1. LAW OF ACTION AND REACTION
The term “karma” is inseparably connected with reincarnation. While trying to understand the reincarnation process one can’t avoid this term. Sanskrit word “karma” literally means “action, activity, work.” In the West, this term was first used by Russian theosophist Helena P. Blavatsky who defined Karma as the basic cosmic law. In his work “Manifestations of Karma” anthropologist Rudolf Steiner defines karma as the law of action and reaction. These definitions intelligibly explain the core of the Vedic term karma. Steiner’s comparing law of karma to the physical law of action and reaction is very pertinent although this law represents only a little aspect of much higher and subtler law of karma. Already before Steiner and Newton’s discovery, people knew sayings showing a certain understanding of regularity of action and reaction.
2. FREE WILL AND FATE
According to Vedic philosophy, every living being transmigrating in the material world from one body to another is given free will to act according to its desires, ideas, and thoughts. When Shri Krishna narrated Bhagavad Gita to Arjuna, in one of the last verses (18.63), He said: “Thus I have explained to you knowledge still more confidential. Deliberate on this fully, and then do what you wish to do.” Vedic scriptures say that desire is a father of thought and thought is a father of action. By our present actions, performed out of our free will, we create our future karmic reactions. At the same time, we reap the reaction of our previous actions. Fate is not, therefore, any punishment from above striking on innocent ones (and which God doesn’t want to or cannot stop). The law of karma is very strict as it must assure fulfilment of desires of all living beings in the material world in such a way that they don’t contradict but complement each other and even one injustice doesn’t go unpunished. The universe is ruled by strict and generally operative laws — like rules of a great game of life — that coordinate desires and mutual relationships among individual living beings. Thus each of them gets exactly as much as it deserves.
According to Bhagavad Gita (2.70) the continuous stream of desires coming from the mind of each living being is like innumerable rivers and it all enters one vast ocean. In this way originates endlessly complex, multidimensional web of actions and reaction which a man can’t understand. Here is apparent the influence of the invisible hand of God who in His aspect of omnipresent Supersoul (paramatma) is accompanying all individual soul during their transmigration through various bodily forms. Bhagavad Gita (13.23) describes this aspect of God: “Yet in this body, there is another, a transcendental enjoyer, who is the Lord, the supreme proprietor, who exists as the overseer and permitter, and who is known as the Supersoul.” The function of Supersoul is to record innumerable desires of each living being and arrange for their fulfilment, and observe activities of living beings and grant them corresponding reactions. This directing hand of God is called a law of karma.
3. KARMA FROM THE ACTION POINT OF VIEW
Vedic scriptures contain exact information on which actions we have to perform if we wish to achieve certain results (reactions). If someone is in this life is very successful, wealthy, educated, influential or beautiful, we can conclude from it that he must have been in his previous life magnanimous, diligent, and pious and now only reaps the results of his previous deeds. But what he will do with these assets in the present life is another question — it depends on his free will.
4. KARMA FROM THE REACTION POINT OF VIEW
While looking from the other side we have to admit that whatever happens to us in this life is nothing else than a reaction to our activity in this or some of our previous lives. It is not a matter of blind chance but only a result of our deeds we decided to perform out of our free will. Thus, it sometimes happens that people who live very pious and proper life are still exposed to all kinds of sufferings.
Materialistic life and a chain of actions and reactions are inseparable. It is like a long movie of actions and reactions and the length of one life is like its several fields. When a child is born, his present body can be understood as the beginning of another series of actions and the death of an old man as its end. From this, it is clear why someone, due to different reactions, is born in a rich family and someone else in a poor family although they were born at the same time in the same place and under the same circumstances. Who carries along with him pious reactions (good karma) will get a chance to be born in rich or pious family and who is burdened by impious reactions (bad karma) will be born in low class and poor family.
5. FOUR PHASES OF KARMA
Vedic philosophy (Padma Purana) explains that karmic reaction is manifested in four different phases compared to the phases of a plants’ growth:
1. Bija (seed) is our wishes and intentions that already exist in subtle form and only later they will manifest in activities. Thus, to avoid unpleasant karmic reactions (suffering) we must pay attention to our unspoken material desires before the seeds of actions did not begin to sprout.
2. Kuta-Stha (sprouting) Reactions manifest after a decision to perform a deed. These are material desires that already began to sprout.
3. Phalonmukha (fructifying) Reactions already bear fruits. As soon as we perform material actions — good or bad — it is only a question of time before they manifest reactions (fruit) in the form of happiness or distress.
4. Prarabdha (harvest) Reactions are already fulfilled at our birth: family (defining our socio-economic situation, nationality, race), physical, and psychic dispositions etc.
6. THREE KINDS OF KARMA
Bhagavad Gita (4.17-18) says: “The intricacies of action are very hard to understand. Therefore one should know properly what action is, what forbidden action is, and what inaction is. One, who sees inaction in action, and action in inaction, is intelligent among men, and he is in the transcendental position, although engaged in all sorts of activities.” These verses describe three kinds of karma. Here ‘karma’ doesn’t denote reaction but action, activity.
1. Karma Activities are in harmony with higher laws of nature (dharma), which are also described in Vedic scriptures. These bring positive reactions in the form of happiness and enjoyment.
2. Vikarma Activities are forbidden by scriptures as they are in conflict with dharma. These bring corresponding reactions — distress and suffering.
3. Akarma Activities are of higher nature that is not subjected to material laws of nature and are called “inactions”. These bring reincarnation to an end. This end will occur when our “karmic account” at the end of life is zero. This can’t be achieved, but, by parallel performing of karma and vikarma, as someone may think as they are counted independently of each other.
The cause of problems is vikarma which is a threat for the whole of humankind as it affects it in the form of collective karma. This is manifested as pandemics, wars, epidemics, natural disasters, etc. Reality proves that we are missing knowledge of the law of karma as despite all our good intentions and efforts to alleviate suffering there is more and more unhappiness, individual and collective, in this world. This knowledge is ultimately the only solution to current problems. One who realises this will understand that the change must start with himself.
Gauranga Sundar Das is Iskconinc Communication Director and SM IT Head.