UNDERSTANDING KARMA

“As you walk, eat, and travel, be where you are.

                        Otherwise, you will miss most of your life”.

         These profound words of advice by Gautama Buddha, the learned Indian monk who lived in the 4^th-5^th century BCE, and whose teachings were the foundation of Buddhism, are probably the most important words ever spoken. In this brief statement, he effectively reminded us that life can only be experienced to its greatest extent, if we always remain fully present and fully responsible for each and every moment in our lives. He went on to explain that, in order that we never miss a single experience, we must always to be mentally and physically fully aware of this present moment, and of the action we are contemplating. This is what was meant by the term, Karma:

“Each person is responsible for every thought, word or deed he expresses or generates, and equally, for any of the consequences that result from them.”

         The concept of Karma has existed in the ancient Indian Hindu mythology as far back as records are available. It is prominent in the oldest Hindu publication, “The Rigveda”, which appeared around 1500 BCE and has remained dominant since that time. It influences every action undertaken by an individual throughout his life on earth. In effect, it simply dictates that every person has the freedom to choose his response to a given situation, and that the reaction that follows is automatic, directly influenced by the character of the original response. A good deed for example, is rewarded with good results, and a bad act will be reciprocated with a bad result.

       In every situation, while the actual causative source of the action is completely beyond the person’s control, the attitude he brings to bear will trigger a response entirely of his choosing. Once this action is executed he will have no control over the consequences that follow. And the response will invariably follow the Law of Karma that, stated simply, is:

“Every action has consequences; for good or for bad.”

         The Buddha, some 1000 years later, refined this concept further when he defined Karma, not as ‘any action’ but as ‘any intention to act,’ whether this manifests itself in deed, act, word or thought. In Buddha’s view, it is the intention to act that will always carry the moral responsibility for good or bad, and it was this basic intention alone which had the moral character and power for creating the goodness, badness or neutrality that will ultimately determine the final action. As a result, the focus of interest changed from what was previously any physical action involving people and objects, to a psychological response of intent initiated by the individual. 

       To Buddha, the individual alone is responsible for his intention to act, and by doing so he alone will create the options for his future. At any moment, the individual can exercise his choice to act. How he chooses to do so will depend on the influences of his past experiences and how he interprets the present circumstances. All the actions are under the direct control of his Karma, and no one or no event can influence the result without the individual’s permission to allow it to do so.

In the end, what really matters in the formation of character is not so much the actual behavior involved in the action, but the intention for engaging in that action. In everything we do, we are controlled by the underlying intention, as Buddha took pain to stress:

“Your intention is your Karma.”

Consider the action of a person wielding a knife as he approaches. The mere fact of holding the knife means little without knowing the underlying intention of the person. Clearly the result will be very different if the intention was to harm the individual, than if it were to help him. The action therefore is of little consequence; rather it is always the intent that is the determinant factor.

In the Eastern cultures, good karma is considered to be crucial in developing wise, caring and loving human beings by creating the right settings. When a person chooses to act without any bad intentions, he conditions himself to repeating this action again and again and in so doing, begins to establish a habit of good deeds. Conversely, if the action arises out of harmful intentions, the individual is predisposed to repeating that action, leading to an increased likelihood of a pattern of harmful behavior developing. As Buddha himself, noted:

“Whatever a person frequently thinks and ponders upon;

That becomes the inclination of his mind.”

In the Buddhist philosophy, the motivating forces behind all actions are controlled by six intentions and that all behaviors are controlled by one or more of these intentions. They fall under two groups:

         1. Goodwill, Compassion and Generosity, which lead to good behavior.  

         2. Anger, Cruelty and Greed, which will give rise to bad behavior.

 The driving force in all of these is reflected by the underlying intention of the individual. If the intention arises from the first three, the subsequent actions will be positive and lead to good feelings. But if they arise from the second group, they will cause pain, suffering and disappointment and lead to anger and regret. 

