Karma

[Snoopy]

I just now settled in my motherland India after many years. I just came across the site once browsing liked it very much so have kept as my favorite site. I am not introduced to hindu religion deeply, so have participated in the forum to learn more snoopy.

It seems that Hindu means People from the Indus, yes? and then some ignorant people (that'll be Westerners then...) decided the religion of these people was to be called Hinduism, not realising that there was not one religion or philosophy common to all Hindus. So if you're the only Hindu on this forum, there's a lot that you can teach!! starting with Advaita please!

s.

 

[seattlegal]

Can i know the correct definition of Karma please?

I can't give you the Hindu version of karma, but there is a nice thread on the Buddhist version of karma here:

http://www.interfaith.org/forum/karma-the-penetrative-explanation-13947.html

 

[Bhaktajan II]

Can i know the correct definition of Karma please?

Not to worry. Free of charge; and, lifetimes' worth of voluminous updates. This may occupy alot of storage space:

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Karma’s Attributes and relevance​

---notes by a bhaktajan:

God almighty in heaven is transcendent with his own personal pastimes far from the souls cycling in Time.​

Presently, in this material world, everything is relative and mostly composed of inanimate matter.

Karma is a part of Physics!
"Karma" means "Action".

Karma is NOT a reference to pre-destined Destiny.

It simply means, 'work'.

The work you sow is the work you reap.

Without the soul's presence (a persona, as God is the Supreme, First & Original reservoir of Persona) all interactions (activities) are simply sand in an ocean of marbles (molecules) without any other significance.

But there is a soul ---yet the soul is bounced around in the dynamic machine known as the material physical world:


The soul is all there is that comprises a living-enitity's personhood.

The Soul takes afresh a new birth in a new model off the assembly line in one of Millions of available models (species) of Human, Para-Human, or any of the economy-size sub-human species to live out the birthright to perform actions.

Look up the desk top novelty called “A Newton’s cradle” ---this is how the elements of material energy work---and similarly this is karma is perpetuated. Karma is a mechanical expression of how the cosmic machine acts.


This is the material world's mechanics in microcosism.
The person viewing it is the soul's consciousness.
The banging of the molecules (ie: waveforms etc) will transpire and pass and cause [interact with] other such waves ---yet the soul is aloof . . . unless it wrongly identifies itself as equal to those marble-like-molecules of inanimate matter.

The External energy is material-transcient-created/maintained/destroyed. It is the material world that we are in now.

The Internal energy is transcendent to the Material/External.
The Internal energy has three attributes: Eternal-Cognisant-Blissfull.

The Soul is a part and parcel individual spark of Godhead's Internal Energy [hladini-shakti ~aka, daiva-prakriti] . . . but the soul is now present in the material world [God’s external energy ~ maya-Shakti ~aka, maya-prakriti] where “Time” exists.

Future Karma may be personally-custom-fitted … but it is impersonally lumped together and carried out.


The 5 topics of discussion addressed in the Bhagavad-gita:

Three are eternal:
1 Isvara - (Controller) - God
2 Jiva-atma – (Indiviual Soul) - Living Entity
3 Prakriti – Energy (Material & Spiritual)
4 Kala – “Time”

One is transient:
5 Karma – Action = a) artha—wealth, abundance b) kama—enjoyment, pleasure
c) dharma—work, duty

"Maya"= the Cosmic Material Energy' recognized as a field of temporary matter and energy in flux, whence, the soul appears, to lord it over as best as can be had. All the whilst identifying with the present body, which was afforded by the fruits of prior actions.

Karma & Reincarnation=Karma means, 'action'. All living creatures Eat/sleep/mate/defend---one must rise above the mundane order of life and death. We are all destined to take repeated births in various bodies until we are re-acquainted with The grace of Mukunda (a name for Krishna---the sole Bestower of Liberation from the material ocean of repeated births and deaths—since time immemorial). This is done by approaching the top experts in the world authorized to instruct novices in the science of Bhakti-yoga.

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Karma—1. material action performed according to scriptural regulations;
2. action pertaining to the development of the material body;
3. any material action which will incur a subsequent reaction;
4. the material reaction one incurs due to fruitive activities; This Sanskrit word means 'action' or, more specifically, any material action that brings a reaction binding us to the material world.

According to the law of karma, if we cause pain and suffering to other living beings, we must endure pain and suffering in return.

Karmendriyas—the working senses.

Karmis—fruitive laborers.

Karmi—one engaged in kärma (fruitive activity); a materialist.

Karma-bandhana—bondage to the reactions of fruitive activities.

Karma-bandha—the bondage of fruitive activities.

Karma-kanda—the division of the Vedas which deals with fruitive activities performed for the
purpose of gradual purification of the grossly entangled materialist.

Karma-kandiya—relating to karma-kanda.

Karma-mimamsa—one of the six main Vedic philosophies. It states that the subtle laws of nature reward or punish one according to how one acts, without reference to an independent God.

Karma-nishthas—those who consider devotional service to be fruitive activities.

Karma-tyaga—the giving of the results of karma to the Supreme Lord.

Karma-vira—a successful fruitive worker.

Karma-yoga—action in devotional service; the path of God realization through dedicating the fruits of one’s work to God.

 

[Aupmanyav]

This is exactly what I think Karma is not. A record? Where is this record kept? Who is keeping it? How does this record know how and when to extract its reward? How does your karmic record influence others to cooperate in its designs?

You got a theosophic reply. Here is a traditional theist hindu reply (though I am not one).

