Most people believe they have an idea of karma.
But more of them believe it’s an evil consequence that a person and their progenies suffer (enjoy?) even after they might have died.
However, Hinduism identifies karma as the relationship between a person’s mental or physical action and the consequences following that action. It also signifies the consequences of all the actions of a person in their current and previous lives, as well as the chain of cause and effect in morality.
Karma, in Buddhism, refers to the principle of cause and effect. The result of an action – which can be verbal, mental, or physical – is determined not only by the act but also by the intention.
Positive or good karma is a result of good deeds done for others, while bad karma results from intentional harm caused to others. If your actions cause lasting pain and suffering, they are considered negative, unvirtuous, or destructive. Meanwhile, if your actions cause happiness, they are considered constructive, positive, and virtuous.
Karma can be individual or collective. For example, individual karma is created by a person’s thoughts, words, and actions. But when people act as a group, like when soldiers use weapons or when a religious group prays or meditates, they create collective karma.
Karma has four principles:
Small actions can lead to great results: The smallest action can lead to immense happiness or sadness. What you may consider a small act of goodwill might be huge for another just like a short hurtful remark can have a lasting impact on them. You might not realize it but doing good deeds for others – no matter how small – might be life-changing for them.
Karma is nontransferable: You’re responsible for your karma. No one else can experience your karma for you nor can they remove it for you and vice versa.
Noncommitted actions won’t give you the results you want: You must fully commit to actions or intent to get the results you desire.
Karmic actions won’t disappear on their own: You must experience the results, whether good or bad, or purify them through spiritual practices.
How Karma Affects Your Life:
In Buddhist philosophy, no higher power gives rewards and punishments. You simply act with intent and experience the consequences of your actions. You’re therefore responsible for your actions and consequences.
Since karma is based on intent, things that happen by accident don’t count toward karmic justice or consequences. It’s impossible to prove that karma is real, but for the people who believe in it, it can lead to stronger friendships and happiness. This is because those who believe in karma will generally do good to receive something good in return.
However, even if you don’t believe in karma, treating people with ill intent often leads to hard feelings, which can cause unhappiness and resentment. These feelings alone can cause troubles in life. People often attribute karma to treating others the way you want to be treated.
Karma can affect how you lead your life – either with fear of consequences or with anticipation of future rewards.
Attracting good Karma: Karma is rooted in the belief that “what goes around comes around.” So, doing good things makes it more likely that good things will happen to you while doing bad things makes it more likely that bad things will happen. However, you may experience good or bad things, even when it’s unclear how your actions lead to these outcomes.
To attract good karma now and in the future, the best you can do is practice good deeds and kindness.
Ways of attracting good karma:
1. Do everything with kindness, and show kindness to everyone around you. When you love with kindness, you attract positive karma that encourages everyone and everything to be kind to you.
2. Chant a mantra with positive thoughts of others in mind. It helps clear away any negative karma you’re carrying around you.
3. Meditate. When you meditate, try to clear your mind and think about why you’re meditating. Meditate on feeling grateful for your life and where you are right now.
4. Be gracious with wins and losses. Generously celebrate other people’s wins and successes and humbly accept your failures. You’ll attract good karma for the future and receive grace and generosity from others whether you’re doing well or not.
5. Give to charity. Giving helps you attract good karma because it brings generosity from others when you need it.
6. Be there for others, even when it’s inconvenient. Being there for people needing a listening ear or support, even strangers, helps you cultivate kindness and attracts good karma. Someone will be there for you when you need support.
7. Appreciate the life of all beings, especially the tiniest of creatures You’ll attract the karma of a long life by doing so.
Karma is the belief that the things you do in life will eventually return to you either in this life or the next. It is all about being aware of and intentional about what you do and how you treat others. Everything you do adds up to the kind of karma you attract. So, to live a good life filled with kindness, generosity, and success – both now and in the future – live each day with intention.
Source: WebMD
