The Universal Law of Karma

By Azriel ReShel on Friday July 8th, 2016

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How this Sacred Science Really Works

Some years ago while staying at the ashram of the Indian saint,
Ramana Maharshi, nestled at the foot of the forest covered
mountain of Arunachala, I read the great sage’s sacred words,
etched above a doorway: “Whatever is destined not to happen
will not happen, try as you may. Whatever is destined to
happen will happen, do what you may to prevent it. This is
certain. The best course, therefore, is to remain silent.”

His words are a key to karma and destiny. As someone who

would try and make things happen, forcing outcomes and who
struggled with surrender, these words were like magic. I have
never forgotten them and I think reading this wisdom, while
steeped in the stillness that the great saint’s presence has
imprinted on the area he lived, helped the words to land ?
deeply in my soul.
The Wheel of Life.

On a personal level, the words mean a lot to me as I can

directly see how karma impacted the course of my life very
early on. As a baby I was given up for adoption, and it’s always
seemed to me that my life at that point was like a river with
multiple tributaries branching out in different directions,
depending on the lottery of which parents took me home with
them. And really, it’s a bit like that for all of us. We are born
into certain circumstances, cultures, places on earth, wealth or
poverty, with speci c genetics, talents and drawbacks. We don’t
have any control over these circumstances… or do we?

Nothing raises more questions, or is more misunderstood than

the notion of karma. Karma is a Vedic Science, with roots in
India, and is a central teaching of many spiritual traditions
including Buddhism, Hinduism, Sikkhism, Taoism and Jainism.

The wheel of karma is the idea that everything in our life takes
place due to past actions and that present actions affect future
lifetimes. Karma is linked to rebirth. Each and every action we
take in life ripples out from us like a stone hitting the water.
The ripples have untold effects on others, and will ow back to
us at some point in the future. The fruit of our previous actions
are like echoes, and they cannot be escaped. Karma is
intricately linked to causality. Once you become conscious and
access the higher stages of awakening and
enlightenment,becoming no longer identi ed with the “self”,
then you can step off the karmic wheel of life, that endless
cycle of rebirth, and your personal karma goes.  This is the aim
of spiritual practice.
?
We are born into certain circumstances with speci c genetics,
talents and drawbacks.

What is karma?

“ The principle of karma or “law of

karma” is the notion that all of life is
governed by a system of cause and effect,
action and reaction, in which your deeds have
corresponding effects on the future. Karma is
a precise science.

It is a universal law, in the same way that gravity is a law of

nature. If you jump off a skyscraper, you will very likely die, and
if you harm someone, you will be hurt at some point. Science
has discovered that everything in nature obeys laws. These
natural laws are impartial and indiscriminate.

The law of karma states that as you sow shall you reap, but a
hundred times over. The tennis ball hitting the wall, has to
rebound. Every single action we take, is like a little seed we
plant.  The seed will eventually grow and, just as in nature,
some seeds ourish more quickly than others. Some seeds will
ripen fast, and others could take decades or lifetimes.  But, one
thing is certain, the seed will ripen and we will have to face
the result of our actions. Your world is 100% the result of your
previous actions, words and thoughts.

The consequence or effects of one’s karma can be described in ?

two forms: phalas and samskaras. A phala (fruit or result) is the
visible or invisible effect that is typically immediate or within
the current life. In contrast, samskaras are invisible effects,
produced inside the person, because of the karma,
transforming and affecting his or her ability to be happy or
unhappy in this life and future ones. In this way, karma is a
principle of psychology and habit. Karmic habits or seeds,
create the nature of humans, in uencing your self perception
and thus your life experience.

The science of karma is further complicated by different levels

of karma. We have personal karma, family and ancestral karma,
societal karma, national karma and so on. All of these levels of
karma interact with each other.

It is a universal law, in the same way gravity is a law of nature.

Artwork by Carmen Cordova.

