What Is Karma And How Does It Work?

[Susie]

The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying by Sogyal Rinpoche describes karma as the truth and the driving force behind rebirth. Page 92:

the word karma literally means "action," and karma is both the power latent within actions, and the results our actions bring...whatever we do with our body, speech, or mind will have a corresponding result. Each action, even the smallest, is pregant with its consequences...karma does not decay like external things, or even become inoperative. It cannot be destroyed by time, fire or water." Its power will never disappear until it is ripened.

Page 93 sums up karma quite well, where Buddha said:

What you are is what you have been, what you will be is what you do now.

 

[Kelly]

Karma is simply cause and effect. For every action there is a reaction.

 

[Kelly]

I like to think of karma as opportunities. As one faces each new opportunity, new choices and decisions must be made. It takes great courage to face our shortcomings and an equal amount of wisdom to do something constructive about them. We have these choices.
Past Lives Future Lives – by Bruce Goldberg

 

[Kelly]

Online Excerpt

The Pali word Kamma (Karma in Sanskrit) literally means action or doing. Any kind of intentional action, whether mental, verbal or physical is regarded as kamma. Inherent in kamma is the potentiality of producing its due effect, which operates in its own field without the intervention of any external, independent ruling agency. Kamma produces results (Kamma vipaka) which the doer has to experience. This is a reaction in accordance with the natural law of cause and effect. Buddhism does not support the view that it is a law of ‘moral justice’ or ‘reward and punishment’, as there is no external agency that metes out justice. Neither it is to be regarded as ‘sin’; sin is regarded as the breaking of God’s commandments. The Buddha said that it is only the actions that are performed with intention (volition) which are regarded as kamma. Kamma is one of the natural laws of the universe governing all sentient beings

Excerpt from London Buddhist Vihara

 

[Kelly]

Member Quotes

As I said in my text on karma Karma - a short course

What is Karma?
Karma is the Law of Cause and Effect working on objective and subjective levels. The difference between the known laws of physics and Karma is that Karma works on inner subjective realms as well. This is because we are all telepathically interconnected, part of One Life. My every action including feelings and thoughts will create ripples spreading throughout the whole manifestation. So if I create positive or negative vibration and emanate it, the universe will respond accordingly and return the fruits of my actions. The causes which I set in motion will be followed by their effects.


“Thus the law of Karma fulfils itself in all things, perfectly and without the possibility of evasion.” As you sow so you reap - nowhere to run, nowhere to hide from it; justice shall be upheld.

If Karma would work very quickly or we would remember our mistakes too easily then we would be trained like a dog which gets a candy for a good stunt or a smack for a bad stunt. The fact that we do not know why bad things are happening to us makes us think, reflect upon our lives, searching for a deeper purpose and meaning. We have to ask ourselves who we are, and through the process of self-realisation detach from the phenomenal world and learn to act more in accordance with our true self

Posted by Christian Bodhi

 

[Kelly]

Member Discussions - The Beginnings of Karma

I've been thinking about this: karma is generally though of as something which only affects humans as we are the only animal which consciously maltreats each other (or other animals). So when we evolved, when did karma begin?
Posted by Cloggie777

Hi Cloggie
I think this all depends on how you view karma personally. A lot of people still view it in the very old black and white version of “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth”. To me karma is simply cause and effect. For every action there is a reaction.


I think a lot of people’s problems with karma is the thought of some metaphysical court that is unseen to us all, sitting around holding a record and judgement of all our actions on Earth and then making sure we receive our due punishment at a later date…to me, this is just tied to the dogmatic frighteners that a lot of churches placed on people throughout history…a means to control the mass. This version of karma is totally removed from the original meaning and etymology of the word itself. Because of this reason, it has become a very fixed term, although in some religions it still does remain closer to it’s original source of meaning.


So if the question of when did karma begin, is based on my own personal view of karma, I guess I would say, at the very beginning, from my first release of intentional energy, be it thought, movement or sound.


Posted by Kelly

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[ChrisR]

Updated FAQ