This literally means an act or an action. The essence of Karma is simple: that one’s life will be better if one acts in ways that are ethical, and it will be worse if one acts in ways that are unethical. If an action taken is positive, there will be a positive result. If an action taken is negative, there will be a negative response. The concept of karma means we alone are ultimately responsible for our lives. Furthermore, there is this important distinction about Karma: every human action produces a consequence but the law of karma does not hold that every action experienced is a consequence. Karma is not fatalistic.
Though the law of karma is universal and impersonal meaning that no individual is directly targeted by the divine to suffer, Hindu devotional literature offers this heart-warming and person affirming teaching. The scales of this universal law tip in favor of humanity. The result of a negative action is in direct proportion to what was said or done. In other words, if a person creates only one ounce of negative karma, then the result is the same: one ounce of negative return.
However – and here is where it's clear that the scales of karmic justice favor humanity – when a person generates an ounce of virtuous karma, the Universe (or God) increases it significantly returning to the person four or five ounces of benefit. One's good karma has a unique power in that it is able to increase itself while the negative karma stays just as it is. This devotional teaching was developed to inspire hope and confidence that regardless of negative acts and karmas, positive ones will eventually out weigh them.
It should also be noted that this eastern view of the Divine or God differs from the God of the Judaeo Christian tradition. There God is presented as an angry male whose punishments (karma) are often far out of proportion to the actions done. For example, both parties caught in the act of adultery are given the death penalty: “If a man commits adultery with another man’s wife—with the wife of his neighbor—both the adulterer and the adulteress are to be put to death.” (Leviticus 20:12) Being angry and swearing at a parent is another infraction which calls for the death penalty: “Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.” (Exodus 21:17)
In the Vedic view, the law of karma is guided by a principle which is not merely balanced but tipped in favor of people. Interestingly, this view appears to have influenced the Quran - “Whoever does a good deed, he shall be repaid ten fold, and whoever does evil, he shall be repaid with evil.”
(feel free to repost and/or link to your social media)
Though the law of karma is universal and impersonal meaning that no individual is directly targeted by the divine to suffer, Hindu devotional literature offers this heart-warming and person affirming teaching. The scales of this universal law tip in favor of humanity. The result of a negative action is in direct proportion to what was said or done. In other words, if a person creates only one ounce of negative karma, then the result is the same: one ounce of negative return.
However – and here is where it's clear that the scales of karmic justice favor humanity – when a person generates an ounce of virtuous karma, the Universe (or God) increases it significantly returning to the person four or five ounces of benefit. One's good karma has a unique power in that it is able to increase itself while the negative karma stays just as it is. This devotional teaching was developed to inspire hope and confidence that regardless of negative acts and karmas, positive ones will eventually out weigh them.
It should also be noted that this eastern view of the Divine or God differs from the God of the Judaeo Christian tradition. There God is presented as an angry male whose punishments (karma) are often far out of proportion to the actions done. For example, both parties caught in the act of adultery are given the death penalty: “If a man commits adultery with another man’s wife—with the wife of his neighbor—both the adulterer and the adulteress are to be put to death.” (Leviticus 20:12) Being angry and swearing at a parent is another infraction which calls for the death penalty: “Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.” (Exodus 21:17)
In the Vedic view, the law of karma is guided by a principle which is not merely balanced but tipped in favor of people. Interestingly, this view appears to have influenced the Quran - “Whoever does a good deed, he shall be repaid ten fold, and whoever does evil, he shall be repaid with evil.”
(feel free to repost and/or link to your social media)
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