Karma

Karma  :

Karma : The doctrine that the sum of a person’s actions in previous states of existence controls his fate in future existences. The doctrine reflects the Hindu belief that life as a human is just one of a chain of successive existences by transmigration, each life’s condition being a consequence of actions in a previous life.

 Karma is the concept of "action" or "deed", understood as that which causes the entire cycle of cause and effect (i.e., the cycle called saṃsāra) originating in ancient India and treated in Hindu, Jain, Buddhist and Sikh philosophies.

Karma categorizes actions and outcomes into prarabdha, sanchita and agami (past, present and future) karma. It is actions that have been performed that define fruits we experience plus control our current actions. Our current actions in turn will influence the fruits and actions of future

The first is latent karma, an impression or seed of action. The second is karma as action, and the third is karma as result.

Like gravity, karma is so basic we often don't even notice it

Karma is not fate, for humans act with free will creating their own destiny. According to the Vedas, if one sows goodness, one will reap goodness; if one sows evil, one will reap evil. Karma refers to the totality of our actions and their concomitant reactions in this and previous lives, all of which determines our future. The conquest of karma lies in intelligent action and dispassionate response.

Karma is not punishment or retribution but simply an extended expression or consequence of natural acts. Karma means "deed" or "act" and more broadly names the universal principle of cause and effect, action and reaction, that governs all life. The effects experienced are also able to be mitigated by actions and are not necessarily fated. That is to say, a particular action now is not binding to some particular, pre-determined future experience or reaction; it is not a simple, one-to-one correspondence of reward or punishment.

i.     Prarabda Karma : Prarabdha means "begun"; the action that is already manifesting and that is yielding its effect right now. You cannot avoid it or change it., as it is already happening.

Prarabdha Karma are the part of sanchita karma, a collection of past karmas, which are ready to be experienced through the present body.  

ii.     Sanchita karma:  It is the sum of one's past karmas – all actions (good and bad) from one's past life follow through to the next life. That which is in store and will later bear fruit is classified as sanchita Karma (accumulated action). Sanchita karma can be burned off by spiritual practices before it manifests.

iii.     Kriyamana karma / Agami Karma: It  is the karma that human beings are creating in the present, the fruits of which will be experienced in the future.

Agami karma is the future karma of action; that which has not yet come and which will take effect in the future. If you commit a crime, you may not get caught today, but will live with possibility that one day you may get caught.

iv.     Nishkam Karma : self-less or desireless action is an action performed without any expectation of fruits or results  which is also the key message of the Bhagavad Gita

According to Sri Swami Sivananda: "Prarabdha is that portion of the past karma which is responsible for the present body. That portion of the sanchita karma which influences human life in the present incarnation is called prarabdha. It is ripe for reaping. It cannot be avoided or changed. It is only exhausted by being experienced. You pay your past debts. Prarabdha karma is that which has begun and is actually bearing fruit. It is selected out of the mass of the sanchita karma.

Beautiful analogy. The bowman has already sent an arrow and it has left his hands. He cannot recall it. He is about to shoot another arrow. The bundle of arrows in the quiver on his back is the sanchita; the arrow he has shot is prarabdha; and the arrow which he is about to shoot from his bow is agami. Of these, he has perfect control over the sanchita and the agami, but he must surely work out his prarabdha. The past which has begun to take effect he has to experience.

There is another beautiful analogy also. The granary represents the sanchita karma; that portion taken from the granary and put in the shop for future daily sale corresponds to agami; that which is sold daily represents prarabdha.

According to many sages and philosophers, Prarabdha karma end only after we have but experienced their consequences

Sage Ramana Maharshi presents another viewpoint when he says, "If the agent, upon whom the Karma depends, namely the ego, which has come into existence between the body and the Self, merges in its source and loses its form, how can the Karma, which depends upon it, survive? When there is no ‘I’ there is no Karma.", a point well reiterated by sage Vasistha in his classical work Yoga Vasistha, wherein, when Lord Rama asks sage Vasistha about the way to transcend the two binding effects of past karmas, namely Vasanas or the effect of impressions left on the mind by past actions and one's fate created by Prarabdha Karma, to which he replies, through with Divine grace (Kripa), one can go beyond the influences of past actions

The Bhakti Yoga theme within the Chapter seven of the Bhagavad Gita also talks eloquently about the concept of Kripa, but its most important verse comes in the final eighteenth chapter, about Liberation, where Krishna finally makes a sweeping statement to Arjuna in Verse 18.66, "Setting aside all meritorious deeds (Dharma), just surrender completely to My will (with firm faith and loving contemplation). I shall liberate you from all sins. Do not fear."

We are slaves of habit. Besides well-ingranied physical habits, we also have deep-rooted mental ones - our attitudes, perceptions and beliefs that involuntarily guide our unique behaviour. Our conditined mental patterns are like our subconscious blueprint and manifest in our life repeatedly. As a result, we are prone to , and despite efforts usually find it hard to shake off, anger, fear, aggression, anxiety, envy or low self esteem.
The notion of our deep-seated mental beliefs can be better understood by becoming familiar with the concept of karma. It is invaluable to grasp this concept to understand the inner mechanics of our thoughts and actions. Only by choosing to deal with our individual karma, can we work on creating a new reality for ourselves.
Karma is the notion of cyclical process where our every action or intention leads to lasting impressions on our psyche, and these impressions in turn impact our future behavious --- comprising fresh intentions and actions - leading to new lasting impressions being formed. Our actions are called karma and the latent impressions they create are termed samskaras.
According to the law of karma, all our experiences in the present are dictated by our cumulative stored samskaras of past actions and reactions. This cyclical process of karma explains why we repeatedly attract similar situations that create conditions for the stored samskaras to manifest, leading to similar karma being created.
Unless we consciously choose to deal with our individual karma, it recurs in our life with great alacrity and, unless resolved, restricts us from experiencing real freedom and happiness.
The purpose of human life is to work through our personal karma and experience innate happiness, peace and joy in our state of being. the gifted ability to make that conscious choice is what makes the human life so precious compared to other life forms. the only way to create a new reality, of loving relationships, mental peace, inner happiness, deeper fulfillment, and abundance in your life is to alter this karmic cycle. That's the path to experience a new reality.

Note : This is only a scribbling note. These are purely my understanding. These may or may not be the correct one. This is not to hurt anybody's feeling.