Definition of Karma

[LCH]

"Karma" is one of those words often utilized in the spiritual vernacular... I am curious to hear the various interpretations of "Karma" and how you apply this understanding in your life.

 

If you wish to share, that is...

 

Thank you.

[Apech]

Karma mean 'action' and originally derives from ritual action of the Vedic religion. It has come now to mean action - reaction or cause and effect. In other words whatever you do has some kind effect, good, bad or neutral (although all these terms are relative and subjective). In Buddhism it is used as the basis for morality, as a guide for how to behave ... that is, act in the knowledge that your action will have implications for yourself and others.

 

Anything beyond that ... and particularly New Age versions of the 'Law of Karma' are a bit unreliable so best to stick to the simple version. If you understand it in this way it will motivate you to be a better person.

[Sloppy Zhang]

I was actually talking about this subject with a group of co-workers. One of them said "oh, it's like the movie crash!" And I thought it was a great observation.

 

For those who haven't seen the film, I highly suggest it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crash_(2004_film)

 

Basically, several peoples' lives interweave. Actions have reactions, and those can be good/bad/neutral. They just are. One thing leads to another leads to another leads to another.

 

I imagine that one further on the path can see how their actions would affect others, and apparently fully enlightened beings can act without creating karma? Maybe it's just an extension of knowing what everything causes and just moving to avoid any of those entanglements.

[Jainarayan]

Karma does indeed mean action. There are many categories of karma, however, that do refer to cause and effect. I'm taking this from Wiki's explanation, saving me from typing it all out. These are the main ones:

 

• Sanchita is the accumulated karma. It would be impossible to experience and endure all karmas in one lifetime. From this stock of sanchita karma, a handful is taken out to serve one lifetime and this handful of actions, which have begun to bear fruit and which will be exhausted only on their fruit being enjoyed and not otherwise, is known as prarabdha karma.
• Prarabdha Fruit-bearing karma is the portion of accumulated karma that has "ripened" and appears as a particular problem in the present life.
• Kriyamana is everything that we produce in the current life. All kriyamana karmas flow in to sanchita karma and consequently shape our future. Only in human life we can change our future destiny. After death we lose Kriya Shakti (ability to act) and do (kriyamana) karma until we are born again in another human body.

[Jeff]

Intention defines the karma of the act.

In the Nibbedhika Sutta (Anguttara Nikaya 6.63) the Buddha said:

"Intention (P. cetana, S. cetanā) I tell you, is kamma. Intending, one does kamma by way of body, speech, & intellect."

[Seeker of Wisdom]

It would be impossible to experience and endure all karmas in one lifetime.

The Chinese have a curse - 'may you become enlightened in one lifetime.'

 

Yeah, anyway...

 

I don't see karma the way some people present it, as like you hit someone, and that magically causes you to trip over a rock and bruise your face in a future life.

 

My interpretation is that acts and thoughts leave imprints in the substrate consciousness (the nature of which depends on the mindset/intention behind the acts or thoughts) and you are reborn in a place/body matching those imprints.

 

What happens during those rebirths isn't explicitly determined by karma. Born with a genetic predisposition for cancer - that's karma. Get cancer from smoking - I'd call that a mundane level of cause and effect (initiated by stupidity). But karma could cause a rebirth in a place rife with cigarette addiction.

 

In case anyone here is offended by an implied 'they deserve it' - I'm not saying that, the mindstream the karma ripens on isn't the same as the one that planted it, just a continuity... besides, I'm not vengeful.

 

Some people object to the idea of karma as suggesting Holocaust victims deserved it. In my view of karma, Holocaust victims weren't being repaid karma: their karma gave them good rebirths, but then the Nazis killed innocent people by their own will.

[roger]

Karma is commonly understood as the law of JUSTICE. But what is justice?

 

Few would argue that GOD'S idea of justice is what TRUE JUSTICE really is. In other words, if God is perfect, certainly His/Her/Its understanding of justice is perfect also. But this can seem to present a conflict when it comes to "justice."

 

It has been said that what you do/give comes back to you. Give people love, and you get it in return. Give pain, you receive the same. This is my idea of "karma."

 

The question is, is this "justice"?

