The concept of Karma originated around 1500 BCE with the Vedas and Upanishads.
Vedas and Upanishads say; "When a person dies he becomes one with Prana –the inner
consciousness. The outer consciousness
-the speech with all names, the eyes with all forms, ears with all sounds, and
mind with all thoughts is absorbed in Prana.
There is complete absorption of all senses and mind in Prana. Ahangkar -the Ego, the 'I' too gets dissolved
in Prana.
When Prana departs from the body on its
way back to Siva –the universal self, it departs with all these and carrying
nothing but the Karma -the merit accrued while in the body.
When a person is born again, the Prana
enters the body, and the cycle continues."
Karma is neutral rebound, the natural
law of cause and effect that perpetuates physical, mental and supramental
system inherent in existence.
Karma, as law of the phenomenal cosmos,
is immutable to living beings within the dimensions of time, space and
causation.
Karma is not an instrument of
inscrutable God, but the spiritual property of the phenomenal existence.
Karma is the natural law of
existence. It is an active principle and
determines that for every action there is a corresponding influence on the
individual’s state of being, which affects the entire chain of present and
future life.
Karma is comparable to the Golden Rule
but denies arbitrariness, fate or destiny due to absolute reason independently
assigned by the cosmos.
Karma drives phenomenal existence and
it stretches all the way back to the origin of the universe.
Karma encompass both physical and subtle
actions including self-awareness, thoughts, desires and intentions and their corresponding
effects which have inextricable
relationship, and they are inseparable.
Karma binds us Samsara -the cycle of
life characterized by suffering through recurring cause and effect of involuntary
and voluntary actions.
The cosmic root of Karma is Siva -the
universal self. Siva is Brahmn -the
absolute, supreme and primeval.
Everything emerges from Siva and to Siva everything dissolves.
We come from Siva and we go back to
Siva. Everything belongs to this journey
of coming and going which forms the cosmic cycle.
It is possible to escape the repeated
suffering of birth and death by transcending Karma.
Karma can be transcended by exhausting
the accumulated Karma and by not letting further creation of Karma.
When the accumulated Karma is exhausted
and further creation of Karma is ceased, one realizes the true Self, the oneness
among all beings, the Brahman.
By realizing the true Self, the
individual soul is liberated from Samsara, the cycle of birth and death
characterized by unsatisfactoriness and suffering.
Karma creates an impression around us and in ever
aware inner consciousness which may be positive or negative depending on the
corresponding results and tendencies it creates.
Karma affects our wellbeing in this
present life and creates an impression on our inner consciousness. When we die, the inner consciousness carries
the impression, which determines our state of being in our next life.
In Bhagvad Gita (3.4), Krishna says;
"By virtue of the nature of our existence, we cannot refrain from Karma nor
can it be renounced. Inaction is sinful
just as doing sinful action. Being
capricious also produces negative Karma."
With our action we remain in Samsara
and suffer. By our action we are
liberated from Samsara.
Bhagvad Gita has the exclusive teaching
on Karma Yoga which says; by our action we are either liberated or remain in
Samsara.
With our action doing rightful duty
with complete devotion, being free from attachment, ill-will and Ego, and with even
mind in pleasure and pain, we are liberated from Samsara.
Do your rightful duty selflessly. Do not attach yourself to the fruits of your
action. Any action attached to its fruit
is not right (Bhagvad Gita 2.47).
One who has given up desires for sense
gratification and all sense of proprietorship, and is devoid of false Ego, he
alone can attain supreme state of being.
Even if a man gives up at the moment of death, he enters into the
Kingdom of God (Bhagvad Gita 2.71-72).
The message of Bhagvad Gita is that in life
we should be selflessly doing rightful duty with right attitude, having fixed our
thought firmly on Krishna -the pure consciousness, abandoning all kinds of
attachments, without expecting the fruit of our action, and with even mind in
both success and failure.
The teaching on Karma tells us; “My
motivation and action will have their effect on me, and my social and natural
environment in which I live. I cannot
overlook these effects, therefore I have the responsibility to see that my
conduct creates conducive effect on me as well as on my social and natural
environment.”
We are born with our Karma. We perpetuate life with our Karma and at
death we go with a balance sheet of lifetime Karma to continue life with it in
next birth. How long we wonder in
Samsara and suffer life after life or attain eternal bliss having attained Moktsa
–freedom, depends upon our Karma.
Nothing forces man to born in a
particular way except the accumulated stock of his Karma.
Our Karma, whether mental or physical,
or both, determines either we perpetuate in the inexorable cycle of rebirth or attain
Moktsa -freedom.
The teachings on Karma say; We are
responsible for what we are; and whatever we wish ourselves to be, we have the power
to realize it.
What we are now is the result of our
past Karma, but we have the power to change, right here and now, in this
life. It means whatever we wish to be in
future can be realized by our present action.
