Karma is a Sanskrit word connected with the Hindu and Buddhist religions. Since it was introduced into the English language, some misconceptions have arisen around its meaning. We may have developed ideas of our own which are along the similar lines, and these are easily and often confused with the original doctrine of Karma.

One of these is the notion of poetic justice. If somebody sets a trap for another and then gets caught in the same trap, we call this “poetic justice.” It is expressed in various maxims such as, “He who lives by the sword will die by the sword”, “Tit for tat”, or “An eye for an eye.” Such interpretations convey the idea that malevolent actions will eventually be punished.

In our minds it may suggest that Karma is about crime and punishment or, more broadly, a matter of atonement or penalty for evil thoughts and deeds. We tend to put into this concept of Karma our own notions of morality, even some petty things we object to, and make Karma the policeperson for our personal rules of behaviour.

Cause and Effect

We can get closer to the original doctrine of Karma in Emerson’s essay on Compensation in which he wrote: “Crime and punishment grow out of one stem. Cause and effect, means and ends, seed and fruit, cannot be separated; for the effect already blooms in the cause. The end pre-exists in the means, the fruit pre-exists in the seed.”

Emerson gave an illustration of the law of cause and effect, or the law of compensation. He used contemporary references of his time, but we can grasp the relevance of his example in today’s world. He wrote: “If the government is cruel, the governor’s life is not safe. If you tax too high, the revenue will yield nothing. If you make the criminal code barbaric, juries will not convict.”

He also gives instances of the immediacy of the law of compensation, of its nowness. “Though no checks to a new evil appear, the checks exist, and will appear.”

According to Emerson, whenever we condone the idea that the rights of another person may be disregarded, we immediately endanger our own rights. When we take something that is not ours, we become aware, sooner or later, that our own possessions are liable to be taken away, and we become afraid and on guard.

Emerson wrote, “All violations of love and equity in our social relations are speedily punished. They are punished by fear.” It is as though we intuitively know that there will be some sort of response or reaction to our actions.

One popular conception of Karma is that its effects are felt in future lifetimes. This has overshadowed our understanding of the doctrine. To ignore the “nowness” of karma is to miss the main point of the doctrine.

Dr. H Spencer Lewis pointed out, “The law [of compensation] has efficiently demonstrated itself in the lives of millions of human beings and is a very definite principle [. . . . ] It shows that we can and do bring upon ourselves in the immediate or near future the conditions and circumstances which constitute our lot in life.”

Creating Conditions in our Life

Another popular misconception is that Karma concerns itself only with wrongdoing or evil, especially to acts of hostility or violence towards others. There are things we do to ourselves which immediately separate us from the harmony and unity of natural and universal laws, and which undesirable conditions, or inhibit our spiritual growth.  The same is true of errors of understanding, unwillingness to learn or to compromise, or any attitudes which close the door to a more universal or cosmic comprehension.

According to Karma, we compensate for the harm we do to others—even if it takes more than one lifetime to accomplish. However, the harm we do to ourselves—the constraints we place on our own lives because of misconceptions—cannot be compensated in the same way. The only relief comes from change within. We can stop hurting ourselves by learning and seeking understanding. It is when we allow the sunlight to dawn in our realisation of cause and effect, that the beauty and necessity of universal law makes itself felt in our lives and becomes a source of strength, inspiration and spiritual progress.

The law of cause and effect is not personal, but can be seen as a process of balancing. In all our thoughts, words and actions each and every day, we create conditions. Those conditions can be either harmonious and pleasurable, or otherwise. Our future, near and far, is in our own hands. Karma is here and it is now!

,