Karma

Everyone's heard of Karma. Ask anyone, and they will say they know about it. Or atleast, they think they know. People think Karma is "fate". If you do good, you will receive good. If you do bad, you will face tough situations. You may have faced situations where you were hurt or betrayed and then you ask yourselves, "Why me? I have never hurt or betrayed anybody in my life." Karma is questioned. 

"Karma" has got a lot more to ponder about than just using the word for tattoos or to write cool phrases.

As said by Barbara O' Brien: the word "karma" means "action," not "fate." In Buddhism, karma is an energy created by willful action, through thoughts, words and deeds. We are all creating karma every minute, and the karma we create affects us every minute.

It's common to think of "my karma" as something you did in your last life that seals your fate in this life, but this is not Buddhist understanding. Karma is an action, not a result. The future is not set in stone. You can change the course of your life right now by changing your volitional (intentional) acts and self-destructive patterns.

Karma doesn't literally mean if you "do" good you will receive good. Like there's some tracking system. Karma is the willingness to do right things and to think right thoughts in any given situation. Taking the previous example, yes, he or she may have never hurt anybody intentionally. But, sometimes in their lives, they must have created some thoughts to some unacceptable actions. Karma is energy. They radiated bad energy solely through their thoughts which got reflected, in the same form or maybe higher.

It's like throwing a ball when you create some thoughts when you face a tough situation. When you react aggressively or violently to it, you throw a bigger ball.  That ball is going to come back to you. Maybe after 10 minutes. Or 10 hours. Or 10 days. Or a 100 days. When you receive it quick, you know it's yours. I threw it so I received it. But when you get it back after 100 days, you don't remember that it's the result of your past action. And then you ask yourselves- "why me?"

What you do or think is Karma. What you receive is your destiny. It is said, what goes around, comes around. Karma is not just action. It is thoughts, words and actions. The Karma you receive, i.e., your destiny, is the result of your thoughts, words and actions. 

Karma is an energy. Every intentional action or thought creates a "karmic" energy. That energy harms you more than it harms the other person or situation. That energy is felt every minute and is stored in your "karmic account". We are bound to settle it in this lifetime. 

We are all well aware of Newton’s law that states that every action causes an equal and opposite reaction. Without it, time would stand still—nothing could move.

Karma is simply the extension of Newton’s law. Instead of dealing merely with inert objects, it applies to our actions, words, and thoughts. 

Bhagavat Geeta has stated that no action of any man goes unnoticed and despite the superiority, the after effect will not get pacified.

There are four types of Karma according to the Geeta:

Sanchita Karma: This is the result of actions that have been gathered in this and all other previous lives. These are part of those kriyaman karmas that have not borne fruits as yet. It is more or less like arrows in quiver as the good karma do not cancel the effect of bad one. However, they stay side by side and help us lead a life which is not monotonous at all.

Aagami Karma: It is a portion of prabadha karma. It is just like an arrow that is ready to be launched. If the circumstances support, they will be launched and reach the desire.

Prabadha Karma: This type of karma is like an arrow that has already left the bow and is about to reach the destination. It can also relate  to the words that have been spoken and cannot be taken back at any cost.

Kriyaman Karma: These are the karmas that we do in the present. Of these that bear fruits there are two types of fruits- one in the form of circumstances (favourable and adverse) and second type of fruit is the impressions in our inner self.

 

These were the four types of karma that find their mention in Bhagavat geeta and upanishads. We all create some or the other type of karma of which we’ll have to suffer the consequences. 

We can't get rid of this karmic cycle. It's a part of us now. Well, we are a part of it. We can, however, refrain from creating more damaging after-effects by practising sowing good seeds. Our life begins to develop more harmoniously. We find it easier to deal with new problems. However, all this should be done without the greed for good results. People think good Karma begets good fruits. What they fail to understand is that, Karma "is" the fruit. These akarmas (actions performed without any desire for personal benefit and only for the service of others) not only bear no fruits but also destroy the effects of other karmas performed by us. 

This leads us to the next problem- what about the previous karmas? What about the damage already done? You must have seen inspirational talks by people with no arms, or no feet. They have come out of the tunnel of disappointment, agony, pain, sympathy and self-rejection. They have accepted the reality and are making the most of it now. This is what that needs to be done- facing the reality and overcoming the negative Karma. We need to learn to purify our thoughts. When we change our attitude, habits and personality for good, it becomes easy to face our destiny. We know that we can't blame God. The answer to "why me" is "it had to be me".

You are free to experience the greatest things in life. You have a hand over everything that happens to you. You define you.