Karma—Beginning to deepen our understanding of this universal law

By Yogi Baba Prem Tom Beal Vedavisharada, CYI, C.ay, C.va

While the term Karma is unique to India its basic principles are found throughout the world. As an example: the golden rule in Christianity, “Do onto others as you would have them do onto you.” This is karma, what you put out will return to you. But is that all there is to karma?

Karma comes from the Sanskrit word Kri, which literally means to work. This is important because in western society karma has become an eye for an eye, tooth for tooth mentality. This is not what is really meant by karma. Often people will read that karma is cause and effect. This is where we will start our study of karma.

Cause and effect is often considered to be literally: do an improper action; have an improper action done to you. While this can be true, it is more important to remember that we are the sum total of our actions. In other words, think an angry thought become an angry thought. This illustrates the more serious implications of karma. You (ego) are the sum total of your thoughts. Your perceptions are the sum total of your thoughts. You respond based on the sum total of your thoughts and conflicts. These thoughts are internal karma. External karmas are actions that are done to you from others. The internal karma can influence the external karma and visa-versa. As an example, if you think unkind thoughts of yourself, you may attract people that re-enforce those unkind thoughts. If people that think unkind thoughts surround you; you will eventually begin to think similar thoughts.

In Ayurveda it is taught that karma is undigested experience. In other words, the emotional mind (manas) and ego (ahankara) cannot truly comprehend an experience they can only react. So if we experience only through our emotions and ego we create a conflict between the conscious and sub-conscious mind. This conflict will manifest over and over again by the sub-conscious mind until the conflict can be resolved. This process is not necessarily to punish you, but it is the minds process of resolving conflict. Karma is actually the greatest gift the cosmos could provide. It is a natural process for resolution of conflicts, ill behavior or choices we have made with an unenlightened mind. Karma’s give the opportunity to free oneself from these conflicts. This is where the word Kri (work) mentioned earlier comes in. A person needs to work out the conflicts. This process calms the mind, enhances peace, and expands awareness. It is important that we cultivate the ability to appreciate karma at work. If someone has a disease you may say, “how sad”, but in reality the disease may serve him or her as a “wake up call” that changes need to be made. In that case the disease could be very important to their growth as a person and may mark a point in their life where great physical, mental, and spiritual change took place.

This process can apply on a very practical level for physical health also. If you eat garbage eventually the body’s tissues will suffer from the lack of minerals, vitamins, prana, and other nutrients. Cause and effect. By eating poorly you are not just creating a conflict, the body is being robbed of vital nutrients (cause) and will result in disease (effect). The sub-conscious conflict then has occurred with the need to learn to respect and take care of the body. This may manifest within this lifetime or another lifetime.

Karma is not something to be feared. It is one of the great teachers of the universe. It is a master and a servant to us all. Do not perform good karma because it is good; perform it because it is who you are. Do not be a good person for a reward, be a good person because you respect that attribute. Then you will be free from karma and achieve liberation (moksha).