Was It Because Of Karma?
Karma is a wonderful controversial topic which often spawns colourful and varied debate whenever the subject matter arises.
I can’t help but feel that it has had it’s definition twisted in so many different ways that people don’t really understand what it is any more.
I’ve also heard people only offer a one sided translation to the results of karma. To me that’s a very dangerous mistake to make.
It is deeply misunderstood
There was even an article recently about a UKIP politician who claimed that all the recent storms and flooding in the UK was as a result of gay marriages being allowed and because ‘God was not happy’.
The thing that made me giggle about the story was that it he was discussing a very ancient eastern concept, in a predominately western culture, that doesn’t really believe in karma.
Karma is often viewed in two ways.
- It is a retribution applied God
- It is a natural law of the universe which cannot be escaped.
To be quite frank, I don’t believe karma is either of those two. I especially don’t believe that it is retribution.
A while back a friend was telling me about something that happened to their friend. Her friend had been mugged for his phone. Her response was ‘I hope those muggers get their karma and get what they deserve’
I responded: ‘Wait! What if your friend was receiving karma for a previous event or for some hurt he caused in a previous lifetime?’
It is of course a valid point and one she couldn’t answer.
Another aspect to this of course is, people often only say that bad things only seem to happen to good people.
Why is that?
Karma – My interpretation
My interpretation of karma is that it is not a payback for actions, but a return on intention.
Buddha’s translation of karma was ‘intention’. In other words, a term we’re all familiar with these days, the law of attraction. When you set fourth an intention, that is what you will get back.
To me, that seems to fit in more with what I see in the world as opposed to just the theory of what karma is. Hindu’s believe that in a future life you could be a tree or an earthworm. I don’t believe our consciousness is literally transferred into a tree and we sit there in the tree wishing to be human again.
I do believe that our physical make-up does transfer into various forms, but human consciousness remains as that.
We are our intentions
Another question often posed to me by my coaching clients is whether the state of their life is as a result of their karma. Your life is not in the state it is as a result of any kind of punishment. I believe that where we are in our lives right now, is simply the result of a collection of choices and the overall results.
Should you require a different set of results, look at your intention and make a different set of choices.
Situations may unfold the way we wish them too. You have the power to create intentions and visions of what you really want. That is naturally in along with the power to choose how you respond to events.
Karma is not something that can be blamed and used as a reason that your life is not the way you would like it.
We have the power of free will to mould our lives into the way that we would like. God is not stopping you, neither is your karma. There is only one thing, and that is you!
How about you? Do you think differently and do you think my definition of karma is completely wrong?
Karma means action, work, or deed. Karma can apply to thoughts or actions and is neither inherently positive or negative. Christians do use an idea of karma in the phrase, “You reap what you sow.” People also say, “What goes around, comes around.” If one truly believes in the concept that one reaps what one sows, anyone who does harm to others will suffer the consequences. Concurrently, benefits will be reaped from positive thoughts and actions. This has nothing to do with free will as we have the ability to guide and control what we think and do.
Hey Kevin,
Yes, Karma, from Sanskrit/Hindi literally translated is Action. But when I wrote this piece I wasn’t defining a word but an entire philosophy surrounding the implications of Karma, or actions, deeds, and intentions.
You said: “anyone who does harm to others, will suffer the consequences” – and that was what I was talking about before, what if the person being harmed, is suffering the karma of an action that we have not seen?
Also, the saying of “you reap what you sow” could also be translated into the power of intention, or the law of attraction, by planting a seed of thought, you are attracting that; whether consciously or unconsciously.
I hope it makes sense the point I’m trying to put across.
Thank you so much for your input, I’d love to hear your follow up thoughts.
~Amit
When people say ‘its your karma’, I believe the aspect of karma is….its in your destiny to experience this learning for your greater understanding of life. So in that respect karma is pre destined. But rightly so, as you say amit, it is our actions, thoughts and choices which govern how we respond to that ‘learning, a.k.a. karma’! As is the nature of the universe to give us what we want in our cosmic ordering….the universe will engineer experiences until you have understood that karma and responded to it in a way which benefits your greater good….and until that time, it will repeat the learning…at your request. Often is the case that people misconstrue karma, and see it as a pre destined plan and therefore blame it for bad things happening in their lives. To do so, takes the responsibility and accountability from the individuals personal power, using it as a justification to not see karma for what it is. That’s my thought on it anyway 🙂 x
Hey Kavi,
A very interesting take on Karma, I love the fact that you see it in a whole new light in that it is deliverance of lessons that we need to have to learn and understand, I love that side of it! 🙂
~Amit
I believe similarly that it is about intention. I guess one reason I think that is because it isn’t always the exact thing that happens back to us,but that if we set forth an intention to do good or not good, then something to fulfill that intention shows up in our lives.
Sometimes we realize it and sometimes we don’t. But overall, I suspect most people get this idea in whatever words are used. Some don’t want to admit it or probably can’t figure out why good things seem to happen for bad people, but at some level I think we all understand.
Hi Stephen,
Thank you so much for your contribution, that definitely strikes a chord with what I believe in terms of our intention and what we reap.
Thank you again for sharing.
~Amit
Thanks Amit, for your kind words. I do believe that what we say and what we think are the building blocks of our lives.
Hey bro,
It’s been a while since I’ve been here, but I’m glad I’m back. ‘Karma is not something that can be blamed and used as a reason that your life is not the way you would like it.’ Powerful words, I love it. I’ve seen the word karma used as an excuse not to do something; to reinforce an underlying fear (especially in the Hindu community)
In time, the excuse not to move forward turns into laziness. And this has, unfortunately, become a pandemic. And so, many end up blaming everything under the sun but themselves! Time to take responsibility for your own actions.
Great post!
Milan
Thank you so much Milan and wonderful as always to have your input on the subject.
It’s True, Karma is no excuse, as the saying goes, you make your own luck, I also say, you make your own karma. 🙂
~Amit
The truth is somewhere in the middle. 🙂
Very well said! 🙂
~Amit