In Bhagvad Gita (3.16) Krishna says; “If
one does not perform one’s rightful duty detaching from the result of action; lives
in vain producing negative Karma. One should
not give up the occupational duties and suddenly become a Yogi. One should be in one’s own position and try
to realize divinity within.
Action should be guided by intelligence
and the feeling of universal oneness, and not by self interest. One should fix his thought on the divine consciousness
and act with right motivation, not with selfish motif.
He who controls the senses by mind and mind
by intellect, and engages in action with right attitude, fortitude, non-attachment
and devotion, attains the highest state of being.”
With our intelligence we should study
our mind and understand our material mode of existence governed by Ego -the
Kama-Rupa. With spiritual intelligence
we acquire spiritual strength with which we know our real identity. With spiritual strength, we conquer the Kama-Rupa,
our enemy; the worldly desire (Bhagvad Gita 3.43).”
Our mind becomes pure when we give up
desire for sense gratification and we are free from attachment when we
completely destroy Ego. When we perform
our duty being free from desire and attachment we become an awakened
person.
Karma is not simply the action but the
intent behind the action that counts.
The intent of the Karma must be right and it has both, the continuative
and retributive principle.
Whatever we ought to do we should do it
selflessly benefiting everyone without discrimination. Even to become a Sanyasi –an ascetic, the
purification of the mind and heart is prerequisite. A Sadhu –an ascetic; who has clandestine
motif is a nuisance to the society.
In material mode of existence the evils
are situated in our Indriya -senses, our Manha -mind, and our Buddhee –intelligence,
in the form of attraction, attachment and aversion, craving and clinging, anger,
lust, hatred, jealousy, pride and multitude evil nature. These evils are the primary symbols of
ignorance that binds us to the material mode of existence. They are our enemies within.
While in material mode of existence, we
enjoy sense gratification with a feeling of happiness but that happiness is
ephemeral and not true happiness. That
so-called happiness is our ultimate enemy.
We must not be sense enjoyer.
In this human life we have the chance
to destroy the evils that are within that binds us to Samsara and makes us
suffer. No one should let this
opportunity go waste. Everyone should
strive to get out of the entanglement in material mode of existence destroying
the evils that are within.
This human life of ours is
precious.
We desire result of our action and it
is this desire, in the form of attachment and craving, binds us to the material
mode of existence, and such desire is characterised by suffering.
In Bhagvad Gita (5.10) Krishna says;
“One who perform his rightful duty without attachment, surrendering the results
of it to the divine personality –the universal self, is unaffected by the
results of one’s action.” He does not
accrue Karma.
In Hindu theology, Krishna is the
embodiment of universal consciousness, the Param Atma –the pure consciousness. Krishna is Brahmn –the absolute, unchangeable
eternal transcendental truth. Krishna is
the cause of all creation and of annihilation.
As Parma Atma, Krishna resides in the heart of every one of us.
Action done with pure transcendental
consciousness does not produce the cause that binds us Samsara. Instead it enables us to proceed on the path
of Moktsa -freedom (Bhagvad Gita 5.17).
A person who has embodied pure
consciousness devotes everything in his possession to divine activities,
goodness of others, happiness of all, elimination of evils and evil doers. Such a person sees all beings with equal
vision (Bhagvad Gita 5.18).
Every faith reminds us for doing right
action. The inspirational sayings such
as; “What you do not want to be done to yourself, do not do to others. What you
expect others to do unto you, do so unto to them” can be found in the
scriptures of every faith.
Lord Buddha embraced the philosophy on
Karma deeply rooted in the Vedas and Upanishads.
Lord Buddha took the philosophy of
Karma further with much more clarity and simplicity, and re-defined the very
concept of Karma in a more pragmatic sense.
Lord Buddha says; “The Law of Karma naturally
applies to phenomenal existence. The
origination of every phenomenon and its dissolution depends on cause and
condition obeying the Law of Karma.
The law of Karma is infallible.
In Anguttara Nikaya V.57-Upajjhathana
Sutta, Lord Buddha says:
I am the owner of my Karma.
I inherit my Karma.
I am born of my Karma.
I am related to my Karma.
I am supported by my Karma.
Whatever Karma I create, whether good or
evil, that I shall inherit.
No being or force can influence or
control the operation of Karma. Karma
itself yields the result of every action, as the natural operation of the
universal law of cause and effect.
The Karma in simple term means action. Our mental and /or physical actions have inescapable
consequence. They are governed by the Law
of Karma –the natural law of cause and effect.
What we are is the result of what we
were; and what we will be shall be the result of what we are. This is the universal law of Karma.
What we are is determined by what we
thought, said and did in the past, and what we are thinking, saying, and doing
now will form our future. The actions of
the past, present and future events are connected by the universal and
infallible law of Karma.
