The doctrine of Karma and destiny is essentially the law of cause and effect
- Karma meaning the action and its outcome is destiny.
Simply put, what you sow, so shall you reap.
However, quite often, this concept has been misunderstood and misrepresented.
Usually, we apply this principle only on an individual basis.
If someone is sick or going through a rough time, we often pass a judgment saying it's the result of his or her Karmas - including the karmas of past lives.
Many times it seems that some people are very kind - noble, generous, and honest - never did anything wrong in their life, and yet they suffer. The usual conclusion of a religious Hindu mind would be that they must have done something wrong in their previous life.
However, the doctrine of Karma is not as simple as that.
Many other factors also play some significant roles in one's life.
While defining Karma and destiny - the theory of cause and effect, we tend to forget another significant aspect of Hindu philosophy that everyone and everything is a part of the whole - that everyone and everything is connected in the whole universe.
The latest science experiments also show that, at the quantum level, one particle can affect the other particle instantaneously, regardless of the distance between them.
According to this principle, the Karma of one can affect others as well.
Therefore, in addition to individual Karmas, there are joint and collective Karmas - that also have an impact on individuals.
Joint Karmas are the karmas and the consequences we share with our loved ones - those with whom we are attached physically and emotionally.
Just as children share their parent's fortunes and debts in physical life, they share each other's destiny at the Sooksham (subtle) level as well. When a couple ties the knots in matrimony, their Karmas also get knotted together. They become partners in each other's destiny as well.
Collective Karmas are the Karmas that are done by a group, society, or even humanity in general - either individually, or collectively - their consequences have to be shared together.
Then there are weak Karmas and strong Karmas.
While weak karmas die quickly, Strong Karmas have more substantial and long-lasting consequences, which may affect many more people around us as well as many more future lifetimes - existences.
Praarabdh' depends upon the previously Sanchit (accumulated) Karmas, which either provides opportunities - or denies them.
To avail an available opportunity or lose it- is the individual's choice called freewill.
- Karma meaning the action and its outcome is destiny.
Simply put, what you sow, so shall you reap.
However, quite often, this concept has been misunderstood and misrepresented.
Usually, we apply this principle only on an individual basis.
If someone is sick or going through a rough time, we often pass a judgment saying it's the result of his or her Karmas - including the karmas of past lives.
Many times it seems that some people are very kind - noble, generous, and honest - never did anything wrong in their life, and yet they suffer. The usual conclusion of a religious Hindu mind would be that they must have done something wrong in their previous life.
However, the doctrine of Karma is not as simple as that.
Many other factors also play some significant roles in one's life.
While defining Karma and destiny - the theory of cause and effect, we tend to forget another significant aspect of Hindu philosophy that everyone and everything is a part of the whole - that everyone and everything is connected in the whole universe.
The latest science experiments also show that, at the quantum level, one particle can affect the other particle instantaneously, regardless of the distance between them.
According to this principle, the Karma of one can affect others as well.
Therefore, in addition to individual Karmas, there are joint and collective Karmas - that also have an impact on individuals.
Joint Karmas are the karmas and the consequences we share with our loved ones - those with whom we are attached physically and emotionally.
Just as children share their parent's fortunes and debts in physical life, they share each other's destiny at the Sooksham (subtle) level as well. When a couple ties the knots in matrimony, their Karmas also get knotted together. They become partners in each other's destiny as well.
Collective Karmas are the Karmas that are done by a group, society, or even humanity in general - either individually, or collectively - their consequences have to be shared together.
Then there are weak Karmas and strong Karmas.
While weak karmas die quickly, Strong Karmas have more substantial and long-lasting consequences, which may affect many more people around us as well as many more future lifetimes - existences.
Praarabdh' depends upon the previously Sanchit (accumulated) Karmas, which either provides opportunities - or denies them.
To avail an available opportunity or lose it- is the individual's choice called freewill.
The future destiny depends on previous and present Karmas together - including the free will of choosing immediate actions - but the joint and collective Karmas also play a role in shaping one's future.
So, the doctrine of Karma is not just one aspect.
It's a blend of all the above factors.
'Rajan Sachdeva '
Excellent
ReplyDeleteGuru Ji, "Collective Karmas are the Karmas that are done by a group, society or even humanity in general - either individually, or collectively - their consequences have to be shared together", i can relate this to our Covid-19 situation. Collective Karma is complex, but here is my simple thought.
ReplyDeleteThis documentary explains how Covid-19 started by selling forbidden/exotic meats in markets (for rich and wealthy people in China) which are called wet market.
Being a Muslim i get frowned at when i talk about eating vegetables only. My Muslims brothers think i have become an infidel and shout at me "You sound like those Hindus, Allah made meat halal for us". And i reply "so are you telling me being a vegetarian is haram in Islam?" Please watch and share the video, it proves the point that if you mess with mother nature, at some point you will have to suffer sever consequences.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPpoJGYlW54&t=281s
Thank you Mr.Sama
DeleteBeautiful explanation 🙏🙏
ReplyDeleteFree will seems to only affect or alter the immediate karma. How do we break free from the seemingly endless chain of karma or destiny from the past? Are we doomed to suffer through the consequences of all of those previous karmas, which may overwhelm some to give up trying entirely? Or is there a way out, such as God’s mercy and grace?
ReplyDeleteEarlier you mentioned that God doesn’t favor some while punishing others. Then how do we strive for God’s mercy and grace?
Would truly appreciate if you would clarify the answers to some of these questions.
I don’t see people purposely do wrong. They have a way of justifying wrong as doing right. There is everyday example of collective wrongdoing right in front of our eyes but we tend to see it the other way. More people were murdered, raped, even in some cases burnt alive by human simply because of race, religious, and ethnic biases. While one community deeply suffers the other walks around oblivious to it. Like karma the history repeats only the pictures on frame change faces with time.
ReplyDeleteGood morning. I liked your lucid explanation of Doctrine of Karma. It is often get confused as you have well pointed out. If anything goes wrong (in their judgment), so called Hindus particularly take it for granted that it is their 'Karmafal", be Prarabdha or from this life, and spends life idle and effortless. As you have rightly pointed out, this very attitude and misunderstanding collectively makes a particular society crippled.
ReplyDelete