       The individual’s karma, whether good or bad, will determine every response, irrespective of the type or reason of the causative action. A person with good karma will naturally approach every situation with kindness and compassion and search for understanding and resolution. While the other, faced with a similar situation, will view it with anger and suspicion, find only distrust and aggression, leading to an inevitable worsening of the situation.

         The importance of understanding Karma and the reason so much effort is placed on this, is that in the Buddhist tradition, this is the only way a person can succeed in changing his behavior and in improving himself. And only by fully achieving this, can a Buddhist ever hope to achieve Full Enlightenment, and arrive at the State of Happiness, in the hope of ultimately gaining a higher level of spirituality on subsequent reincarnation. Without this he is destined to continue to travel on at the present level forever. Finding this higher spirituality is the reason why the concept of Karma is held in such high regard throughout the Eastern culture, and considered by all, to be the paragon of Eastern philosophy.

         In Western thinking and belief, the concept of Karma is more or less alien because of the basic rejection of the principle of reward by Reincarnation in favor of a Supreme Being and a reward of Eternal life for obeying his commands. But nevertheless there are some striking similarities on the ethical conduct of life that should warrant serious consideration. In both instances, life must be conducted in a virtuous and ethical manner in order to achieve the desired goal of spiritual progress; on the one hand Enlightenment, and on the other, Godliness and Closeness to God. And in both instances the fundamental aim is to conduct one’s life in such a way as to achieve God’s good graces. In the Eastern tradition, Karma, controlled by the law of intentional consequences, dictates good actions will lead to receive good results, while the opposite will lead to bad results. While in the Western Belief System, good actions are rewarded through divine justice to eternal life, and bad actions are punished with eternal damnation.

         Irrespective of the profound differences in the separate philosophies between East and West, there is indeed, a definite kinship in both approaches that may justify the use of Karma as a common identity. In both instances, we are accountable to a higher authority and our intentional actions have consequences. The actions, in both instances are subject to our free will and our choice, and in both, we are responsible for the final outcome. Also in both cases the end result of our actions, good or bad, are destined to repeat themselves unless a direct effort is made by us, to correct them. In this respect, the internationally recognized Indian guru, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, a leader in the Transcendental Meditation Movement, who spent his adult life successfully living and teaching in the West, summarized this concept of equality in both cultures, in the following terms:

 “You reap what you sow. Karma is the consequences; good or bad. You are judged by your actions. It is a gift that brings lessons for your soul’s growth, and will continue to do so, until they have been learnt.”

         The understanding of Karma to Western thought should not be very difficult to comprehend. It is primarily the driving force that keeps us accountable for our actions, irrespective of good or bad, or whether others find out or not. This principle applies even when a person is guilty of negative actions of which no one else is aware, for he will be aware of the fact, and he too will eventually suffer consequences. 

         It is important to remember also that in the belief systems of both cultures, that while the current life of each individual is but a minute particle of his life in eternity, yet the actions taken now will have bearing in the subsequent determination of eternal life of each.This clearly adds urgency to ensuring the living with good karma.

In reality, a person’s karma can be equated to all the knowledge and experience acquired, which serve to create memories that lead on to desires and to greater self-identity. The implication of this can be life-changing, since it means that we do have the ability to change our karma, no matter how ingrained our habits become. And this should give hope to every person for the choices they make during their short stay on this earth. The late Dr. Wayne Dyer, the highly successful American author, psychologist, and motivational speaker, in one of he excellent lectures, explained in very simple but effective terms, the true impact of our Karma as each person chooses to interact with others when he cautioned:

“How people treat you is their Karma.

How you react to people is yours.”

In the end, always being mindful of his Karma, Man has been allowed control of his life to live it to the fullest. He has been afforded a freedom to think, speak and act as he chooses, recognizing that his behavior always being subject to the consequences that will result from his actions. And above all, he has been granted the promise that the final outcome of his good Karma is the reward of ‘Enlightenment,’ or alternatively, of ‘Eternal Life,’ closer to his God.

- This indeed is the promise to every man who seeks Good Karma!

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