Past Karma conditions the present
birth; and present Karma, in combination with past Karma, conditions the
future.
The present is the offspring of the
past, and becomes, in turn, the parent of the future.
The law of Karma tells that there is
continuity between past and present, and that the present accords with the
past.
If you want to know your past life; look
at your present condition. If you want
to know your future life; look at your present action.
Bound by the law of Karma; the life-stream
flows ad-infinitum. The birth precedes
death, and death precedes birth. The ultimate
beginning of this life stream is beyond scope of time and space and difficult
to determine. Inconceivable is the
beginning of this Samsara. In this ad-infinitum
the life stream of birth and death, Dukha emanates from ignorance.
Dukkha -the suffering and
unsatisfactoriness that sentient beings undergo in every successive life is due
to ignorance and ignorantly engaging in doing evil Karmas.
Ignorance results in evil Karmas which
in turn result in Dukha. When a person
comes out of ignorance, the worldly desire dies, the illusion ends, and the divine
light of enlightenment shines on him.
From ignorance arise defilements:
attachment, aversion, anger, lust, greed and jealousy. As long as the defilements are present, they
singularly or collectively bring down our ability to distinguish between good
and bad, and we continue to generate negative Karma which gets accumulated and
expresses in the next life.
When all accumulated negative Karma are
annulled by positive Karma, we enter into the path of Nirvana, the ultimate
happiness and bliss.
To be liberated from Dukkha, one should
move upward aspiring for Buddhahood and accord with it, and move downward to
help every sentient being with compassionate heart to liberate them from
Dukkha.
One who devotes in getting others liberated
from Dukha, without any condition whatsoever or any return gets oneself liberated.
The sorrow and happiness one
experiences are the natural outcome of one’s own good and bad actions, and not
because of any external entity who rules his subjects with reward and punishment.”
The most eminent distinction Lord
Buddha made on the philosophy of Karma is that he defied that the present is
destined by past and nothing can be done.
Lord Buddha redefined and said; "One
can annul the results of negative Karma of past lives with positive wholesome
Karma now in this life and change the course otherwise determined by past Karma,
and put oneself on the path of liberation.
This life, in human form, is precious because
in this life we can annul all the negative Karmas thus far accumulated and free
ourselves from suffering and attain Nirvana –liberation."
Lord Buddha placed greater emphasis on moral
and ethical action, and he established relationship between morality,
volitional action, and the resulting state of being.
Lord Buddha declared; “The morality and
ethics are not extraneous to the realm of cause and effect. Being mindful of ethics and morality is
central to living a divine way of life.”
The teaching on Karma gives us hope,
self-reliance and moral courage. It energizes
our efforts, kindles our enthusiasm, and makes us ever kind, tolerant and
considerate. It convinces us to do good,
be good, and be free from all forms of defilements and attachments, and prompts
us to refrain from evil.
Lord Buddha says:
“Do not think a
small sin will not return in your future lives.
Just as falling drops of water will fill a
large container,
The little sins that accumulate will
completely overwhelm you.
Do not think a small virtue will not return
in your future lives.
Just as falling drops of water will fill a
large container,
The little virtues that accumulate will
completely overwhelm you.”
The teaching on Karma explains the mystery
of so-called fate and the inequality among mankind for everyone has his own Karma,
which differentiates into low and high states.
Our present mental, intellectual, moral
and temperamental differences are due to our own actions and tendencies of both
past and present.
If one believes in the present and in
the future, it is quite logical to believe in the past. The present is the offspring of the past, and
acts in turn as the parent of the future.
Lord Buddha says; “Everything that we
now experience is the result of how we thought and acted in the past. In the same way, our future depends on how we
act now.
We have the power to shape our lives now
and in future lives in the way we want.
This power lies in the present moment.”
Lord Buddha, having placed emphasis on
the intention with which the action is done, says:
“Watch your intents, for they become
words.
Watch your words, for they become actions.
Watch your actions, for they become
habits.
Watch your habits, for they become
character.
Watch your character, for it becomes your
destiny.”
In Anguttara Nikaya (3:415) Lord Buddha says;
“It is the volition that I call Karma; for having willed, one acts by body,
speech and mind.”
Our intention is the most important of
all mental events because it gives direction to our mind, determining whether
we engage in virtuous or non-virtuous action, or remain neutral.
Remaining neutral and apathetic or
indifference in life could be as big sin as those resulted from non-virtuous
action.
The intention of our action must be right. But what sets our intention is motivation.
Engaging on action with right
motivation, right intention, and complete devotion ignites cosmic intelligence
with cosmic energy, which enables us to know the truth and live a divine life.
Intent and action, both positive and
negative, are the seed of Karma and they are inherently present in us.
The seed of negative Karma resulting in
negative intention and intended action exists until they are completely purified. When we destroy the negative mental intent and
action by taking refuge in higher ideal and regret on negative action with a
firm resolve not to repeat again, we come out of suffering.
