The Way of the Higher Self recognizes the law of cause and effect (or "karma") – not merely as a fact of life, but also as a magnificent cosmic teaching mechanism.  While people tend to think of karma as responsive to a person's actions (do good or bad things and good or bad things will come back to you), here the concept is understood more subtly: All of our life experiences are in some way a reflection of some aspect of ourselves, even if we don't like that aspect, and even if that aspect is completely unconscious. 

 

In other words, the Universe responds not only to what we do, but to our beliefs and our attitudes, and to the thoughts and feelings which grow out of them.  This feedback happens no matter how hard we have tried to push these intangible aspects out of consciousness, and/or compensate for them with positive thoughts and good deeds.  Under this view of cause and effect, our life experiences become a road map to the misconceptions we harbor about the nature of life, and the negative attitudes and feelings these false beliefs generate.

When we start to understand our experiences in this way, we can use them as a guide to the various false ideas and negative energies which might be lurking under the surface of our personalities.  Thus, when we encounter a negative life experience, we don't resist it out of victimhood – nor do we shame ourselves for "deserving" it – but we use it to illuminate the areas of our psyche which need to be brought into alignment with spiritual reality. 

 

In other words, adversity is not a punishment; it is a learning opportunity for the soul (not just for the ego). And, to the extent that we use it as such, we become enlightened.