The Power of Karma: Shaping Our Present and Future
Introduction
Karma is a Sanskrit word meaning action. In some religions, like Buddhism and Hinduism, it is defined as “the force produced by a person’s actions in one life that influences what happens to them in future lives,” as per the Cambridge Dictionary. Simply put, it is how the deeds we do in this lifetime will influence our future. An alternative belief is that our past actions affect our present, and our present actions affect our future.
Interpretations of karma
Hinduism
In Hinduism, the origins of Karma can be traced back to the oldest Hindu philosophical and religious text, the Rig Veda. The Rig Veda Samhita is a collection of ten books (mandalas) containing 1028 hymns (suktas) in 10600 verses.
However, Karma is interpreted differently in various sects of Hinduism. One interpretation states that Karma and rebirth are linked; another states that karma is essential but not connected to rebirth; yet another states that karma and rebirth are “flawed fiction.”
If we do good deeds, we get favourable outcomes; if we do bad deeds, we get unfavourable outcomes.
Every thought, every word, every deed releases an energy into the universe which rebounds to us. The Brahma Kumari-s teach us that the actions that we carry out with thoughts like peace, joy, love, purity, bliss, wisdom, and purity make us happier and we attract positivity in our lives. On the other hand, if we carry out any actions with impure thoughts like ego, jealousy, attachment, lust, hatred, greed, anger, and deceit harms our lives.
Karma is like a balance sheet, where our karmic account has good deeds and bad deeds, that influence our rebirth. If we can balance our karma, then we can attain freedom from this continuous cycle of birth and death, attaining Moksha/Nirvana.
Buddhism
In Buddhism, Karma is interpreted as actions based on intentions that shape the future and determine how we will be reborn in the cycle of life and rebirth. Good deeds lead us towards a robust rebirth and immoral acts lead us to insalubrious rebirth. The Buddhists believe that we all are responsible for our actions be it by thought, word or deed. They believe in self-reflection leading a responsible and ethical life and following the Noble Eight-Fold path: right view, right resolve, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration.
Jainism
In Jainism, karma is present, in the universe, as physical substances that are pulled towards the soul by the actions of the soul. Karma is how the present actions of one will affect their future life. Jains believe that good deeds will lead to a better life, and bad deeds to a worse life. Based on our karma our soul is reincarnated, it could be in heaven or hell, or as humans or animals. Once our soul frees itself of all karma, it attains freedom from the cycle of birth and death.
Sikhism
In Sikhism, a person achieves both good karma and bad karma through their various life stages and this affects where their soul will go in their next life. The deeds of our past life affect our future life, positively or negatively, as per the deeds done by us.
They believe that if you are an animal and have good karma, you will be born as a human in the future. And if you are a human with bad karma, you will be born as an animal, thereby making the liberation from the cycle of birth and death distant. To be liberated, you need to welcome the love and teachings of Waheguru and perform good deeds like Kirat Karna (earning honestly), Wand chakna (sharing) and Nam Japna (chanting).
Being good in thought, word or deed should be the basic human quality, that we should work on to improve our life and future. Our thoughts and feelings define us and are not thinking good for others, being selfless, and helping others, going to make our quality of life better? Won’t it make us happier? Seeing the smile on the face of the old lady you just gave your bus seat to, won’t it make you feel good? Taking time to say hello to the liftman and seeing the gleam in his eyes, won’t it make you feel good? These are what good karma is. Whereas bad karma is the opposite, but obviously!
Let all do our bit to send out positivity to the Universe and be ready to welcome it back ten-fold in our lives. After all, how tough is it to follow the path of good faith, righteousness, discipline, right speech, honest livelihood, resolute, cultivating good thoughts, being mindful, removing impure thoughts and emotions like ego, greed, enmity, jealousy, attachment, negativity, vices? It is not impossible; it just takes time and a lot of patience. Don’t you crave a world full of happiness, cheer, and positivity? Don’t you want the unhappiness, and despair to dissipate? Shouldn’t we wake up and make the world a better place for our children and future generations?
Karma is as karma does!
