So I’m reading issue #33 of What is Enlightenment, (it’s not the newest one), and Andrew Cohen says:

…unless the individual is willing to own their own shadow, they are going to continue acting out of all those repressed impulses and continue creating karma, which means acting out of ignorance and unconsciousness in ways that cause suffering to others. And the whole definition of enlightenment is that, at least ideally, we are supposed to become so conscious, so awake, that we don’t create karma anymore.”

I agree, except I see one little piece missing. The sentence “cause suffering to others” I would add “and the self”. This is so key to me, because I believe what turns people off, at least in our culture, to spiritual learning and whatnot, is that the emphasis is on “doing good”. We’ve all been bored to death with do-gooding. The selfless Jesus-cross-martyr spirituality is over, it’s done, and it’s just not ever going to be hip again. This is where NVC comes in with its brilliant premise of being radically selfish. By pointing out very clearly (not theoretically, but practically), how when you get your needs met at anothers expense you end up paying for it later (with their resentment, anger, and unwillingness to cooperate), it shows a way to care about others while being totally about your own needs. You end up being about others needs because you get that there’s no way around that if you really want to be happy and have your own needs completely fulfilled.

I’d like to shift the discussion of karma from always centering on “what you do to others” to “what you do to yourself”. The same principles apply no matter where the harm lies. If you suppress your own needs, neglect them, meet some needs at the cost of other of your needs, you are creating more karma for yourself. (I hope as a side effect that this idea helps pop you out of the karma-is-punishment mindset.)

If you have a conditioned pattern of reacting to emotional stress by overworking (for instance), each time you do it you re-enact it, thus ensuring that the next time the situation comes around again you are going to feel that same urge to react in the same way. Just as in the quote above, by not facing your shadow (your repressed feelings, thoughts, and ultimately, needs), you are acting out of unconsciousness in ways that cause you to suffer.

The bottom line is that no matter whose needs don’t get met - yours or someone elses - any unconscious pattern you haven’t dissolved is going to come up again until you can stay conscious of it and make a choice in the face of it, rather than react.