Karma can be — and is — described in different ways, but the essential definition of karma (to my thinking at least) is created energies that return in kind. This goes a long way towards explaining your present relationships and conditions: energies that you have created in some existence, whether it be this one or previous existences, have returned to you.
It is not coincidence that your parents are who they are, that your siblings are who they are, that your spouse is who he or she is, that your children are who they are, and so on, and also that you made the decisions that you’ve made. You are collecting your karmas as you move, once more, down the path of the life experience. Moreso, this is your intention.
Your conscious mind is not aware that you are intentionally picking up karmas but your subconscious mind certainly is. And why are you doing this? To resolve your karmas — to pay off your debt, if you will, or collect your reward.
Karma is why it is irrational and even irresponsible to regret. There are never any mistakes made — everything happens exactly as it should, though the reason is something you may not always understand while you are within the life experience (and so are inhibited by thinking).
Karma is quite significant within ho’oponopono and conscious living. In ho’oponopono karma is typically referred to as memories; in conscious living karma is typically referred to as, simply, karma. Beyond and more important than different name labels, both ho’oponopono and conscious living provide a means for clearing karma.
In ho’oponopono karma clearing occurs through mantra work; in conscious living karma clearing happens through the act of presence. In truth the two methods are effectively the same because the intent of both, in my opinion at least, is to achieve presence — or, to put it another way, to stop ego output and be conscious only to the present moment.
Why is it important to clear karma?
To neutralize the returned energies that are showing up as your conflict with this person, as your experience of poverty or addiction or disease, or whatever other experiences your karmas are causing. Spiritualist Deepak Chopra, as well as others, have said that all karmas must be paid off. So by paying off your karmas through applying ho’oponopono or conscious living, or using some other method if you prefer, you are clearing yourself from debt.
You are moving to freedom.
Do not attempt to clear karmas with a particular outcome in mind. I’m going to clear my karmas so that I’ll no longer experience this! There’s no way to know what karmas cause what experiences, and there are shared karmas besides so the karma pool is deep. Use your preferred method for achieving conscious awareness and allow the karmas to dissolve as they will.
Let the revolution happen on its own.
This is the way it has to happen, which works extremely well for us because it allows us to simply enjoy the experience of presence and be unconcerned with any work to be done.
It’s a terrific arrangement.
