The Three Laws
There are three basic laws that motivate and guide man along the evolutionary path from the individual personality to the universal spirit, from selfishness to selflessness.
(1) The law of karma [action] operates on all beings through the duality of pain and pleasure. According to this law, every thought, word, or action which is emitted by our gross and subtle bodies must return to them. Life is a mirror reflecting back to us what we are emitting so that we may see ourselves through others. When we harm, we are harmed. When we love, we are loved. Very simply, as we do to others, it will be done to us. Through the help of this law we learn by trial and error. When we suffer, we understand how others feel when we make them suffer. When we are happy, we understand how others feel when we make them happy. Learning through the law of karma is a rather slow and painful process.
(2) When one has evolved sufficiently, he begins to operate more through the law of dharma [right action]. Although he still learns through the law of karma, he now is very interested in doing what is right, regardless of whether the results will be pleasant or unpleasant. Pain and pleasure are not so important. He is motivated by a sense of righteous action. Many great saints have demonstrated this pure steadfastness to the truth in spite of all types of physical and mental suffering. The “ dharmic” individual is concerned both for the social welfare and for the needs of others. He is very interested in manifesting the law of dharma, that is, the right order of things here on the earth. Through a sense of duty, truth, and correct action he begins to identify with the whole.
(3) Eventually the individual is inspired with selfless love. The law of love inspires a feeling of union and oneness between the spiritual aspirant, the beings, and the world around him. He ceases to feel himself a separate entity that has selfish needs. He loves everyone and everything and gives willingly all that he has for the benefit of all. His actions are not motivated by fear of retribution as in the case of the law of karma or by duty as in the case of the law of dharma. He simply sees no difference between his own needs and the others’ needs. He exerts no efforts in order to be in harmony with others, because for him there are no “others.” Just as a mother easily gives all to her child, the individual under the law of love gives all to the world.
These three laws are summed up in the following words by Sathya Sai Baba. “Remember, when you love another man, you are really loving yourself, for there is only you in every one. Soham, He is I. Whenever you injure, it is you that suffer, whenever you cheat, it is you who are cheated. If you do not do your duty to the best of your ability and intelligence and to the satisfaction of your conscience, you are only cheating your Self.”
~Bob Najemy, Athens
Source: Sanathana Sarathi, July 1983
