The Law of Karma – Part 1

My dear Kodi,
I too remember having seen your post, but now, I cannot !
I am glad you are able to accept the karma theory. As I wrote earlier, understanding in this case, follows acceptance.
Do we not say in tamil
அரசன் அன்றே கொல்வான்
தெய்வம் நின்று கொல்லும்
Thanks for your F B, Kodi.
Love,
Chithra.

Dear Chit,
It looks like your Karma post has sent a lot of people into the introspective mode !
But a clear understanding of it is indeed needed to handle the various frustrations of life. Problem is, when we start thinking of karma vinai, a lot of contrary perceptions arise to confuse us. The most common one, that perplexes everyone is the dynamics between Karma and Free Will. ( as seen in one of the FBs above).

The other one is the seemingly "unfair" working of karma. The common: " why me?" syndrome. Like a wise person remarked once, we cry "Why Me" when a misfortune hits us, but never ask" Why me" when we win a lottery or get an award !

I will wait for your further posts in this session before I bring my doubts to you. And doubts I have plenty about the Shareerathrayam. Sthula and Sukshma, I can understand. But have to figure out a few things about the Karana one.
Regards
VS

My dear Radha,
I am writing a detailed answer to you & pray God give you the patience to read through it. I do hope your queries also get answered.
The scriptures point out that every action, small or big, produces results (phalam). No action goes without a phalam. The karma phalam is divided into
Dhrsta phalam - visible result
Adhrsta phalam - invisible result.
The latter is divided into the good one (punyam) & the bad one (papam). The causes of punyam & papam are determined by the scriptures . An action prescribed by the scriptures (called vihita karma) will produce punyam (so, rest assured, a dharmic action can never produce papam) whereas an action prohibited by the scriptures (nishiddha karma) will produce papam. In other words, the vihita karma produces punyam & nishiddha karma produces papam.
Now, invisible punyam fructifies later into visible sukham(happiness). Hence punyam is potentially good.
On the other hand, invisible papam becomes visible dukham (unhappiness), in course of time. So, papam is potentially bad.
The duration for this conversion is never a fixed one. It varies from karma to karma. Just think of it this way - I sow a papaya seed; it sprouts quickly and grows into a tree very fast. Does the same happen for a coconut or mango tree ? No ! Insects multiply very fast. A human being is born only 10 months after conception. So we conclude that all actions need not produce results uniformly.
I wrote in my reply to Manju that a rebirth is, getting associated with a new subtle body which has unfructified papa-punyas. While experiencing sukham & dukham in the next body, the individal performs more actions & consequently acquires fresh punyam & papam. They may not be fructified completely & this process goes on.
So, we realise that sufferings mean an exhaustion of my papam. We get purified. Just like scientists talk about the visible physical order in the cosmos, the law of karma talks about the invisible moral order. Without a cause, there can never be an effect. We can't say it does not exist just because we cannot see it ! Medical people talk about idiopathic diseases, whose causes are not known. It does not mean that the cause is non-existent.
The invisible punya-papas are divided into 3 types:
Sanchita karma - all the unfructified punya-papas are accumulated in the past infinite janmas.
Prarabdha karma - Of the above, a portion is allotted to the physical body of that particular janma for fructification. Prarabdha means that which has begun to fructify. Prarabdha determines the type of body, the type of parentage, the duration of life etc.
But, please remember that while exhausting prarabdha, we are doing fresh karmas in this janma !
Agami karma - these are the punya papams that are aquired in this janma. Agami means arriving.
Thus, we can say
accumulated karmas are sanchita
Fructifying ones in this janma are parabdha
What are acquired in this janma are agami.
I now plan to post a separate topic on these three, if you all wish.
Radha, I am sure, you did'nt bargain for this long an answer from me ! But your doubts warrant this !
Love,
Chithra.

My dear VS,
Thanks for your F B.
I plan to post Shareera thrayam as a separate topic, when you will understand karana shareeram.
After reading the above reply of mine to Anjana, please go ahead & ask me if you have still some query on this topic.
I enjoy this interaction immensely & it helps me to question myself to get the (seemingly?) right answers !
As I have explained, karma vinai is adhrsta phalam.
Love,
Chithra.

Dear Chitra,
That was indeed a very clear explanation and thanks for patiently clarifying my doubts.Now when I put things into perspective it does make sense. I did have to read it several times to understand the different types of karmas. If it is not too much can you make a seperate post on Sanchita karma,Prarabdha karma,and Agami karma? I find it very interesting when we get into details.Will still ponder on this subject.
Love,

Dear Chitra,
I am glad that i did not read and give a fb , yesterday.....since all ur replies to everyone's doubts were all interesting and i might have missed that, ......seemy karma is good.....that i got so many explanations ....
But honestly i was engrossed in reading your explanation on KARMA! Such a wonderful concept and you explained so well!

I liked the below quote also very much....this is new to me!
Swami Vivekanada says
"Karma is the essential assertion of human freedom.....Our thoughts, our words and deeds are the threads of the net which we throw around ourselves".

So very clearly we have to stay without spreading a vast net, then only we will escape from the after effects in the next janma...if not in this janma itself!
Thanks for the fantastic post and am eagerly awaiting for the continuation post!

:confused: Dear Chithra,

The law of karma post is superb and well-knitted thread.
But it is also mind boggling. I accept the whole principle of
the law of karma, but one question arises in my mind.
I heard a saying that the Papas and Punyas done by parents
go to the offspring. Then how will the law of karma and
doing by the parents (ancestors) coordinate?
Is it not contradictory? :confused:

My dear Radha,
You rightly wrote that you had to read it several times to understand.
When I first heard it in my vedanta class, I was almost shocked - you know why? It is a shock to accept that you are the reason for your own pain ( & pleasure) ! It is always in us to attribute happiness to our own deeds & for our unhappiness to find out an external reason, rather a "scapegoat".
It does need a lot of conviction that my own actions shape my own destiny !
Once you understand this, then there is no looking back !
Yes, some of the future topics are shareerathrayam, types of karmas etc. I have already drafted them - you can never imagine, how much I enjoy drafting them, because in the process, my undestanding improves !
Thankyou for provoking my "thinking deep" !
Love,
Chithra.

My dear Sudha,
Thankyou very much.
You cannot imagine, how "scared" I was to open the topic of karma in this forum. As I wrote in my previous post, it is difficult to accept it ! But all "difficult understandings" have to be gone through in every aspect of life, right ? I would add, better not late !
But once you accept it, things fall, as though, in place !
I hope you read about the much publicised Noida killings of innocent children. How can, the man who committed those sins, ever come out of the net of misdeeds he has thrown around himself ? My next week's post will throw a little more light ( I hope?!) on this.
You know, Sudha, though I had alreadfy drafted Part 2, after reading your F bs,
I added on some more points. Since I wanted to have a second opinion, I had to give V the homework of reading my write-up & give a critical feed back! ( He is an ardent student & follower of the Gita, for ever so many years.).
If these posts provoke you to think & analyse, my job is done & I feel happy.
Love,
Chithra.

My dear Vidhyalakshmi,
Thankyou for joining us in this thread.
I agree, it is mind boggling. But once you understand, it is as though all "whys" get answered & fall in place !
Now, what I write here, is from my own understanding.
As parents, naturally, we are more concerned about our children's future & welfare than our own. We are ready to make sacrifices so that they will get the best in life. It is this psychology that is made use of in the words
I heard a saying that the Papas and Punyas done by parents
go to the offspring
We will not dare think of a misdeed if you are scared that your children may someday pay for it. So, at any cost, we refrain from doing wrong adharmic actions.
Love,
Chithra.