what is karma all about?

Answer 1

Karma "act, action, performance" is the concept of "action" or "deed" in Dharmic, understood as a term to denote the entire cycle of cause and effect as described in the philosophies of Hinduism and Buddism..

Karma is a sum of all that an individual has done, is currently doing and will do. The results or "fruits" of actions are called karma-phala. Karma is not about retribution, vengeance, punishment or reward. Karma simply deals with what is. The effects of all deeds actively create past, present and future experiences, thus making one responsible for one's own life, and the pain and joy it brings to others. In religions that incorporate reincarnation, karma extends through one's present life and all past and future lives as well.

Throughout this process, many see God as playing some kind of role, for example, as the dispenser of the fruits of karma. Other Hindus consider the natural laws of causation sufficient to explain the effects of karma. Another view holds that a Sadguru, acting on God's behalf, can mitigate or work out some of the karma of the disciple.

The "Law of Karma" is central in Dharmic religions. All living creatures are responsible for their karma - their actions and the effects of their actions - and for their release from Samsara. The concept can be traced back to the early Upanishads.

The Law of Karma is taught in the esoteric Christian tradition, Essenian and later Rosicrucian, as the "Law of Cause and Consequence/Effect". However, this western esoteric tradition adds that the essence of the teachings of Christ is that the law of sin and death may be overcome by Love, which will restore immortality..

Actions do not create karma (good or bad) only when the actions are performed by an individual in the state of Moksha.. Such a person is called "Stithaprajna". Adi Shankara gave the dictum of "Akarmaiva Moksha" which means "Moksha can be attained only by doing, not by a process of effort". All actions performed by one in the state of Moksha are termed as Dharma.
Hindus believe that everything in the Universe is in the state of creation, maintenance or destruction. At the thought level, the mind creates a thought, maintains (follows) it for some time and the thought ultimately dies down (perhaps to be replaced by another thought). The Hindus believe there is a fourth state of being (called Turiya) where the mind is not engaged in thinking but just observes the thoughts. Actions in the Turiya state do not create karma. The practice of meditation is aimed at giving individuals the experience of being in the Turiya state. An individual who is constantly in the Turiya state is said to have attained Moksha. In such an individual, actions happen as a response to events (and not because of thought process); such actions do not result in accumulation of Karma.

The process view of release (moksha) from ego-consciousness (ahamkar) through individual responsibility for the totality of action with its inherent karma can be contrasted with the soteriological view of mainstream denominations of Christianity: grace given by faith in the suffering, death and resurrection of a singular savior.-

Answer 2

In Buddhist teaching, the law of karma, says only this: `for every event that occurs, there will follow another event whose existence was caused by the first, and this second event will be pleasant or unpleasant according as its cause was skillful or unskillful.'

What follows are short sayings to what Karma has become today:

-What comes around goes around
-What you eat is what you are
-Live by the sword die by the sword
-Cause and effect

For ever bad deed you do then a bad deed will come back at you. The same can be said about a good deed

Answer 3

Karma is another word for luck. Everything we do that is good or bad gives us Karma. Someone that has done a lot of bad things to others has bad Karma and it will come back on them.

Answer 4

When all your Karma is good, you reach enlightenment.

Until then, you keep coming back (being reincarnated) to try to correct the mistakes you made before.

All actions have either good or bad Karma. The important thing is to always do good. If you always do good you will become enlightened and go to heaven. The more wrong you do, the longer you stay in this world (Hell?).

Answer 5

Karma - You reap what you sow.

Hinduism does not believe in heaven or hell. They believe, that, for every good deed that you do on this earth, you get rewarded and every bad deed you do, you get punished.

Every soul on this earth takes form of life in different form ( 7 times each ). For example in this life you are human and next life can be of dog. Once you have been through all the forms of life for 7 times, you get nirvana and you are free of this world.

Off course nirvana can only be acheived as a human.

Answer 6

Its about what goes around comes around pretty much.good karma for those who do good bad karma for those who do bad.

Answer 7

karma means - Action, but some stupid people think it is some big religions matter and asking lot of question about this

Answer 8

You get back what you give, so it's worth storing up brownie points in the belief that one day you may need the same kind of kindness or generosity shown to you by someone.
My Name is Earl is a good example of the principle in action, as is Pay it Forward.

Answer 9

i didnt really understand it till i heard the alicia keys song, karma. what goes around comes around. so basically everything you do you'll get in return =)

Answer 10

Karma is finding your center, or harmony, or peace