Earth: Karma University

Do you not see how necessary a world of pains and troubles is to school an intelligence and make it a soul?

— John Keats

There is an analogy I like, which might shine an interesting perspective on the meaning and purpose of our lives here on Earth, our journeys as human beings. I call it Karma University.

A university has a large range of courses. Students enroll and choose the courses they need in order to achieve the learning they want. In order that they can progress on their journeys. And then graduate.

If we assume, for the purposes of this discussion, that souls incarnate (and perhaps even reincarnate) into human bodies, it would mean that Earth is like a karmic university.

In such a construct, elements of higher consciousness (‘souls’) incarnate into bodies in order to experience and grow. (And to enjoy some physicality as well.) Like anyone going off to university, each soul will choose the learning experiences they need before arriving, and they will stay only as long as they need in order to achieve their learning goals. And also, hopefully, to have some fun. (If reincarnation exists, it would mean we may come back for multiple levels of learning before we complete our degree.)

Like any top school, Karma University has all of its courses running at all times. Whether we consider any point in history or today, every possible human experience — from one extreme of privilege and pleasure to the opposite extreme of suffering and pain — is always happening somewhere on this planet. All forms of learning are available at all times so that a consciousness ‘enrolling’ here can choose the experiences (and the learning partners) that will help them most. Of course, we may not always understand the deeper purpose of our learning while experiencing a difficult or seemingly-unrelated assignment. (These ideas are beautifully reflected in Neale Donald Walsch’s children’s book, The Little Soul And The Sun.)

When we look around us and see all of those ‘other courses’ running, we might despair that the planet is not yet everywhere in a state of tolerance, cooperation, and peace. Alternatively, we can recognize Karma University for what it is. We can look at things from a perspective that brings the focus back to where it should be — on the growth that each of us is here for, the learning experiences that we ourselves have chosen. We are here to take our own highly-customized course, not anyone else’s. We are here to master our own karma, not theirs.

Therefore, we should not wait for the world to be in a state of peace before we can feel at peace, because it may never happen. It may not even be supposed to happen. Karma University may need to have all courses running at all times. However, that does not mean our attention should be on the other courses out there, at the expense of our own learning. Our attention belongs on our own assignments — in our own karma.

We should therefore take back control of our inner process.

Let us work towards feeling at peace:

1. because we know we are experiencing what we chose to experience,

2. because we are resolving what we need to resolve, and with whom we need to resolve it,

3. and because we are progressing, in the ways that count, for a higher consciousness on a journey of growth-oriented experiences and conscious elevation, which will naturally lead us towards love and the service of others.

I believe we are here for the cumulative learning and experiences that play out across our lifetimes. That is our curriculum. So let us be conscious of it, and in that elevated consciousness, learn to be.

I do not believe it is important to try and know specifically what we are here to learn or do in order to try and put extra focus on it. We are here experiencing, and I believe the system has been set up exactly as it needs to be in order to facilitate our experiences. That means, if we do have specific goals or aptitudes, we will naturally be led to those avenues simply by following our heart and being true to ourselves.

In my estimation, it is both helpful and useful to accept that the universe operates as it should, and especially that all experience — every challenge — is being had by the Source, by choice. We are therefore already who, what, and where we need to be. As such, a far better focus is, whenever possible, that we treat ourselves and everyone else with the respect, compassion, and love that we would accord to the Source, as we strive to be our greatest selves. If we did, it would change the world beyond measure.

(This is an excerpt from The Animal In The Mirror, Chapter 16.)