In Vedanta and Yoga teachings, there are three types of

karma: Prarabdha karma – karma experienced during the
present lifetime, Sancita karma – the store of karma that has
not yet reached fruition, and Agami karma – karma sown in the
present life that will come to fruition in a future life.

Karma works through a process of various rebirths. Good or

bad actions create impressions (samskaras) or tendencies
(vasanas) in the mind, which in time will result in more action
and karma. The seeds of karma are carried in the subtle body,
or energy body, in which the soul transmigrates.The physical
body is the eld in which the fruit of karma is experienced and
where we create more karma. Maybe the hell that many
religions speak of is simply the unbearable and painful ?
situations we create for ourselves by our past bad actions.
 “ You will not be punished for your
anger, you will be punished by your anger.  –
Buddha

The physical body is the eld in which the fruit of karma is

experienced.

Why do good things happen to “bad” people and bad things

happen to “good” people?

Karma is a way of explaining misfortune in the world, for those

who do not appear to deserve it. Could their misfortune be due
to wrong actions in their previous life? Through this lens, we
can understand why one person in a car accident survives and
all the other passengers don’t.

There was a story about a mother who was breastfeeding her

baby during an earthquake when a pillar collapsed, killing her.
Yet, her tiny baby survived and was discovered unharmed in
the wreckage, lying at her breast. There is no logical
explanation for this event and people drive themselves crazy
trying to understand why certain things happen the way they
do. Understanding karma can help to end this mental
torture. Karma is also a way to explain things like child
prodigies, who are exceptional artists or musicians at a young
age, with little to no training.

Have you ever found yourself thinking, or saying: never mind,

karma will get them?  I know I have. In moments of anger, ?
betrayal, hurt, I have de nitely thought ‘don’t get so worked up
about this, karma will seek them out’. But, as I deepened in my
spiritual practice and yoga studies, I began to understand that
karma is not this bogeyman with a big stick, beating you up for
your misdemeanours to even the score. Yes karma is a universal
law, but it is far more signi cant and meaningful for our own
awareness and success in human life than I rst imagined.
Understanding karma more deeply, helped me to move from
being a victim to being more empowered.

Why do bad things happen to “good” people?

The real meaning of karma

If you truly understand karma, so much can fall away.

Repetitive negative thoughts about your life drop away when
you realise that you have absolutely created and caused
EVERYTHING that is happening to you right now. At some point
in your life, you chose it, by your actions. This is very sobering
on the one hand, and yet, can be equally liberating. It means
you have the power of a positive response, no matter what the
situation. It’s not about blaming yourself, or others. Nor is it
about casting judgement when someone is ill, or has
something bad happen to them. It’s more like a humility, an
understanding that perhaps you have hurt someone else,
perhaps you have betrayed another, or taken something from
someone else, in a forgotten time. Understanding karma is
about opening your heart to greater compassion and kindness,
for yourself and others. I try to remind myself, when someone
betrays me, that it is hugely possible that I have betrayed them
in the past. And so, instead of reacting angrily, it would be
better to deal with my own hurt, consider the situation deeply ?
before responding, and not create further bad karma for myself.
This is in no way endorsing being weak, or not standing up for
yourself. It’s about being aware. I think this is what Ramana is
speaking about when he says it’s best to remain silent!

“ “When you think everything is

someone else’s fault, you will suffer a lot.
When you realise that everything springs only
from yourself, you will learn both peace and
joy.” Dalai Lama

At some point in your life, you chose it, by your actions.

Understanding karma is a key to living well. You can use the

laws of karma to create success in your life. For example, if you
want to be a successful entrepreneur, then genuinely help
others to become entrepreneurs. This will create positive
karma for you, and sow the seeds for the opportunities you are
creating for others, to arise for you. If you want to heal
something in your own life, help others to heal. The law of
karma is about choice.

Sometimes we can’t control what is happening in our world,

but we can absolutely control how we respond to what is
happening. This is hugely challenging when in the heat of an
argument, or when you’ve been rejected or wronged. But, if we
can stop and be aware in that moment and respond with
wisdom, we can very likely save ourselves from the endless
cycle of hurt and loss. Whether you believe in karma or not, it ?
is affecting you and the principles can help you live a better
life.

