Many weeks ago I learned more about Dogma than I ever wanted to, I wanted to make sure I was using the word properly; it will suffice.  If you want to learn more go here.

I started this particular article/blog about a month ago based on a facebook interaction and I didn’t know where it was going and recently the conversation has been renewed in my life so I guess that means its time to resurrect it and finish it….

So I used to read/follow nearly worship Abraham (via Esther Hicks).  Over time I entered and left the church of the Law of Attraction.  I can’t say I stopped believing in the concept of the law of attraction.  I do believe to a certain extent what we reap we sow…but I also came to believe that sometimes things just happen.  I stopped feeling like every negative thought or reaction was the reason for this or that. I stopped seeing it as the ONLY thing to study or focus on, I found more meaning and happiness in my yogic and meditative practices. I find myself caring less about outcome (maybe the gita talks did that to me?) Any way the point being I stopped reading/listening to Abraham with any regularity, part of the reason was also the repetitive nature of the information.  I spent some time studying Kaballah wisdom.  I did a few retreats and cleanses. I spent an inordinate amount of time thinking about diet as I learned about Raw food.  I went super strict Vegan for a year.  I nursed myself back from an SI injury and spent a lot of time thinking about body mechanics and less about thoughts as things.  Taught a lot of yoga and wrote a lot of blogs. Over that time I would read Law of Attraction/The Secret/Abraham Quotes posted by friends and I usually got a lift from them but I knew that I was no longer “enthralled”. So when I read this post:

‎”There is no such thing as karma.”

– Abraham Hicks

I was sort of taken aback. I knew it had been a long time, but from what I remembered Abraham wasn’t usually prone to making statements about what one should believe…They were usually a bit more
“well meaning this”, or “look at this way”. How this statement was explained to me was that we come straight from source and therefore would never carry anything back from being “in source”. OK I get that I really do…if you are at all curious about my take on Karma you can visit my post here

But here is the real point — This was stated as an absolute fact no margin for discussion or varying opinions. And since that is one of my pet peeves… righteousness….I wanted to start a dialogue about this idea of dogma.

I see people getting really hurt, angry, upset and otherwise hacked off when others don’t agree with their way…I see teachers completely unable to accept that their way may not work for everyone and well it’s getting a bit old. If your way works for you and makes you happy can’t I have my way?  I’m sorry but no one…absolutely no one has all the answers…

Here’s my take — their is no such thing as:

a panacea; a universal principle, one size fits all, a single path, a way to know the absolute truth,  law

In my opinion there is only:

experience, questions, feelings, ideas, interactions, relationships, happenings, growing, changing

So if a student doesn’t take your advice put your ego aside and let them have their experience.  If I learned to pull my shoulders down and you think they should go some other way — you can give me that info but in the end it’s my experience not yours.  If doing yin yoga rocked your world and hurts my sacrum? It doesn’t make it wrong, just wrong for me.  If you think hot yoga is dangerous and a bad idea, go ahead let me know but don’t harp…if you think hot yoga is the ultimate and it makes me hurl? I’m not stupid I’m different!! And that’s OK, isn’t it?  Jiminy Christmas I have read things that say only one form of meditation is the right one…really? really people?  Lets be a little softer, a little more open….

Let’s be careful out their folks, lets share what we know with a humble understanding of grace and love. Let us be the first to work on removing ego from the equation.

Dogma is dangerous. Righteousness leads to division.  There is space for all…there really really is.

In the end I do not discount the possibility that karma is no more real than the Easter bunny, that hot yoga may be the cure for cancer, that anusara principles can fix broken bones, or that god may not even exist-  but for me it’s a matter of how we discuss, share and view ideas. It’s a belief that spiritual people have a duty to remain open minded and respectful and not tear down others views out of hat…