Karma, Wholeness and the Quest for a World at Peace
featured image | by Sonika Agarwal
When I was growing up in mid-century America, most people didn’t know the word karma. If we were familiar with it through its Hindu roots, we thought of it as “what goes around, comes around,” which isn’t a bad summary. Nowadays, everyone talks about karma; it’s even in a Taylor Swift song title.
John Lennon sang, “Instant karma’s gonna get you,” but one of the fascinating things about karma is that you never really know when it’s gonna get you. Hindus believe it carries over from lifetime to lifetime, requiring us to practice goodness to overcome the sins of our past and present. And while there are certainly deliberate sins, there are also many we commit without realizing it, due to our ignorance of the consequences. This is what we are seeing with the current global environmental crisis.
Fires, floods, droughts, earthquakes, heat domes, tornadoes—Mother Nature is speaking loudly. While we might attribute the increase in extreme weather to climate change and debate the extent of human responsibility, it’s possible to see this as a karmic response to the actions of millions over centuries, as we moved into an age of constant progress. This shift distanced us from a traditional, close relationship with the natural world. Indigenous peoples tell us that their millennia of harmony with nature were based on sacred reciprocity, supported by ceremonies that Christian conquerors dismissed as heathen. As these peoples were systematically oppressed or assimilated, the conquering powers built homes, roads, factories, shopping malls, hospitals, and jet planes. We, who benefited from these advances, didn’t realize we were disrupting the balance of nature. And when we started to wake up to this pattern, we were too set in our ways to make the necessary changes at scale. Are we now facing the karmic consequences of treating nature as a resource to exploit without regard to reciprocity and harmony, let alone the destruction we’ve caused?
Another example of karma’s reach was highlighted in a guest essay by Sally Hayden, published in the New York Times on August 16, 2023, titled “Welcome to Europe, Where Mass Death Has Become Normal.” In her heart-wrenching piece about the dangers African refugees face while trying to reach Europe, Hayden notes, “They seek opportunity and any version of a stable life. They almost exclusively come from former European or British colonies.” This connection, while perhaps obvious, hadn’t struck me before. The expansion of European trade and subsequent colonization was a brutal process, often justified by the guise of “saving” pagan populations and introducing them to the so-called benefits of the modern world, whether welcomed or not. In many colonies, traditional ways of life gave way to industrialization, leading to a loss of the ancient ways that had sustained humanity since the beginning of time.
I live in a town in the high desert of central Mexico, one of the most water-stressed regions on Earth. Just outside town, the Tikkun Eco-Center is reviving traditional water conservation methods so effectively that they managed to feed local villagers during the Covid-19 pandemic. Ten years ago, nearby villages received electricity, but the electrified wells couldn’t reach deep enough as the water table dropped due to industrial agriculture. Meanwhile, ancient water catchment systems were left to silt up. Restoring these traditional systems has allowed villagers to farm year-round and resist selling their land to developers or migrating to cities or straining the borders of wealthier countries. This showcases the potential for resilience in the face of climate challenges, but few indigenous farmers have the resources to implement such solutions.
So, could the mass migrations from Africa and the Middle East to Europe and from Central and South America to the United States be seen as a karmic response to centuries of artificial division between the predominantly Caucasian North and the multi-racial South? While Europeans and Americans often express compassion for those fleeing starvation, climate change, or political turmoil, they are understandably concerned about the potential erosion of their cultural identities. Yet, these rich cultures were built on the exploitation of colonial conquests. Do we who enjoy economic privilege owe a karmic debt to those on whose backs those riches were gained—the indigenous peoples, those enslaved, the casualties of senseless wars, the citizens of impoverished countries? What will we, the comfortable ones, be asked to give up in return? Can it ever be enough?
Perhaps the key first step toward healing is to recognize the debt we owe, not just to others—past, present, and future—but to the Earth herself. Karma serves to rebalance, and we are now painfully aware of how out of balance our civilization has become.
Can we wake up fast enough to transform our karma?
It might seem like an impossible dream in our current landscape of extreme political divisiveness, corporate greed, and shocking corruption. Humanity cannot seem to get past wreaking the terrors of war and violence on one another, despite knowing that such actions solve nothing and cause immense suffering on both sides. Those of us who live in comfort can feel overwhelmed by the vastness of income inequality and the impacts of climate change, and sometimes we can only look away in despair.
And yet, amidst the global tragedies we witness (and those we don’t), something new is emerging: a transformation of consciousness that could be our path to redemption. This emergent consciousness, which arguably was birthed when we first saw color photos of Earth from the moon in 1967, is rooted in in a compelling sense of the wholeness of our planetary home. As communications and travel technologies connect us globally, the environmental movement and awareness of a warming world have helped us understand the interconnectedness of all Life.
This holistic view of Earth as a living system is awakening us to the destructive impact of our way of life, even as we begin to recognize the oppression of women and minorities, the futility of war, and the wisdom in religions beyond our own. This new perspective, perhaps better described as a new octave of the philosophies that sustained indigenous cultures for millennia, is centered on Oneness. Seeing ourselves as part of a vast and intricate web of life, we can begin to release our attachment to wealth and individual achievement and instead seek ways to contribute to a vibrant whole.
More and more people are moving from mere tolerance to acceptance of the beliefs of others. Instead of looking down on indigenous ways as primitive, we are learning new respect for ancient traditions that have much to teach us. Dogmatic adherence to religious doctrines is giving way to a more open-minded approach that embraces the mysteries of life, quieting the mind rather than clinging to old beliefs, respecting diverse religious practices, and embracing what Brother Wayne Teasdale called our “interspirituality.”
