If we are honest with ourselves, we know we battle our lesser angels daily – the soothing little voices in our heads giving us permission to do as we please rather than what is best, such as:

• Going to the gym (“You are so tired. Go home and relax – exercise another day.”)
• Eating right (“You had salad yesterday. Have the double cheeseburger – you earned it.“)
• Staying on budget (“You work so hard, you deserve a splurge. Buy it!“)

We fight these little battles every day, sometimes we win and sometimes we do not, but we battle because we know the slippery slope of self-indulgence is as dangerous as Mt Everest if you lose your grip.

In my opinion, the most dangerous of these self-indulgences is schadenfreude (defined simply as pleasure at someone else’s misfortune); this is where the Lesser Angel burns darkest, a double whammy – not only is someone else already hurt but your joy in it not only slips you further down the slope but it also earns dark karma debt you will have no choice but to pay.

IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT KARMA AND SCHADENFREUDE: It does not matter in the least whether or not “they had it coming!” Karmic debt is individual – what you do is what matters.

There is nothing so insidious as self-justification (i.e. He deserves what he got because he did something to me.) and everyone understands the desire to see the bad guy “get his,” and the good guy win the day. Please think about this: have you ever noticed the hero does not cheer, not for his victory and not for the other guy’s loss. Why? Because it would be a profound lack of grace. And it is in that very lack of grace the lesser angel gains ground, gets stronger.

REMINDER: Karma plays rougher than you think.

Whether you believe in equal, threefold or five-fold return, it is important to remember Karma has the heart of an IRS Auditor (on a chain around her neck); not only will you pay for your behavior but there will be interest and a stiff penalty besides. There is no appeals process, all decisions are final, and energy is infinite; you may not pay in this life but that does not mean you “got away with it.” Each deed is meticulously recorded and reviewed separately; while good karma could earn positive rewards or energy, bad karma will certainly teach you a lesson. Hopefully, you will be aware enough to learn the lesson and not repeat the behavior that earned it.

What you do is what matters.

It really is just that simple. Know it, believe it, and understand it, because you are responsible for it in every lifetime.