Before I begin, here is some food for thought —
This is a screenshot of the message I sent out to my email-only blog subscribers last week. I felt like I should share more hopeful and inspiring content on there because, life can be demanding and challenging and there is only so much we can do about it to keep our mind balanced through all the chaos.
I’ll be sending one again tonight, so if you would like to keep up-to-date with my inspiring insights, some life updates and new content, I highly encourage you to subscribe to my mailing list and never miss a thing!
Here is the link —–
#mc_embed_signup{background:#fff; clear:left; font:14px Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; } /* Add your own MailChimp form style overrides in your site stylesheet or in this style block. We recommend moving this block and the preceding CSS link to the HEAD of your HTML file. */Now, Let’s Talk About Karma. Getting back with our topic; I’ve been sharing a 5-part blog about some things I learned during my absenteeism last month. Having shared so much so far, I feel relieved all over again. Here is Part 3. So, let’s go ——
The Law of Karma is actually is the Law of Cause and Effect. It is a law that relates to your fate and actions, and it is an unbreakable rule of the cosmos.
Karma is a Sanskrit word which basically translates to action. “What goes around comes around”, or “as you sow, so shall you reap”, are the underlying building blocks of karma.
There are many beliefs and different views and ideas about karma. Many people do not even agree that it exists. Allow me to analyze the concept for you. Again, if you’re in a hurry, feel free to rush down to my conclusion.
The Hindu and Buddhist religions both believe in karma. In the Hindu religion, karma influences how you are born in your next life. You can be born in lower life forms such as an animal, plant, or insect. You could even be born into a lower caste system. It works the opposite way as well and can cause you to be reborn in a higher form even as a demigod or superhuman. Buddhists have a different take on karma. The Buddha rejected the notion of a soul but accepted some notion of rebirth. Buddha says that even though there is no soul the personalities of a being could recombine and continue from one lifetime to another. He uses the example of a flame going from one candle to another or the wind on blades of grass.
To understand karma first it needs to be defined. Karma can be described as a form of cause and effect. The dictionary defines karma as a sum of person’s actions in one of his successive states of existence, viewed as deciding his fate for the next. In Sanskrit karma is defined as the volitional action that is undertaken deliberately or knowingly. This also fits together as self-determination and a strong willpower to abstain from inactivity. Karma also separates human beings from other creatures in the world. Karma is a notion that constantly proves the Newton theory of every action creating an equal and opposite reaction. Every time we do something we create a cause and in time will produce its corresponding reaction. It is the personality of the human that causes either negative or positive karma. Karma could be caused by both the physical and mental aspects of the body, regardless of, if it brings achievement now or in the future. Karma cannot be affected by the natural reflexes of the body. “A person is responsible for his or her own karma”(Karma and Reincarnation, 2010). In other words, it is up to a person to give themselves good karma and move to a higher form in the next life or their doing for bad karma and devolving to a lower form. There are three types of karma savtik karma, rajasik karma, tamasik karma. Savtik karma is without attachment, selfless and for the benefit of others. Rajasik karma is selfish where ones focus is on one’s gains to oneself. Tamasik karma is undertaken without regard to consequences and is supremely selfish and savage.
The ancient yogis have assigned three categories to karma. These are sanchita, prarabdha, and kriyamana. The first category, sanchita, is the sum total of past karma yet to be resolved. Prarabdha, the second category, is the portion of sanchita being experienced in the present life. The third category, kriyamana, is the karma you are currently creating. It is important to understand that past negative karma can be altered into a smoother, easier state through the loving, heart-chakra nature, through dharma and sadhana. If you live religiously well you will create positive karma for the future and soften negative karma of the past.
“Karma operates not only individually but also in ever-enlarging circles of group karma where we participate in some karma of multiple souls” (Karma and Reincarnation, 2010 ). So if we unconditionally love as individuals or groups we will be loved in return. The individuals and groups that act maliciously toward us create their own karmic creation. The people who affect our karma are also living through past karmic experiences and simultaneously creating future karma. Many people believe in the principle of karma but don’t apply it to their daily life or life’s peak experiences. They cry during times of personal crisis asking why God did this or asking what they did to deserve this. “While God is the creator and sustainer of the cosmic law of karma, He does not dispense individual karma”(Karma and Reincarnation, 2010). He doesn’t give one person cancer while making another person an Olympic gold medalist. “We create our own experiences”(Subhamoy, 2010). We really exercise our soul’s powers of creation. Karma is our best spiritual teacher. “We spiritually learn and grow as our actions return to us to be resolved and dissolved”(Karma and Reincarnation, 2010). There is no good or bad karma; there is the only self-created experience that presents for spiritual advancement. Only when karma is wisely harnessed can the mind become still enough to experience its own subconscious depths. “Karma is also misunderstood as fate”(Karma in Hinduism, 2010). Something that is predetermined and unchangeable decreed many ages ago by some external force. Karma is neither predetermined or fate. Each soul has free will and its only limit is karma.
