In its major conception, karma is the physical, mental and supramental system of neutral rebound, "cause and effect," that is inherent in existence within the bounds of time, space, and causation. Essentially what this means is that the very being which one experiences on (say, as a human being) is governed by an immutable preservation of energy, vibe, and action. It is comparable to the Golden Rule but denies the ostensible arbitrariness of Fate, Destiny, Kismet, or other such Western conceptions by attributing absolute reason and determinism to the workings of the cosmos.
Karma, for these reasons, naturally implies reincarnation or rebirth (though the opposite is not true) since thoughts and deeds in past lives will affect one's current situation. Thus, every individual alike is responsible for the tragedies and good 'fortunes' which are experienced. The concept of an inscrutable "God" figure is not necessary with the idea of karma. It is vital to note that karma is not an instrument of a god, or a single God, but is rather the physical and spiritual 'physics' of being. As gravity governs the motions of heavenly bodies and objects on the surface of the earth, karma governs the motions and happenings of life, both inanimate and animate, unconscious and conscious, in the cosmic realm.
Thus, what certain philosophical viewpoints may term "destiny" or "fate" is in actuality, according to believers of karma, the simple and neutral working out of karma. Many have likened karma to a moral banking system, a credit and debit of good and bad. However, this view falls short of the idea that any sort of action (action being a root meaning of 'karma'), whether we term it 'good' or 'bad', binds us in recurring cause and effect. In order to attain supreme consciousness, to escape the cycle of life, death, and rebirth and the knot of karma one must altogether transcend karma. This method of transcendence is variously dealt with in many streams of not only Hinduism and Buddhism, but other faiths and philosophical systems as well.
From Hinduism the concept of karma was absorbed and developed in different manners in other movements within the other Indian subcontinental (South Asian) religions of Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism. Although these religions express significant disagreement regarding the particularities of "karma", all four groups have relatively similar notions of what karma is.
More recently the concept has been adopted (with various degrees of accuracy and understanding) by many New Age movements, Theosophy and Kardecist Spiritualism.
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Karma or Kamma
The law of Karma or Kamma (Pali) originated in the Vedic system of religion, otherwise known as Hinduism. As a term, it can at the latest be traced back to the early Upanishads, around 1500 BC.
Karma first came into being as a concept in Hinduism, largely based on the Vedas and Upanishads. One of the first and most dramatic illustrations of Karma can be found in the great Hindu epic, the Mahabharata. The original Hindu concept of karma was later enhanced by several other movements within the religion, most notably Vedanta, Yoga, and Tantra.
The Bhagvad Gita says of karma : Brahman is the indestructible, the supreme; the Self is called the essential nature, and karma is the name of the creative power that causes beings to exist. ( pp 77 verse 3 translated by Eliot Deutsch university press of America, 1968 )
What is meant here, is an idea that is truly ineffable - no words will suffice to explain it properly - which is why "proper" explanations are not to be found in the works of scholars - as important as their work is. Those in the know recognize the spark of wisdom in others but admit to each other that words are not enough - that the very existence of words forms part of the problem. The best that one who has experienced the Lord ( or God or Brahma as Arjuna has )can do is use faint and poor methaphors and imagery in the hope of "hitting" some nerve in the reader - a nerve of recognition.
All humans ( all living beings really, but why start a fight ) are "separated from God" ( please forgive my christian imagery - it is the culture I grew up in ) not by any arbitrary rule or law ( dharma is often expressed as some sort of divine law ) but by the basic desire for distinction.
We all are so full of ego that we feel a need to be different from and separate from God. Each of us could, at any time, give up this need for ego ( separateness, individuality, personality, physical experience )and directly "translate" to co-mingling, joining, God. The ONLY thing that prevents this full and complete union with God is our desire to be different and separate from "him". This is, in fact, why some people seem to "just die" without any reason. They may have not had the "right reasons" but they did eventually get to that psychological state where they no longer "held onto" life.
One thing that the Bhudda saw ( that is missed by most christians - even the mystics ) was that this desire and the attendant process of eliminating this desire is not a struggle that is "decided", finally, at death. We can, if we are so "foolish" continue on through "the infinite universe and for all time". Ego is this strong.
Karma first came into being as a concept in Hinduism, largely based on the Vedas and Upanishads. One of the first and most dramatic illustrations of Karma can be found in the great Hindu epic, the Mahabharata. The original Hindu concept of karma was later enhanced by several other movements within the religion, most notably Vedanta, Yoga, and Tantra.
The Bhagvad Gita says of karma : Brahman is the indestructible, the supreme; the Self is called the essential nature, and karma is the name of the creative power that causes beings to exist. ( pp 77 verse 3 translated by Eliot Deutsch university press of America, 1968 )
What is meant here, is an idea that is truly ineffable - no words will suffice to explain it properly - which is why "proper" explanations are not to be found in the works of scholars - as important as their work is. Those in the know recognize the spark of wisdom in others but admit to each other that words are not enough - that the very existence of words forms part of the problem. The best that one who has experienced the Lord ( or God or Brahma as Arjuna has )can do is use faint and poor methaphors and imagery in the hope of "hitting" some nerve in the reader - a nerve of recognition.
All humans ( all living beings really, but why start a fight ) are "separated from God" ( please forgive my christian imagery - it is the culture I grew up in ) not by any arbitrary rule or law ( dharma is often expressed as some sort of divine law ) but by the basic desire for distinction.
We all are so full of ego that we feel a need to be different from and separate from God. Each of us could, at any time, give up this need for ego ( separateness, individuality, personality, physical experience )and directly "translate" to co-mingling, joining, God. The ONLY thing that prevents this full and complete union with God is our desire to be different and separate from "him". This is, in fact, why some people seem to "just die" without any reason. They may have not had the "right reasons" but they did eventually get to that psychological state where they no longer "held onto" life.
One thing that the Bhudda saw ( that is missed by most christians - even the mystics ) was that this desire and the attendant process of eliminating this desire is not a struggle that is "decided", finally, at death. We can, if we are so "foolish" continue on through "the infinite universe and for all time". Ego is this strong.
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