Karma is action/deed. A person's 'karma record' is kept in the office of the God of Death (Yama) who is the designated person to give rewards or punishment. Yama is helped in keeping the 'karma records' of all living beings (humans or animals, don't know about vegetation but most probably not) by an able accountant (Chitragupta) who is the originator of Kayastha caste of hindus.

The time and date of death of a person is decided in advance by Lord Brahma (Vidhata). At exactly that time and date, Yama makes his assistants (Yamadoota - Messengers of Lord Yama) bring back the soul of the living being. Chitragupta presents the beings record of karma, and according to standing instructions of Gods the person is awarded stay in heaven for his/her good deeds and hell for his/her evil deeds. These two are not compounded and have to be enjoyed or suffered separately, though the person has the choice to choose which one to be the first, heaven or hell.

The punishment or reward is irrespective of race, nationality, religion, sect, caste, etc. It is absolutely fair to all. To add some fun, Vidhata keeps the effect of some good or evil deed in abeyance, which is awarded in some future life without notice. That is why some people win lotteries (good deeds) or get involved in car accidents (evil deeds). Others are not involved in the affects of your karma. Those involved are paying for or reaping benefits of their own karma. For example, the driver of the car with which you met with an accident might be paying for his/her own bad deeds. But if the person is getting the reward of his/her good deeds, the car may not topple over in the accident.

 

[Aupmanyav]

So what is the purpose of life if its already mapped out before we're born?
What is the role of free will?
What is the value of living if our higher selves already appear to know so much before we ever exit the womb?

If I were to reply as a theist: 1. God's wish. 2. None. 3. What we will do or experience is already decided by Lord Brahma. We are only symbolic (nimitta-matra) and what seems to happen is illusion ('maya').

 

[Aupmanyav]

--> And that difference is…?

In theistic hinduism, soul carries the load of karmas. In buddhism, karmas flit and attach to a being, there being no soul.

 

[seattlegal]

"the hindu and buddhist ideas of karma are not the same."

--> And that difference is…?

In theistic hinduism, soul carries the load of karmas. In buddhism, karmas flit and attach to a being, there being no soul.

In Yogacara school, karma resides in the eigth consciousness.

The result of our intentional actions is karma. The consequences of these actions remain as traces or seeds planted in the storehouse consciousness. These seeds germinate over time and generate more seeds. Therefore, our lives, are driven by past actions which compel us to decisions about future actions. The theory of karma accounts for the "continuity of personality through death, or unconsciousness..." Once a seed produces its fruit, it is used up. However, new seeds come to fruition in each moment. Until the time of enlightenment, while we continue to believe in the reality of our perceptual framework, this process "...creates seeds that will ripen into further delusion."
Because of the similarity of karmic seeds, and the corresponding delusions they produce, our perception of the world matches that of other people. Consequently, in our samsara (the cycle of existence and rebirth that is the cause of suffering), we are usually in agreement with others about the external sensible world. We also experience interaction via our streams of mental phenomena, since one person's mental representations can effect those of another. The karmic process has three stages: 1) Giving rise to delusion has one root in the sixth consciousness [10], whose actionslead to activity and therefore karma. 2) Creating karma involves planting seeds in the eighth consciousness [8]. The ongoing cycle of life, death, and rebirth draws the eighth consciousness back into the six levels of existence [15]. 3) Finally, undergoing retribution is the germination of karmic seeds; we reap what we have sown.
-source-​

 

[Aupmanyav]

The theory of karma accounts for the "continuity of personality through death, or unconsciousness..."

What kind of death do you mean? The buddhist moment-to-moment death or perceived physical death? What happens to karmas after perceived physical death? Where do they linger or to what do they attach?

 

[Bhaktajan II]

What kind of death do you mean? The buddhist moment-to-moment death or perceived physical death? What happens to karmas after perceived physical death? Where do they linger or to what do they attach?

YES YES YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Excellent series of queries!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That is why I advised you to Run very quickly and learn these things ASAP! ---especially at your age!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The first step it to indentify and publically acknwoledge one's faults and weaknesses. Congrats. That is step 1.

The Gita is written just for this purpose.

I recommend Orthodox Hindus scripture esp for old world Orthodox Hindus.

So read the Gita translated by and commented on by the Orthodox Hindu Swami that the Governement of India vetted as Orthodox Hindu, just right to be Put on its federal post stamp, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami.




Do not worry. Do not fear. Do not hesitate. It is your Birthright.

 

[seattlegal]

What kind of death do you mean? The buddhist moment-to-moment death or perceived physical death? What happens to karmas after perceived physical death? Where do they linger or to what do they attach?

According to the Yogacara school, the eighth consciousness, or storehouse (alaya) consciousness, contains the karmic seeds and gives rise to the other eight consciousnesses on rebirth. (There are different Buddhist schools of thought regarding this.)
Eighth Consciousness

 

[Aupmanyav]

"Na asatah vidyate bhāvah, na abhāvah vidyate sataḥ;
ubhayah api drishtah antah, tu anayoh tattva-darshibhiḥ." (BhagawadGeeta 2.16)

Those who are seers of the truth have concluded that of the nonexistent there is no endurance, and of the eternal there is no change. This they have concluded by studying the nature of both.

Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada's Gita is on my bookmark bar and I use it constantly. Very well produced, though the translation is not correct. Things which are not there in the original have been added. Even the above is from that. I know a little Sanskrit, so I can spot the differences. It misleads those who may not know Sanskrit.