Justice!

The man, believing himself wronged, sought justice in his prayer:  “My neighbor has a new goat.  I do not.  Kill my neighbor’s goat!”

This variation on an old Russian peasant’s tale illustrates a common, and distorted, concept of justice.  The contemporary version goes like this:  “She has all the luck.  I am unlucky.  Take away her good fortune!”  Make him/her as miserable as me.

The question, in both versions, is the status of the petitioner – is he/she better off when the neighbor’s goat dies and the other person suffers disaster?  No.  Yet a curious sense of “justice” prevails – they’re suffering just like me.

This kind of justice believes that if one person gains, it is at the expense and suffering of another.  Too much of a good thing for one, you see, creates too much of misery for another.  Except that it isn’t true.  The reality is an abundance in universe, that joy is the object of pursuit and everyone is as prosperous and joyful as their faith (belief) allows.  It is not the lack of anything that produces misery, it is the belief in lack that produces the misery.  Remember that negative emotions serve the same purpose as physical pain – alerting consciousness that something is awry.  In the case of mis-guided justice, what’s awry is a false belief in cause and effect.  Or, a confusion of universal law and man-made law, a.k.a. render unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s and to God that which is God’s.

Justice is defined as the maintenance or administration of what is just (conformity with what is morally upright or good) especially by the impartial adjustment of conflicting claims or the assignment of material rewards or punishment and conformity to truth, fact, or reason.  Merriam-Webster.

The Bible addresses justice in Matthew:  1.  Judge not, that ye be not judged.  2.  For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged; and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.  This is the ancient concept of karma.  It is the impartial assignment conforming to truth.  Why be cautious about judging?  The Bible clarifies in Romans - Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place to wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, said the Lord.

Historically man-made law reflects universal law to a lesser degree, thus justice seeks to reduce or eliminate accepted “evils” – don’t kill, steal, and such.  If an offender of the man-made law is suitably punished for his crime, then justice is served.

So, what’s going on with this judge-not, don’t seek vengeance, stuff?  Conformity with truth, fact and reason.  Using a sense of “justice” to call for punishment on another will come full circle - as is said – for doing unto others as you would have them do unto you.  Thus, perhaps, the caution to leave vengeance to the Creator.  To observe and energize “injustice” whether a personal wrong, or a fear that someone else is escaping punishment is to place the observer in the midst of the injustice/wrong – the Law of Attraction will respond and bring to the person more of what they are giving attention.

It’s impossible to escape the consequences of conscious attention – literal cause and effect.  The ruling principle has to be what is desired:  Do I want to feel good or, do I want to feel bad?  A thousand variations on that theme, granted, but still the same theme.  “I won’t rest until that $%!@#!!! gets justice!”  “How can you be so happy when they are so miserable?”  “You don’t need another car, what about all those without a car period?”  “If you didn’t eat out as much you could give that money to the poor…”  “Your carbon footprint is too big…” On and on, and on.  Variations on a theme.

Concerned about justice?  Relax.  Justice is assured, without exception, measure for measure, with unfailing fairness.  The Law of Attraction.