Brahmakumaris World Spiritual University

www.bkwsu.org What is Karma?

What gives exactly as much as it takes? Goes and comes around? What shows an effect but hides its cause?

Karma

The first thing we do is take a breath. Then we must give it back. This is the rhythm of life. This is a natural law of reciprocity Where everything and everybody is affected. You start by taking what you end up giving. This is the law of cause and effect. This unwritten law encompasses every action we perform. This is the law of perfect justice. We always get the return of everything we give.

What is Karma?
Karma is a natural spiritual law or principle which governs all our interactions. It starts with the seed of thought which develops and grows over time through our feelings, attitude, words, actions, and relations. It finally settles into our souls as personality traits, only to emerge again in the form of another thought. The Law of Karma can be understood as the spiritual equivalent of Newtons Third Law of Motion, which states that for every action [on the physical plane] there is an equal and opposite reaction. In physics, the understanding of the absoluteness of Newtons law shed so much light on a world that had previously been shrouded in mystery, that today it lies at the foundation of many advances in science and technology.

The Law of Karma

The Law of Karma is equally unequivocal in the spiritual dimension. It states that for every action on the spiritual plane there is an equal and opposite reaction. This means that if happiness is given, happiness will be experienced in return and if sorrow is given, sorrow will be experienced in equal measure. In other words, whatever emotion I cause another to experience must ultimately become my own experience.

Consequences of the Law of Karma

Understanding the Law of Karma makes me aware that each action (or karma) causes a return, a consequence; equally, events (and their effects) can only occur when there has been a corresponding cause. This means that whatever circumstances Im in at the moment whoever or whatever is compelling me or repelling me and whatever I am experiencing is the consequence of my own prior thoughts, decisions and actions. Understanding the Law of Karma gives deep significance to concepts such as responsibility and justice. Sometimes the Law of Karma is only half understood. Someone may think helplessly, If whatever is happening to me now is because of my past actions, then theres nothing I can do about it. But if the past created the present, the present also creates the future. Instead of being a slave to ones past, understanding the Law of Karma inspires us to actively participate in creating our own destiny.

Law of Karma: Absolute Justice

Thought is a seed; action is its fruit. The quality of fruit is determined by the quality of its seed. Good thoughts lead to good actions which benefit others as well as ones self. The Law of Karma begins to work to my advantage when I stop habitual actions that are harmful, take responsibility to positively address the consequences of any such actions performed in the past, and pay attention to performing positive actions from this moment forward. The Law of Karma is a law of absolute justice whose long arm reaches easily from one life to the next, enabling the soul to reap the fruit of whatever seeds it has sown and to create the destiny it wants.

Meditation enables me to understand my karmic circumstances, empowers me to settle my karmic accounts in the best possible ways and shows me how to accumulate karmic credit for the future.