Friday, August 29, 2008

What is Karma?




“Work done with selfish motives is inferior by far to the selfless service or Karma-yoga. Therefore be a Karma-yogi, O Arjuna. Those who seek [to enjoy] the fruits of their work are verily unhappy [because one has no control over the results].” -Bhagavad Gita




In simplistic terms, Karma is the rule that the deeds one does are returned in kind. In other words, if you do good for others, good will be done unto you, and vice-versa. The term 'Karma' is a Hindu and Buddhist term meaning 'act, action, or deed'. The concept of Karma, in the context of religion, is based on the notion of cause and effect. One's 'Karma' is the cumulative sum of ones good deeds and bad deeds from their current life, as well as previous lives. If you do enough good deeds, when you die, you will be reincarnated into a higher state of life, such as a someone richer and more influential. In non-religious context, Karma is the basic law of "what goes around, comes around". Kid's are taught this concept in kindergarten as the golden rule, treat others as you would like to be treated.

Karma seems to be a fairly common concept that most people in today's society, regardless of if they are familiar with Hindu or Buddhism. So how many people actually take the effort to see if it works? With people often worrying about their own lives, jobs, families, finances, etc., it's rare to hear about people who go out of their way to do a good deed. Sure, taking care of family and a job is good, but with those things, part of the motivation is responsibility.

What we're talking about here is something that is a truly, stand alone, good deed. Something somebody does that he or she does without expectation of reward or recognition. It's these types of selfless deeds that in Hindu and Buddhist religious sow the best rewards. Ironic that the greatest rewards are given to those who care not for them isn't it?

What I'm going to attempt and document through this blog, is my efforts to find evidence of Karma at work in my life, or in those around me. In addition, I will try to understand Karma through study of texts and reference materials, as well as others who practice and believe in Karma, and share my insights.