Following my previous article on Karma and You, the following are the 7 truths to further our understanding.
One: Karma means act or deed
Karma simply means action or deed and not retribution or effect. The effect of action is called karmic effects or 'vipaka' as in the original Pali language.
Two: The law of karma is the law of cause and effect
This law states that an action will always have an effect or we reap what we sow. Every action that we perform in life, every word we speak, even every thought that we think, has its reaction.
Like now you are thinking of where to go for lunch tomorrow, you will create an action the next day (looking for a restaurant) and this will definitely have an effect.
Three: Karma can be strong, weak or moderate.
A strong karma (action) will produce a strong outcome. Notice that action includes behaviour, speech and thought, and the strength of these 3 elements will influence the effect of your karma. Like you have a strong thought of going to a fine restaurant tomorrow, but your action could be weak due to traffic jam. Ultimately your effect depends on the overall strength of your behaviour, speech and thought combined.
Thought x Speech x Behaviour = Action
Four: Karma is just and self-governing.
The law of karma is a just and self-governing system that automatically creates a current or future effect in response to the current action. However, unlike our legal justice systems which only punishes the misdeeds of those who are caught, tried and found guilty, karma punishes misdeeds and rewards good deeds whether they are known or not. For example, if a man robs a bank and is never caught, no punishment is received through man's law. However, he will inevitably face the consequences of his crime through the law of karma, like he has no peace of mind or is overcome by guilt. Similarly, the good deed of giving money regularly but anonymously to a charity will be rewarded, even though no one knows the giver's name.
Five: We each have our individual karma.
We each will carry our individual karma from life to life. To understand this better, let us reflect again on the criminal justice system. Justice is known for moving slowly. It can take a number of years before a convicted criminal receives his punishment. The law of karma is even slower. The consequences, or fruits of actions, may not come for a number of lifetimes. Thus, the karma we are born with is comprised of rewards and punishments from many past lives that have yet to manifest.
By the way, 'past lives' or 'future lives' may not refer to the lives before or after your present life, they simply refer to the lives that precedes or follows your lives. Another word for 'future lives' would be legacy. Like if you plant good seeds in your lifetime, you will leave behind a legacy of good tree.
Six: Karmas are either active or inactive.
An analogy can be drawn to a garden in which a variety of seeds have been planted. Some types of plants will sprout in a few days, others will take weeks and still others lie dormant for months. Similarly, some of our karmas will manifest in the next few years, some toward life's end and others in a future life.
Seven: We create our own future.
How we act to whatever happened to us is also a karma. In a sense we are creating our own future because it is not what happened to us but what we do to what happened that makes the difference. Like when you fail your driving test repeatedly, you can either give up or give it your all and try again. Ultimately the strength of your karma will create your future.
But note that certain things can happen that have nothing to do with what we do, like an earthquake can destroy a good man's house. But this good man can create his own karma by doing good deeds, like help people rebuild their houses. In turn this good man will get good future.
In short, we create our own future, not someone high up or below the ground.
By Andy Ng, list of courses at here. Related articles:
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