developing “detached mind.” Most of those on this path practice meditation in some form.

6. FORCE-OF-WILL PATH: This path incorporates extreme discipline. It is the path of those in Zen monasteries, Yoga devotees and some priests ... plus many others who center their lives around their spiritual faith. For many, this means extreme dietary practices and celibacy. The argument for following this path is that it is a rapid way to advance spiritually. The primary argument against this path is that it is undesirable to “drop out” of the “real” world and to repress your natural urges and desires, for in doing so, they will increase in intensity. Even if you manifest the self-discipline to deal with them in this life, you may generate a “karmic charge” that will have to be dealt with in a future life.

7. BODHISATTVA PATH: Those on this path are beyond seeking. They are truly “in the world, but not of it.” Only those who are highly evolved are capable of walking this path. They are living examples of “detached mind” and are dedicated to assisting others to find their way out of the darkness and into the spiritual light.

THE SEVEN DHARMIC DIRECTIONS
Dharma is your duty to yourself and to society. This means following a course of action that is right for you. It will be something you do naturally and well. By following your dharmic or self-nature, you will most easily raise your vibrational level of awareness. Your karma conditions you through all your experiences to create the character required to carry out your dharma.

Let’s look at the case of a political leader. Over many lifetimes, he developed his leadership abilities. In this life, the family and environmental circumstance into which he was born and educated are karmic. But his dharma is “governmental leadership,” and in addition to responding to his own inner nature, he responds to the voice of his country and the inner direction of a greater whole in accepting the leadership role.

The best way to resolve your karma is to follow your dharmic direction -- the direction which is natural and destined for you. There are seven general dharmic directions. It is your purpose to explore one of these paths with a particular soul goal that you chose prior to your birth.

1. WORKFORCE involves the largest number of souls. This path encompasses most general occupations and homemakers.

2. MILITARY includes soldiers, all forms of police and militia, and those who enforce the laws of the country, state and city.

3. SERVICE takes into consideration most religious workers, those in medical, welfare and social services, many practicing metaphysicians and those offering holistic health services.

4. CREATIVITY includes artists, writers, poets, musicians, actors, dancers, and entertainers.

5. SCIENCE encompasses medical researchers, scientists, space technologists and physicists.

6. PHILOSOPHY involves all who present theories about why man does what he does and how he might end suffering. Some church leaders would be included, along with philosophers and some metaphysical communicators.

7. GOVERNMENT includes political leaders, from the President of the United States to senators, governors, mayors, and anyone elected to office. This also includes those who take office by force through revolution.

THE SEVEN SOUL GOALS
In addition to having chosen one of seven karmic paths and seven dharmic directions prior to your birth, you also chose one of the seven basic soul goals. You may have more than one goal, but one will be most important; the next, secondary in importance, and so on.

Whether you consciously realize it or not, karmically, you have definite life goal priorities. These goals all amount to karmic self-testing, with an overall goal of spiritual growth.

1. ATTAIN KNOWLEDGE: This means attain a particular area of knowledge which, when realized on a soul level, becomes wisdom. As an example, the desire for awareness could include one or more areas, such as direct knowledge of humility, devotion, sacrifice, selflessness, or perseverance.

2. OPEN SPIRITUALLY: This goal is to integrate spiritual awareness into your particular dharmic direction.

3. ACHIEVE INNER HARMONY: This goal amounts to attaining balance and peace of mind while fulfilling your particular dharmic duty.

4. ATTAIN FAME OR POWER: Both elements of this goal are karmic rewards and offer unique opportunities to test yourself, communicate awareness and exert leadership.

5. LEARN ACCEPTANCE: This goal can be summarized as an awareness of “what is, is,” for it is our resistance to what is that causes our suffering.

6. PROVIDE SUPPORT: This goal could range from the encouragement and support of another individual, to helping accomplish a jointly shared dharmic direction, to the support of an ideal, a philosophical or religious belief.

7. DEVELOP TALENT: Talents are developed over many lifetimes, so the goal could be in the beginning, intermediary or advanced stage of a creative pursuit.

SYNTHESIZING THE AWARENESS
While there are seven karmic paths to follow, you have the free will to expand your awareness and consciously choose a different path. Your dharmic directions and soul goals are your karmic destiny. And you have free will to fulfill your destiny or to avoid it.

For the first example, let’s look at the man destined to fulfill his dharma in government. He was born with a dharmic direction of GOVERNMENT with a soul goal of FAME OR POWER -- a category which also includes leadership positions. This man has purposely chosen to walk the BALANCED karmic path as a result of a strong Christian upbringing. Needing an “electable” background, this also helps him to fulfill his long-term political ambitions.

As another example, let’s look at a famous singer who has been addicted to drugs for years. He earned the right in past lives to reincarnate with a soul goal of FAME OR POWER and a dharmic direction of CREATIVITY. In his earlier years, he was following the INTERMEDIARY karmic path, but because of his drug addiction, is now on the BEGINNING path. This singer was given the opportunity to inspire and assist others in numerous ways but chose instead to bury himself in self-indulgence. His wife is an entirely different story. She is also a singer, but not as famous as her husband. She came into this life with a soul goal to PROVIDE SUPPORT, with a secondary goal of FAME OR POWER. Her dharmic direction is also CREATIVITY and she is currently following a BALANCED karmic path. This woman stood by her husband through his years of addiction and has finally assisted him to overcome his dependency.

Another case history: Mary is married, has two children that are nearly grown, and sells real estate as a profession. Metaphysics is her primary interest in life and she is actively involved in a metaphysical organization. Her life revolves around her spiritual interests and she is on the HARMONIOUS karmic path. She was born with a WORKFORCE dharmic direction and a soul goal of ATTAINING KNOWLEDGE in the area of devotion. From outward appearances, Mary is fulfilling her destiny and enjoying her life.

In another case, Jason is a 32-year-old freelance screenwriter who lives alone in Venice, California. Although quite talented, he makes little money and experiences excessive frustration due to his unwillingness to accept the realities of his profession. Jason is exploring an INTERMEDIARY karmic path and he came into this life with CREATIVITY as his dharmic direction. His soul goal is to LEARN ACCEPTANCE. Although he doesn’t realize it consciously, he is teaching himself to accept “what is” and all that it means.

Marie is a welfare worker in her early forties and has been divorced three times. Her divorces and the inequality and injustice she experiences in her daily work have caused Marie to look for deeper meaning in life. As a result, she walks a BALANCED karmic path and is aware that she incarnated with a dharmic direction of SERVICE. Her primary soul goal is to ACHIEVE INNER HARMONY. From a higher perspective, she desires to learn to accept all the joy and love that life has to offer while at the same time learning to allow the negativity to flow through her without affecting her.


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