Directing all our volitions towards
wholesome action and helping others to refrain from negative action is the cornerstone
of Buddha Dharma.
Buddha Dharma tells us to cultivate
all-embracing compassion and loving kindness, and engage in enabling sentient
beings to stop doing evil Karma resulting from ignorance.
Lord Buddha says; “If you want to
understand the causes that existed in the past, look at the results as they are
manifested in the present. If you want
to understand what results will be manifested in the future, look at the causes
that exist in the present.
Our state of being is a result of our
own inherited past action and our present action. We ourselves are responsible for our happiness
and suffering. We build our hell, we
create our heaven. We are the architect
of our state of being.”
As we make progress in spiritual path,
the karmic force enables us to renounce worldly pleasures.
It is not true that a divine way of
life can be lived by a monk only. A lay
person living a moral and ethical life can attain Nirvana. What is inevitable is the pure intent,
wholesome action and being free from attachment.
Attachment to the fruit of our action,
whether wholesome or unwholesome, results in suffering. The action may be right and wholesome but if it
is done with the intent of getting something, the result will still be suffering.
When we are free from attachment, all
our volitions are directed towards wholesome action only.
The teaching on Karma gives us moral
courage and resilience, and the spiritual fortitudes, in the event of
misfortunes and disasters.
When we confront misfortunes or
disasters, the faith on Karma gives us the strength accept as it is and relentlessly
continue to make effort for the betterment in the present and future.
The faith on Karma gives us confidence on
ourselves for our own emancipation.
Lord Buddha inspires us to make the following
commitment aspiring for noble state of being:
“My future is better than my
present.
My future is in my present.
I determine my future; it is in my hand.”
The right understanding of the Law of Karma kindles
our willpower. It gives us moral courage
and makes us aware of our moral responsibility.
It tells us to rely on our own will power, and work incessantly for the
well-being and happiness of self and others.
By virtue of our nature of existence,
our material mode of nature is always dominant in us. Our materialistic want and desire drag us
away from living a just life in harmony with others and nature.
Unless we transcend our material mode
of nature and transform our inner consciousness into wisdom, we cannot be free
from the influence of the modes of material nature.
It is not possible to get out of the
mode of material nature by having the theoretical knowledge only.
Knowing is not enough.
We need to experience living a divine
life. Only upon experiencing the
realisation of divinity in us, we can severe our bondage to the mode of
material nature.
It is not only ideas, concepts and
philosophies, but it is practicing and experiencing the purity in thought and action
benefiting others that matters.
Only when the purity of thought is
translated into action and the same is confirmed with deep awareness within, we
will be able to cross over the Samsara and attain Nirvana, where true happiness
and bliss is eternally cherished.
Lord Buddha says; “Do good deed, the
Kusala Karma, so that the humanity benefit from a good moral order. Do not do bad deed, the Akusala Karma, for
humanity will suffer.
Many of us know the way, but few only
actually walk on it.
By practicing mental discipline we remain
aware and mindful. The mental discipline
enables us to cultivate and nurture our mind such that it generates only
positive intent and positive thought that leads us to positive action.
In every action, good or bad, its
result is built in. It remains latent
till appropriate time or circumstances. The
result of action, which is yet to be expressed, can be altered with the action being
performed at present."
Karma must not be understood as destiny.
Every one of us is borne carrying the
dividend of Karma of our past lives. But
it all begins to change as soon as we are born and our senses begin to
influence our consciousness. The change
could be in any form or direction. It
depends on the nature of our upbringing.
The environment in which we grow
influences our consciousness that is construed of both positive and negative
forces. Both have equal inertia to fully
influence and regulate our state of being.
The fight between the positive and negative
forces goes on throughout our life and through ad-infinitum. The two rival forces, the positive and
negative forces, we live with, have common source -our consciousness and it is continuously
influenced by the social and spiritual environment.
Consciously generated thoughts have positive
intent, while unconsciously generated thought may have negative intent. The negative intents are invariably generated unconsciously.
Remaining aware and mindful is the crux
of generating positive Karma and thereby living a noble life.
Lord Buddha says; “No one can do
anything to another for salvation.
Buddha can tell you what to do but he cannot do the work for you.
Purity and impurity of your mind
depends on you. No one can pollute or
purify your mind.
We are born with a sense of wonder
which is mediated by our upbringing, surrounding, and education.
As we grow, our sense of wonder begins
to be clouded as it begins to accumulate the experiences of our senses, which
could be positive, negative or mixed. With
our own conscious effort, we should endeavour to clear the negative forces.
The present moment is the key to moral
progress and change. The psychological
now contains all the potential for ethical action.
Being born in this material world,
purification of materialistic propensities and engaging fully in the
transcendental loving services is the only way to end the suffering.”