 

Suppose a man rapes a woman in one lifetime. Is it then GOD'S idea of justice for this man to come back as a woman and get raped??? That seems to me to be highly unlikely. The God I believe in is not vengeful, and would hardly see violence as just.

 

A Course in Miracles says, "All attack can only be unjust." Then how could the above scenario be "just"?

 

God surely responds to wrongdoing with LOVE, not with further attack. "Two wrongs don't make a right."

 

A loving parent wouldn't violently attack their child if he or she did something terrible. Rather, they would seek to understand the child, and then work to correct his or her errors through loving instruction and wise counsel.

 

Also (if you believe in channeling), Jesus says through one of his human channels, Paul Ferrini, that "the only reason what you do comes back to you is so you can become aware of what you have created." In other words, "karma," the law of cause and effect, isn't really about punishment, but simply owning and being responsible for one's choices.

 

Anyway, there are other manifestations or aspects of the idea of karma, but I just wanted to share my ideas about the law of giving and receiving, and how that relates to divine justice.

 

Peace to all.

[Jainarayan]

Karma is so intricate as to be unfathomable. Was Helen Keller born the way she was because of some evil she committed in a past life? Perhaps not... she may have deliberately taken birth as she was in order to help millions of other people. Did an animal who was abused and neglected do something as a person so bad they were born this way? Maybe not. The jiva could have deliberately taken birth to help the karma of its rescuer. Would the jiva know what is going to happen? Maybe... time may not be linear on different planes.

 

I once used the Hitler and Nazi analogy to comment that out of great evil can come great good, and damn near got my tongue ripped out and shoved up my... well, it was a pretty bad chastisement. But it only serves to show that it's definitely not a direct cause and effect. The person didn't understand that I was trying to point out the intricacy of karma.

[Apech]

Karma is so intricate as to be unfathomable. Was Helen Keller born the way she was because of some evil she committed in a past life? Perhaps not... she may have deliberately taken birth as she was in order to help millions of other people. Did an animal who was abused and neglected do something as a person so bad they were born this way? Maybe not. The jiva could have deliberately taken birth to help the karma of its rescuer. Would the jiva know what is going to happen? Maybe... time may not be linear on different planes.

 

I once used the Hitler and Nazi analogy to comment that out of great evil can come great good, and damn near got my tongue ripped out and shoved up my... well, it was a pretty bad chastisement. But it only serves to show that it's definitely not a direct cause and effect. The person didn't understand that I was trying to point out the intricacy of karma.

 

That's why it is best just to adopt it as a praxis or guide for ethical choices rather than agonising over how it might work or why certain things may happen. they are karma sure, but stored since beginingless time and therefore of obscure origin.

[roger]

I thought of two more things that have to do with the idea of divine justice.

 

A Course in Miracles says that "God's Will for me is perfect happiness."

 

And God says (if you believe it's God) in Conversations with God by Neale Donald Walsch that He "wills that no one suffer."

 

So basically, God's Will for everyone is "perfect happiness" and freedom from suffering.

 

How then could suffering EVER be God's idea of JUSTICE?

 

That would present a contradiction in God's thinking, which would be impossible.

 

God's WILL and God's JUSTICE can't be in conflict, or God wouldn't "WILL JUSTICE".

 

Clearly, suffering, profound or minor, is neither God's will nor God's idea of justice.

[Apech]

I thought of two more things that have to do with the idea of divine justice.

 

A Course in Miracles says that "God's Will for me is perfect happiness."

 

And God says (if you believe it's God) in Conversations with God by Neale Donald Walsch that He "wills that no one suffer."

 

So basically, God's Will for everyone is "perfect happiness" and freedom from suffering.

 

How then could suffering EVER be God's idea of JUSTICE?

 

That would present a contradiction in God's thinking, which would be impossible.

 

God's WILL and God's JUSTICE can't be in conflict, or God wouldn't "WILL JUSTICE".

 

Clearly, suffering, profound or minor, is neither God's will nor God's idea of justice.

 

 

Karma is nothing to do with God's will ... in fact in terms of ethics (Buddhist at least) it is a reasons for acting well without needing to resort to Divine Commandment or similar. In this sense karma is not Justice ... unless by Justice you mean 'it just is'.

[i am]

Karma is a way to make you feel bad for not tipping the barista, burrito maker etc.