A
man is born alone and dies alone; and he experiences the good and bad
consequences of his Karma alone. - Chanakya.
What goes around, comes
around
What goes up, must come down
These
words are from Alicia Keys song "Karma." These are also words that I
would normally associate with the word Karma.
Karma is a Sanskrit word that
means "action" or "deed" and it refers to the cycle of actions in
people's lives and
their consequences. Everyone is responsible for their own actions or
inaction and the pain and/or joy it brings to them and to others. The
choices that we make throughout our lives are consequences of past
actions, thus involving Karma. Karma can also have consequences even
when the actions are unintentional, Karma does not realize accidental
and non-accidental actions. Every story involves action, which means
it involves Karma.
In my storybook, I have discussed the chronology of
Karma. In some stories consequences show up very soon, while others do
not show up until the next lifetime. In order to understand what I mean
about the "next lifetime," you need to understand about reincarnation.
This word means, "to be made flesh again," or to be born again
into a different body and different spirit, but have some of the same
characteristics as the person you were in the life before. Karma from
past lives can
have consequences in future lives and actions in the present life can
also
have effects on future lives.
The stories included are one's that seem to really portray Karma and
how it is present in many lives, past, present and future. The stories
are personal and can teach many of us a lot
about this subject. Some may also touch many of us in other ways, ways
that hit closer to home.
The first story, A Father's Loss, is one of
how actions in the present life have
consequences in the same lifetime. I have told the
story of how Dasaratha causes a family to lose their son and, as a
consequence of this Karma, Dasaratha later loses his son, Rama. In this
story, Dasaratha did not intend to kill the boy, but he still faced the
consequences.
The second story, Facing Another's Consequences,
is one about how
the Karma of actions in a past life has consequences that come around
in the present life. You will see how the actions committed by Vishnu
had consequences in his later life as Rama. Vishnu caused a man to lose
his wife, which meant that Rama, a later incarnation of Vishnu, also
lost his wife, Sita. In this story, you will see how Karma from one
life can cross over into the next life, with enormous consequences.
The third story, The Love of Five, is one of
Love and how the
selfishness of wanting more can lead to more than expected in another
life. This story is about Draupadi and how she came to have five
husbands. She narrates this story, therefore, we get to hear her
thoughts about her Karma.
The fourth story, Pandu's Decisions, is one
of known consequences and how
forgetfullness will lead you down the wrong path. This story comes from
the diary of Kunti. You will read about many things that happened to
her throughout her life. Her diary starts at the beginning, when she
meets Pandu and the many adventures they face until the end.
With
Karma, there are many questions. When will we see the consequences of
our actions? Will there be any? How is Karma affecting the choices we
are making? We may wonder these many things, but only time and actions
will tell us our consequences of Karma.
Back to my Coverpage
Picture of Apple. Web Source: Karma
