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Spirituality: The Concept of Karma

Karma is Sanskrit for "deed." In both Hinduism and Buddhism karma includes an individual's physical and mental actions which determine the consequences of the person's present life and sequential lives through rebirth. Karma is based upon the phenomena of cause and effect which denotes both action and reaction that extend through many lifetimes.

Karma is a sum of all that an individual has done, is currently doing and will do. The results or "fruits" of actions are called karma-phala. Karma is not about retribution, vengeance, punishment or reward; karma simply deals with what is. The effects of all deeds actively create past, present and future experiences, thus making one responsible for one's own life, and the pain and joy it brings to others. In religions that incorporate reincarnation, karma extends through one's present life and all past and future lives as well. It is cumulative.

Karma is normally thought of as a term used by eastern religions such as previously mentioned. But in Plato's description of reincarnation, he too touches on the theme of karma when saying the soul tends to become impure through bodily transmigrations. However, if the soul retains its pure state and does good acts it will return to its preexistent state, but if it continues to deteriorate by bad acts through bodily transmigrations it will go to a place of eternal damnation.

In Buddhist teaching, the law of karma, says this: "for every event that occurs, there will follow another event whose existence was caused by the first, and this second event will be pleasant or unpleasant according as its cause was skillful or unskillful." Therefore, the law of Karma teaches that responsibility for all actions (good and bad) is born by the person who commits them.

Karma is not mentioned in orthodox Christianity which holds the soul works out its rewards or punishments in a single lifetime. The closest mentioning of karma is the Biblical scripture: "...for whatever a man sowest, that shall he reap." (Gal. 6:7)

One of the most modern understandings of karma comes from the theosophical teachings on reincarnations. The many manifestations of the body are small parts of the whole; like pages in a book. The Monard, or Divine Spark, or the individual remains the same throughout many reincarnations.

This individuality is from three higher worlds; the spiritual, the intuitional and the higher mental. But for the individuality to widen its experience and knowledge it must descend into the lower worlds of lower mental and physical, and return to the higher worlds with the knowledge it has learned.

This seems impossible to do in one lifetime, and must be repeated. The objective of the individuality's journeys into the lower worlds to gain knowledge is to perfect it to a perfect perfection in order to enter the highest sphere of the heavenly world. Each time the individuality perfects itself by a reincarnation in the lower worlds it reaches a higher level of perfection in the higher worlds. But, if the individuality does not perfect itself during an reincarnation it must repeat the reincarnation again.

Therefore, there are laws of progress which govern the number of reincarnations which each individuality must make. The more the individuality perfects itself during each reincarnation, the fewer reincarnations it must make, and vice verse. This is decreed by what, in theosophy, is called The Evolution of Life Theory, which, in Hinduism and Theosophy, sees the process of evolution as cyclic, linear, and incomprehensible. Man passes through cycles of birth-death-reincarnation until he reaches a state of perfection, or, in Hinduism man finally evolves into the state of Nirvana : "that all shall attain perfection by developing to the utmost their latent powers and qualities, and each manifestation in the lower worlds is but one short journey toward the goal."

The late American mystic Edgar Cayce relied much on karma in his trace readings. He thought the effects of karma could be symbolic instead of literal. Karma could be mitigated by the "law of grace" which, for him, involved both a state of mind and a gift from God. Cayce said physical deformities and illnesses arose because of karma from past lives.

Most believe that at death, both the body and spirit returns to the Mother Goddess, the Earth; where the spirit rests and then is reborn again in a new body.

What You Sow Is What You Will Reap
You Reap What You Sow

If we accept that the basic ethical purpose of karma is to behave responsibly, and the tenet of karma is essentially "if you do good things, good things will happen to you — if you do bad things, bad things will happen to you," then it is possible to identify analogs with other religions that do not rely on karma as a metaphysical assertion or doctrine.

Karma does not specifically concern itself with salvation as it implies a basic socio-ethical dynamic. As a mechanism, karma in Hinduism is judge of one's actions, much as the concept of God as judge is in relation to "good works" in western religions.

Similarly, the Egyptian goddess Ma'at (the divine judge) played a similar and impartial role meting out justice in a manner very similar to karma; Ma'at could not be appeased by faith or regret — an action done was done, and you were judged on that.

Parallels may also be found in the Greek goddess Ananke (Necessity, Inevitability, or Compulsion), who was the mother of the Moirae (Fates) and dealt out one's "heimarmene" (allotted portion) strictly according to one's actions both in this life and in previous incarnations, and in Germanic Wyrd.

Summary

Millions of people believe in karma and it is a part of many cultures and the psyches of people in general. Others without religious backgrounds, especially in western cultures or with Christian upbringings, become convinced of the existence of karma. For some, karma is a more reasonable concept than eternal damnation for the wicked. Spirituality or a belief that virtue is rewarded and sin creates suffering might lead to a belief in karma.

According to karma, performing positive actions results in a good condition in one's experience, whereas a negative action results in a bad effect. The effects may be seen immediately or delayed. Delay can be until later in the present life or in the next. Thus, meritorious acts may mean rebirth into a higher station, such as a superior human or a godlike being, while evil acts result in rebirth as a human living in less desirable circumstances, or as a lower animal. Some observers have compared the action of karma to Western notions of sin and judgment by God or gods, while others understand karma as an inherent principle of the universe without the intervention of any supernatural Being. In Hinduism, God does play a role and is seen as a dispenser of karma; see Karma in Hinduism for more details. The latter understanding, without intervention is the view of Buddhism and Jainism.

Most teachings say that for common mortals, being involved with karma is an unavoidable part of daily living. However, in light of the Hindu philosophical school of Vedanta, as well as Gautama Buddha's teachings, one is advised to either avoid, control or become mindful of the effects of desires and aversions as a way to moderate or change one's karma (or, more accurately, one's karmic results or destiny).

based upon http://www.themystica.com/mystica/articles/k/karma.html