What is karma?
Wikipedia explains karma as action, work or deed.
It also refers to the spiritual principle of cause and effect where intent and actions of an individual (cause) influence the future of that individual (effect).
Good intent and good deed contribute to good karma and future happiness, while bad intent and bad deed contribute to bad karma and future suffering
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar explains:ย The whole world is made up of cause and effect. If somebody is rich, there is a reason for that. If somebody is poor, there is a reason for that too.
This cause and effect is commonly known as karma.
Some karma yield their fruits immediately, and some take time.
For example, if you place your hand in a fire, you will immediately get burnt, right now, not tomorrow or anytime later. If you sow a mango seed today, it will take ten years for it to grow into a tree. You will be able to reap the fruits of the mango tree only after ten years of hard work.
In the same way, some karma yield their fruits almost instantly, while some take time to bear fruit.
Action comes out of conscious decision while Reaction comes out of impulsiveness. Impulsiveness creates a chain of karma.
Reaction and no-action both create karma, but conscious actions transcend karma. Although conscious action does not create new karma, non-action can. A soldier shooting in a war and a policeman using tear gas do not create karma, but a doctor who fails to give medicine to a patient in need incurs karma.
Does that mean that we donโt have any independence of Karma?
Learn more about Karma in the Wisdom Talks by Rishi Vidhyadhar ji,
โRealising Karma – Finding Freedomโ
Monday to Wednesday, Nov 6-8 2017
6.30 to 9.00 PM
at Sindhu Graha, Jl. H. Samanhudi no 31, Jakarta Pusat
Rishi Vidhyadhar ji is a senior, revered and prominent faculty of The Art of Living.
He is dedicated to serving the society by spreading the precious knowledge of the Spiritual Master His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar ji and thus carrying forward His vision of Vasudeva Kutumbhakam (One World Family).
For more information visit www.artofliving.org
