Compensation And Newton's Third Law....

Newton's Third Law states roughly that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. This is interesting to consider in light of the discussion on compensation we had earlier.

If I put energy into a good or service, that energy must be taken out of the universe at large - or very often, out of my own body.

If I receive monetary compensation, that money must be taken out of someone else's bank account.

If I pour a glass of orange juice, the glass becomes full only at the expense of the pitcher.

If I throw a ball into the air, the earth pulls it back to itself with exactly the same amount of energy I put into the ball in the first place - and not one bit more.

So, why does it not follow that when I do good, when I am kind, when I love somewhere else in the world I have caused a bad, and unkindness, or a hatred? Because Nature, the Universe - God - is an infinite source of virtue and goodness. When we act with virtuous intentions and do things that cause good in our lives, the lives of others, and the world at large, Natural virtue compensates Newton's Third Law and goodness and virtue are actually multiplied, and not negated.

This is not theory. Simply look around. Simply search your memory. When you let someone pull in front of you in traffic, how much delayed were you in getting to your destination? When someone smiled at you in the store, how much more suffering do you think they endured later in the day? When we stop to cheer a friend, do we find more sadness in our lives?

There are laws that seem to govern the world we see, such as Newton's Laws and the Laws of Thermodynamics. But there are other, higher laws that govern the universe of the soul. And the soul has so much to do with the world we see.

When, however, we act with malice, with selfish intent, in spite or hate, we cannot reap goodness in the long term. Certainly, we may experience a momentary and temporal increase. But the bad we have sown in the world will surely come back to us. When we profit at another's expense, when we advance by forcing another to revert, when we gratify ourselves while humiliating another, we will reap the whirlwind we have sown. The pleasure is compensated for by an equal amount of pain; the gain is compensated for by an equal amount of loss.

And in the end - and perhaps sooner than that - we will see the costs we've inflicted on others return to us multiplied.

In the Old Testament story of Samuel the prophet, Samuel is instructed to choose the next king of Israel from Jesse's sons. When he sees how strong and handsome Eliab is, Samuel says in his heart that he has found the man. The Lord reproaches him and reminds Samuel that "man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart."

Thus we see that God, Nature, the Universe, perceives our intentions, knows our struggles and our sorrows, understands our deepest desires, and passes perfect judgment. The law of compensation is based on this perfect insight and infinite discernment.