What is Karma?
The Cambridge English dictionary defines the noun karma as (in the Buddhist and Hindu religions) “The sum of a person’s actions in this and previous states of existence, viewed as deciding their fate in future existences.” So you might say, our mental and physical deeds, positive and negative, add up to our karma.
The informal definition is given as “good or bad luck resulting from one’s actions”.
In Sanskrit, the word Karman simply means “action, effect, fate”.
According to www.urbandictionary.com, karma means “to get what you give – so if you are kind you will attract good karma, but if you are mean, you will attract bad karma and bad things will happen to you.”
So which is true?
Noticeably, all the definitions include or infer the word action. This simple explanation from Buddhist Master, Barbara O’Brien, qualifies this:
“The word ‘karma’ means ‘action’, not ‘fate’.” In Buddhism, karma is an energy created by wilful 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 the 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.”
Barbara O’Brien
So karma isn’t fate and it certainly isn’t a force looking to even things out, in this life or the next.
In popular culture, karma has been interpreted to mean people not only get what they give, but what they deserve. Thus, when anyone does something bad, we like to think they will get their comeuppance. A spiritual judicial system, if you will. Anyone with a strong sense of justice will identify with the need to believe that there should be some consequence of our actions, good and bad, at all times.
However, if we understand the Buddhist definition correctly, karma doesn’t operate like that. It isn’t a means by which the universe exacts punishment or reward. It is impartial, even-handed and disinterested in the outcome.
“Karma is not an inviolate engine of cosmic punishment”
Vera Nazarian
So how does knowing this truth help us?
If karma is energy responding to our thoughts, words and actions in every given moment, this means we have control over our own karma. We have the power to maintain circumstances or to change them.
If we believe this school of thought and apply it to our own lives, we can affect our own karma by simply changing the way we think, speak and behave. An easy way to remind ourselves of this would be the images of the three wise monkeys, now epitomised as emojis on social media. The principles of hear no evil, speak no evil and see no evil are good rules to live by. Whilst it is impossible in modern life to avoid hearing and seeing bad news, we can make efforts to minimise the effect this news has on us. We can be passive when a news story crops up and deliberately step back from comments on social media. We can refuse to participate in gossip. We can choose who we socialise with and where we go. Of the three principles, speak no evil is the one over which we have most control. Every moment of every day we can choose what we think and say. We can choose kindness over cruelty. We can help each other and help ourselves. We can strive to make the world a better place.
“Life truly is a boomerang: what you give you get.”
Dale Carnegie
An excellent way to promote good thoughts, words and actions, and “get what you give”, is through the practice of gratitude. Be mindful of what is happening around you from moment to moment. Appreciate everything; your family, your friends, the roof over your head, the water on tap, the food you eat, your dog, your cat, you get the idea. Challenge yourself to find things to appreciate every day.
As difficult as it sounds, try to also find the good in every bad situation. Even in grief, we can acknowledge the kindness of others and the compassion we have for one another. When my mother was dying, she was cared for a by a lovely group of nurses, who treated her like she was part of their family. I felt privileged to witness their service. One morning, when my mother was in the last days of her life, one of the nurse took me to one side and told me my mother was one of the bravest patients she had ever known. I was struck by how kind that nurse was, not only to think it but to say it too. If you have kindness in you, make sure you share it.
The process of karma is dynamic, that is, responding continuously to our energy. Therefore it can be changed and this change can be instantaneous.
“As she has planted, so does she harvest, such is the field of karma”
Sri Guru Granth Sahib
If we accept that karma is simply answering our thoughts, words, and actions with similar energy, it is obvious why we should be responsible for our behavior. Rather than be a deterrent to thinking, speaking, or acting in a negative way, karma should be our motivation to be the best person we can possibly be.
