The Power of Karma

January 7, 2002
In her work as a psychic adviser, clairvoyant Browne (Life After Death) downplays her talent to predict the future and instructs clients on the simple rules of karma, how to identify their karmic patterns and how to accept responsibility for negative intentions, emotions and actions. Of the cases she describes here, many tell of persons disturbed by the past or anxious for the future, and a surprising number are driven by barely disguised greed, envy or lust for power and recognition. Browne draws on the inextricable link between reincarnation and karma to explain why people must make amends for harmful motivations and actions. According to the author, the ancient Buddhist doctrine of karma, as a law of cause and effect, is "the only practical, sound, sensible, comprehensive, intelligent, logical, down-to-earth, matter-of-fact, sane answer to why good things happen to bad people or why bad things happen to good people." Throughout every lifetime, each soul carries with it a karma "bank account" that maintains a cumulative balance of negative and positive actions. To improve the balance and increase harmony, Browne recommends the use of a karma journal to track the diminution of negative behavior. In each chapter, she offers a collection of reminders, affirmations and prayers about karmic issues concerning health, sex, money, power and balance. As an interpretation of the multifaceted and subtle concepts behind the law of karma, her rendering is often simplistic and may dishearten serious students of Buddhism, but as a practical beginner's guide to a profound doctrine—a kind of kindergarten karma—the approach is effective. Agent, Jan Miller.