THE DOCTRINE OF KARMA AS DEFINED IN VEDANTA
Connected to Hindu ethics is the Doctrine of Karma or the Doctrine of Cause and Effect. According to this doctrine, good deeds done on earth bring good results and bad deeds bad results. Suffering and enjoyment in this life or hereafter are caused by one’s bad and good deeds, or Karma, done in the past. God is not responsible for one’s suffering or enjoyment.
Simple yet profound. And yet if it is so simple, why doesn't masses of humanity believe in it? Or is it just a sales pitch given by the early scholars to sell religion? There are no answers.
Lord Buddha in his state of meditation went into a deep trance and narrated his various births. These stories are know as the Jatak Tales. In acute agony during his meditation, Lord Buddha groaned...."where is the freedom? Where is the freedom from Karma?". I shudder when ever I think of his statement. If Lord Buddha could not free himself of Karma, what am I? A mere ignorant soul. There is no freedom from Karma!!!
Who decides what is a good or bad Karma? Nobody. It is the conscience (niti) and the consequence that seperates the good from the bad. Arjun on the battle field of Kurukshetra asked Lord Krishna, "All these are my relatives. How can I fight them? How can I kill them?". In answer to his question, Lord Krishna said, "You are a king. A ruler. Your first responsibility is towards your people. Each one of us is born with a niyat (inherent) karma. To kill his prey is the niyat Karma of a Lion. It is not good or bad. It is just his Karma. To protect and nurture a baby is the niyat Karma of a mother. There is nothing good or bad in it. Hence to protect your Kingdom from these people is your duty. It is your Karma".
Arjun followed his Guru, Lord Krishna and did what he was told to do. But what has happened to all of us? Why has the World forgotten this doctrine of Karma? Why are we so insensitive to the consequences of our own actions. The law of Karma says it all comes back to you. The good and the bad.
Hugh Prather has written in his book,'Notes to myself', "People connect my actions with the results. They are unable to judge my actions in isolation of the results. But at this moment I must act, because at this moment I don't know of the results."