Simultaneously, there is growing recognition of the coherence between science and spirituality. The exploration of quantum entanglement, for instance, reveals how we might be connected in ways not immediately apparent, challenging the notion of our separateness. In 2022, physicists Alain Aspect, John Clauser, and Anton Zeilinger were awarded the Nobel Prize for proving the quantum entanglement of photons, demonstrating what Einstein had famously referred to as “spooky action at a distance.” Our very models of reality are shifting. We are developing ways to perceive both the very small and the very large, as exemplified by the Hubble Telescope’s breathtaking images of deep space, echoing the ancient law of correspondence, “As above, so below.” Our perceived differences of race, religion, and culture fade as we gain a deeper understanding of the vastness of our universe and our place within it as members of one human family.
Something beyond ourselves seems to be drawing us forward. Jean Houston, a renowned author and leading voice in the human potential movement, describes this as “the lure of becoming.” Scholars Otto Scharmer and Eva Pomeroy, in their recent paper (2024), speak of a “Fourth-person knowing [that] comes with a heightened sense of possibility in which a future potential, previously out of reach, moves within the horizon of what feels doable and possible.” Among the community of Evolutionary Leaders, there is talk of an evolutionary pull that feels irresistible, compelling us to dedicate our lives and work in service to a future most of us can hardly envision. Across diverse areas of endeavor, there is a shared understanding of the need to embrace our oneness with one another and the world, seeing the urgency in synergizing our efforts. Individuals and organizations are coming together to amplify their collective impact, in our quest for fundamental changes in how humanity coexists in a troubled world.
This concept of Oneness challenges the overt and hidden prejudices embedded in our society—the very lenses through which we have been taught to view the world. For example, history, as traditionally taught, often centers on the conquests of white men, the spread of Christianity, and the triumph of capitalism, which objectifies everything for monetary value. The American ideal that “all men are created equal” must extend beyond gender to include people of all races, genders, ages, abilities, and cultures. Courage is required to shed old stories—whether of personal history, tribal identity, or national pride— and open to the emergence of radically new perspectives. This openness allows us to see the world with fresh eyes, sparking innovation rooted in compassion and mutual respect.
It is essential not only to ensure that all people enjoy equal rights under the law but also to cultivate radical equality in our hearts. Bill Gates, currently ranked among the world’s richest individuals, emphasizes that his philanthropic foundation is “guided by the belief that every life has equal value.” While this is a noble sentiment, it contrasts starkly with the reality where, 2,153 billionaires have more wealth than the 4.6 billion people who make up 60 percent of the planet’s population, according to Oxfam.
Nevertheless, there are positive shifts. Women are asserting their rights, Black lives do matter, awareness of animal suffering in factory farming is growing, near-death experiences are being taken seriously, and governments are beginning to consider the possibility of contact with off-planet intelligences. Our concept of Oneness is expanding as our judgments soften and our hearts open.
Numerous initiatives highlighting our interconnectedness are emerging, even if they haven’t yet reached mainstream media, which often focuses on sensationalism. For example, the “unitive narrative” emerged through a Synergy Circle of the Evolutionary Leaders, whose group of visionaries added it to their own principles. Another is Unify, an online platform, that has been building global unity through meditations and other activities for nine years, with 77 campaigns and over 100 million participants worldwide. Unity Earth organizes multicultural and multi-faith gatherings to promote peace, including World Unity Week in June and Unite4Peace around the U.N. International Day of Peace on September 21st. Humanity’s Team offers the annual Global Oneness Summit, aiming to elevate global consciousness and inspire action. In 2023, the Spiritual Life TV Channel presented the first annual Oneness of Humanity Award to His Holiness the Dalai Lama. The Holomovement is another example, awakening people to their interconnectedness and promoting a massive shift in consciousness for the collective good. As its website states: “Wisdom traditions have always known it to be true, and now science confirms: Everything is Connected.”
How can this shared sense of oneness help redeem our karmic debts as a species? Dr. Robert Atkinson, in his book “A New Story of Wholeness,” speaks of healing the illusion of separation. Perhaps it is less about balancing karma with good deeds and more about returning to our true nature—a state of unity with all life. Like the prodigal son in the Bible, we have been distracted by the allure of our inventions and culture. To live in loving abundance, we must return to our roots in wholeness.
Changing the course of an entire civilization is no small feat, especially amid intertwined crises of climate change, migration, and war. In the past, humanity sought new frontiers to conquer, but now we must learn to live together on and with our shared planetary home if we are to secure a thriving future. Visionary Duane Elgin envisions an “Earth Voice,” a collective power formed by the unified voices and visions of the world’s citizens, amplified through the internet and social media. This pull towards oneness calls for coherence in our collective voices, seeking solutions that benefit everyone, including the Earth.
Can we do it? As institutions and nations face challenges, we must honestly assess our creations—both miraculous and disastrous. A new era is emerging, one that calls for a radical transformation in how we live. In embracing this new worldview, we acknowledge the interconnectedness of all life and the necessity of working together to address the global challenges we face. This shift in perspective, from competition to collaboration, from isolation to integration, offers a path toward healing and transformation. It encourages us to see our shared humanity and to act in ways that honor and protect the diversity and richness of life on Earth. As we navigate these changes, we are called to be both humble in recognizing our past mistakes and bold in our vision for the future. This is not just about avoiding negative karma but about actively creating positive change, cultivating a world where all beings can thrive. This journey toward peace on Earth requires everyone’s commitment: those clearing their personal karma, those feeling the evolutionary call, and the new generations being born. We must embrace this rising spirit of oneness and commit at a soul level to healing the past and co-creating a shining new culture of peace.
May Peace Prevail on Earth.
Return to Volume 24 Issue 4, Collective Mind of Peace
Thank you for this erudite reflection on where we are as a species. In this noisy, chaotic world, it helps to return to the anchor points, outside of ourselves. Thanks for leading us there.