During our multiple lifetimes on earth, we experience a remarkable variety of life patterns. We exist as male and female, princesses and presidents, paupers and pirates, tribal and scientists, as murderers and healers, as atheists and eventually God-Realized sages. We take many bodies, races, religions, faiths, and philosophies on our journey to spiritual enlightenment gaining more knowledge and evolutionary experience.
I think this is a very good belief and most religions believe in it in one form. “Christianity has the golden rule”(Subhamoy, 2010). Most religions have some type of karmic belief although they may not come right out and say it. Karma seems to really be about living your life in a good way. Be kind to others, treat people with respect and help them. Nothing really confused me. I did a lot of research on karma, however, I did learn a lot. I didn’t know the different types of karma or how the belief in karma differed from the Hindu and Buddhist religions. I found it was very logical. Everyone believes in karma in some form. People say don’t do something bad or wrong because it will come back around and get you in the end. I find it appealing because everyone wants to believe that when someone hurts you in some way, that, they will have something bad happen to them later on.
My mother, quoting in a simple manner, says that it is just a way of life; some way to live with being good to everyone. She doesn’t necessarily believe that something bad will happen but just that, it is how you should live your life by being a good person. This is an acceptable answer to me. It helps to explain why possibly some bad things happen to someone and that they should react positively to what happened.
I only mean to conclude by saying that kindness is a language. It works miracles and comes back to you tenfold. Do good even when no one is watching. It makes us human and ultimately works like a “give and take law.”
What goes around, comes around.
We all believe in karmic laws, just name and think to suit our direction.
You may not be aware of it, but your thoughts and actions are so powerful that they carry energy. What you think and do echoes through time and throughout eternity. And, because our lives are interlinked, what you do and the intentions of your actions, good or bad, will eventually come back to you in this lifetime. In other words, what you do now will indirectly shape your future. This is how karma affects your life.
As you sow, so shall you reap.
The seed of your thoughts planted today will bear a fruit in near course of time, eventually, being bitter or sweet.
If it’s a free will granted to us by a superior power, use it to your well-being. Everyone will agree in due time. Or at least learn.
Feel free to ask any follow-up questions or share your ideas in the comment section below. Alternately, I’d really appreciate for you to share this content on your social media platform if you found it useful so that others can benefit from it too. If you have any doubts or want a personal clarification, send me an email on eclipsedwords@gmail.com. For more inspiration, fun, and smiles, follow me on Instagram
Happy Blogging! ♥♥♥
Thank you for reading. Love you for that! ♥
—–Have Hope. Keep Faith—–
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ECLIPSEDWORDS BY AISHWARYA SHAH | MAY’2019 | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED ©
Yes, life and death are in the power of the tongue.
Thank you for writing this. I like that you included the “you create your experience/reality” aspect of karma. To me that’s the more empowering and intriguing approach.
There’s also Karma Yoga, which is about selfless action as a way of purifying one’s karma.
Loved the write-up! Are the images too made by you?
Well written, and so many aspects that relate to myself.
Very true! Very well written!
Thank you for this!
Your writing is so fresh and relatable! Looking forward to reading more in the future 🙂
Very interesting, all the different interpretations of karma. I once saw Pinterest post that always stuck with me. Perhaps a bit if a stretch but really the same premise: ‘life is only a bitch if you are’. No matter how many ways its said, all a great reminder to be kind to one another.
Very well! Congratulations!
True,, what you eating now was surely sowed a long time back
You get back what you give. I’ve come to a point where I forgive, after a brief moment of anger. For if you hold tight to that hate it just eats at your soul. Karma may not be instantaneous, I have seen years pass however at some point it bites back, sometimes hard. So don’t give it reason to snap at your heels. 🌎✌🏻❤️🕊
We often base our actions based on what is right or wrong. But if a person believes that Karma is watching, we will base our actions/decisions keeping the future consequences in mind. Karma is kind to those who have been kind to people around them and themselves.
For me, the idea of God’s grace lessening the negative effects of so-called bad karma (or sin) is important. Also, with relativity theory, the whole notion of a linear progression seems antiquated. 🙂
Deep and meaningful. Great article 🙂
Very insightful