Originally published at Elegant Plus in 2006 by an eye-witness to the World Trade Center bombing, we are re-posting this inspirational piece as the country prepares to remember 9-11 and the events at Ground Zero.

Karma Trouble?

by Elegant Plus Magazine Inspirational Living Columnist, Rev. ReBecca Ames Sala

On the way home from a Mission Heritage trip in New York City in mid-October, I was staring out the window of the bus as we drove up 1^st Avenue and noticed a big red sign with the word “Karma”. It must have been one of the many restaurants or clubs in the city. And, right next to it was an ACME Hardware store with the word “TROUBLE?” written in big red letters. 

Karma Trouble? I burst out laughing when I saw the signs. And then I thought how perfectly fitting to see those words at an end of an incredibly emotional day as I integrated my past and present together. 

Karma

According to Wikipedia, Karma comes from the Sanskrit, meaning “to do” or action, effect, destiny and is generally taken as a term that comprises the entire cycle of cause and effect. Karma is a sum of all that an individual has done, is currently doing and will do. Karma is not about retribution, vengeance, punishment or reward. Karma simply deals with what is. The effects of all deeds actively create past, present and future experiences, thus making one responsible for one’s own life, and the pain and joy it brings to others. In religions that incorporate re-incarnation, karma extends through one’s present life and all past and future lives as well.

Personally, I experience karma trouble when I stop the process of meshing all the experiences of my life together. Have you ever done that? Locked painful memories in a neat, separate little box inside your head and hope that you lose the key? Just like car trouble, you can ignore the sound that the engine is making, or the brakes that squeal, but eventually you will end up stranded on the side of the road wondering, what happened? 

All of us are made up of the experiences, both good and bad, that have happened to us. It is an extraordinary gift to be able to see and to hold the positive value of every experience and how it has shaped our lives. 

Ground Zero

One unexpected part of the mission bus itinerary that took me completely unawares was a visit to Ground Zero, the site of the World Trade Center. Back in 2001, I worked a very short distance from the World Trade Center and was an eye-witness to some of the horrific events that unfolded on that fateful and tragic day as I got off the subway on my way to work. A few months after 9/11 happened, I passed the site  and saw people laughing, taking pictures and then asking each other if they wanted to go to Macy’s next? Just like nothing mind-numbingly awful had happened just three months before. Seeing that lack of gravity and respect from visitors was so upsetting to me, I decided I couldn’t go back to the site….. E-V-E-R. 

And there the experience and raging emotion and anger stayed locked, in its nice, tight little box… except, of course, when it leaked.

When I found out the bus would be going to Ground Zero, it gave me pause. And then I looked around at my fellow mission travelers and realized this visit was a pilgrimage for me. It was a part of my karma, a way to integrate the life I led in the fast paced financial world five years ago with the one I have now, living my spiritual call as a chaplain and ordained minister. Individuals who were deeply spiritual and compassionate surrounded me. Their supportive presence allowed me to visit the site and move through and come to an acceptance of what is - both past and present - in my own way to become whole in the future. The experience was moving, surreal and the crowds somehow seemed to me much more respectful then they had been five years ago, although in reality they were probably just the same. It became a pilgrimage of reverence and remembrance of that day, and all the days after. This act of re-visitation, reflection and release allowed me to make peace with a city that I love and had called home for many years. 

The Karmic Healing Process

Just before I sat down to finish writing this column, I was watching the nightly news and heard that the Amish families who lost their little girls to another traumatic act of violence had received over a million dollars in donations. Even more extra-ordinary is that they have decided to share that money with the widow and children of the man who had taken the lives of their own children. I am moved beyond words by their act of forgiveness and grace in the midst of such suffering. Although Christian, they are exemplifying the concept of a karmic life by embracing the reality of what is, simple and immutable, in a way that won’t cripple their own souls in the future or continue the cycle of damage from what is already done. Even though “karma” as a word is Eastern, it is a concept found in many world religions and teachings. Through the example of the Amish, we can all learn a thing or two about faith and forgiveness as taught in our own traditions. 

As we approach the holiday of Thanksgiving, take a moment to reflect on what pasts you are holding on to… wrongs you have not forgiven … pain that you have neglected….. your own assortment of karma troubles. And then, find a way to embrace them, hold them and integrate them into your life as it is now. I realize that what I am suggesting is difficult and painful, but I invite us all to take that first step to healing, even if it is a baby step. Try it out and see how it feels. Buddhism teaches that while pain is inevitable, suffering is optional because it is in how we handle the difficult situations in our life that defines us. Each and every past and present experience - good or bad - is valid and authentic and is to be woven into the tapestry of your life. The manner in which  these shape your future life depends on how well you embrace and integrate them.

It is appropriate, even necessary to celebrate the role that karma plays out in our daily lives, no matter what our religious affiliations. By intentionally listening to ourselves and others, positively acting on and embracing in the present what is done and beyond our control in the past, we can prevent our own future break-downs and suffering on the road called Life.

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Inspirational Living: Embracing the Seasons

by Rev. ReBecca Ames Sala, Regular Contributor to Elegant Plus Magazine

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Inspirational Living: Living Compassionately
by Rev. ReBecca Ames Sala, Regular Contributing Author to Elegant Plus Magazine

American writer and Trappist monk Thomas Merton wrote that “compassion is the keen awareness of the interdependence of all things.” Living compassionately requires courage, strength and an awareness of this interdependence. It means opening your heart to those around you that you know and care about: family, friends and co-workers. It also means opening your heart to those you don’t know, people who help you find something in a store, strangers whose stories touch you in some small, but meaningful way. It can mean reaching across an ocean to extend sympathy to those who experience great tragedy or loss like the tsunamis in Asia, recent terrorist attacks in London, or those suffering loss and damages from Hurricane Dennis. While you may not know anyone personally who was involved, you can still feel compassion for what they are going through.  

As a chaplain, I see people in pain who are suffering: physically, emotionally and psychologically and I walk with them on their journey. They guide me as we navigate through some very difficult and painful terrain. That connection is the heart of true compassion. I am humbled as I watch patients reach out to others who are also suffering. It is in their recognition of shared suffering where the seeds of comfort and healing take root and grow.  

In order to reach out with an open heart, you must first look deep inside and be compassionate to yourself. That may be hard to do for some people. Society, family, that pesky inner critic can stop you from being compassionate to yourself. Comments like “what about me?” “I don’t have time” “you should be seeing to my needs” or “how I think or feel doesn’t matter” can fill your head and leave little room for yourself. If you are a helper, a person who has a caring heart, it is so difficult to direct that focus inward and give yourself an inner hug and a nice mental massage. Living compassionately means to open your heart to yourself as well, to love and care about yourself.  

How do you go about doing this? It isn’t easy to change patterns in your life so it is important to be intentional. Take time out for yourself everyday, a “compassion break” if you will. Look at every aspect of your life with a loving eye, accepting who and what you are. Write it all down and place it somewhere visible. Find out what feeds your soul and makes you want to get out of bed in the morning. This might change each day so keep a journal by your bed and write it down. These things can be simple, attainable everyday events or goals that you aspire to achieve. You may be surprised what you find out about yourself. Remember to live a balanced life with enough time for relationships, sleep, exercise and much needed laughter.  
Until next time…. 

Namaste (I honor the light within you) 

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Inspirational Living: What Does It Mean to Be Inspired?
by Rev. ReBecca Ames-Sala, Regular Contributing Author to Elegant Plus Magazine

 This month I will focus on what inspiration means and what inspires me.  In later columns, I hope to find out what inspires you. 

One of the best definitions for inspiration is “the act of drawing in.”  This can be interpreted in many different ways.  Inspiration is a creative force that allows people to achieve and create remarkable works, be it painting, writing poetry or music, creating a company or truly living one’s dream.  Inspiration can also be found by looking at what others have done in their lives.  I am inspired when I read about regular people living their lives to the fullest, creating change within their communities against incredible odds.

There is a spiritual quality to the word; to be inspired is to be in touch with the divine, a true drawing in of breath, beauty, an act of complete selflessness.  It is about finding the true essence of oneself, without all the labels and expectations that society places on us in our daily lives. 

 We live in a world today in which we are saturated with information coming at us from many different sources.  It is easy to feel guilty for even wanting to take some time to sit and just be, but taking that time is an important part of self-care.

 Below are the links to some of my favorite websites to offer you a little “inspiration break” while you are sitting at your desk feeling the need to relax for a moment. 

For a daily meditation:

• Daily OM

• Candles

• Deeshan

• Daily Zen

• Life Shaper

For more in-depth spiritual exploration:

• Of Spirit and Soul

• Belief Net

• Inspiration Peak

For a little bit of pet therapy:

• Best Friends.org

• San Diego Zoo Panda Cam

• Pet Finder

Or how about some art therapy:

• Metropolitan Museum of Art

• Art Renewal Center

• BBW Fine Art  Electronic Post Cards

If you are inspired to volunteer, but just do not know where to begin:

• Volunteer Match

• Dress for Success

• World Volunteer Web

In preparation for my next column, I would like to know about you, the readers and what inspires you each day.  What helps make you the person that you know you are inside and sustains you during the difficult times? What leaves you in awe?

 Is it volunteering?  Listening to music? Reading an especially good book that you just can’t put down?  A piece of artwork that leaves you moved?  All are ways to be inspired.  

 Until then…….

 Namaste (I honor the light within you) 

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In the Spotlight
 
   Meet: ReBecca
 Cause: Homelessness

 Hometown: New York City
 Age: 33
 Height: 5′5″
 Dress Size: 18-22

Profession: Corporate Executive Assistant  & Part-time  M.Div and Clinical Pastoral Education Student
 
 Hobbies: Spending time with my husband & friends, visiting museums, reading, watching movies, playing with my cats & any other animal I can find! 

You never know what will happen. During those years I was a museum administrator and then corporate executive assistant, but through my late night talks with the homeless men and women in that shelter  I heard my call to ministry.  One day, after beginning divinity school part-time in the evenings, I even met my future husband in line at registration. So you never know who you will meet and where life’s experiences will take you!  Volunteering to help the homeless of New York is one of the best things I’ve ever done, and it changed the whole course of my life!  I will graduate with my Masters of Divinity in May 2003, and hope to be ordained as a Unitarian Universalist minister in the next couple of years. At that time, I plan to focus on hospital chaplaincy full-time and leave the corporate world.

You too can make a difference no matter how little money or time you have. There are so many ways to give back to your community. To begin, think about what you love doing and how that would translate into volunteering. Be honest with yourself about how much time you can devote to the organization and make sure you feel comfortable there.  If it is a cause you feel strongly about — be it volunteering at homeless shelter or helping out with the local Brownie troop  – you can be sure it will make you feel great. And, it might even lead in some surprising directions!

ReBecca’s  Favorite Web Sites

• Idealist.org

• Partnership for the Homeless (NY)
• National Coalition for the Homeless
• Volunteers of America
• Literacy Volunteers for America
• Best Friends Animal Sanctuary
• Volunteer Match
• Volunteer Stories

ReBecca Recommends:

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