HUMAN FIRST  WELLNESS  SCIENCE 

Sometimes we can’t control what is happening in our world,

but we can control how we respond.

Some helpful practices

Beyond good karma, there is akarma, devotional service, which

brings the ultimate freedom from karmic entanglement. Some
practices that can support the ability to balance karma, and
nd inner peace, are Loving Kindness Meditation or Metta, and
the Buddhist practice of Tonglen.

In Loving Kindness Meditation, you open your heart to send

prayers and good wishes out for all beings. Beginning with
yourself you can pray: May I be well, May I be happy, May I be
at peace. Then you move onto friends and family members,
repeating the phrases, while visualising your loved ones.
Finally you move onto someone you are having dif culties
with, bring them into your mind and repeat the heartfelt
prayers that they be well, happy and at peace. You can also use
Loving Kindness Meditation to pray for groups of people,
animals, or the whole world.

?
Open your heart to send prayers and good wishes out for all
beings.

Tonglen is a more advanced practice and is also called giving

and receiving as it is a practice of breathing in suffering and
breathing out peace or healing. Coming to a meditative space,
you connect with your feelings, breathing in any fear, agitation,
resistance, accepting what is there for you, with kindness, then
breathe out compassion and healing for yourself or all beings.
Tonglen is used to take on and transmute the suffering of
others, so for example you could breathe in the suffering of
refugees and send out hope, love and peace. As you breathe in
and out you hold the wish to take away the suffering and then
the wish to send comfort and happiness. These practices can
help you open your heart, go beyond the ego, and discover a
broader perspective on life.

So often I’ve mused over the meaning of Ramana’s words, and

each time my awareness cracks open a little more to
understand the silent emptiness his wisdom conveys. The
words journey with me and have given me great comfort, saved
me countless hours of worry and brought deep peace. His wise
words are not a call to inaction. On the contrary, they are a call
to inner action, to introspection, and acceptance. In the
stillness we unravel the past, without creating more drama for
ourselves in the future. We discover our heart and the meaning
of life, which is to help others and love one another.

“ “Life isn’t about nding yourself. Life

is about creating yourself”. – George Bernard
Shaw
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 Read Next: Three Things You Should Know About Karma

How do you feel about this article? Join the conversation.

Azriel ReShel
Writer, Editor, Yoga Teacher & Healing
Facilitator

Watch the new UPLIFT lm for free here

comments
19 Responses to The Universal Law of Karma

emmafoodrecipes.blogspot.com says:
February 10, 2020 at 5:28 am

Hurrah! At last I got a blog from whhere I be capable off really take
helpful information regarding my study aand knowledge.

Reply

UPLIFT says:
February 10, 2020 at 4:09 pm

Glad it’s helping Emma

Blessings,
Team UPLIFT

Reply

Nimma says:
January 3, 2020 at 3:09 am

?
It is true if a small vibration can go million miles through your cell
phone. Than our vibration of an act or karma can also go beyond this
earth throughout the whole universe and similarly can come back
like an answer

Reply

louise says:
September 2, 2019 at 2:22 pm

Hi ,

everyone karma its push us to THE SIX REALMS never every END , if
you really don’t want reincarnation to ‘ the six realms ‘ please fallow
pureland buddhsim read about master SHANDAO & master YIN
GUANG …..

You just keep recitation NAMO AMITUOFO everyday , when you work
no time
just put NAMO AMITUOFO in your mind your heart, NAMO
AMITUOFFO its LAW wort at universal to CUT OFF karma from past
and past life and this life too …….

Reply

Mandy says:
May 25, 2019 at 7:08 am

I still can’t get why good and honest people shall suffer and bad
people will take whatever they want. In fact, to my surprise, the
situation is provided to them perfectly to take advantage of that. A
10 years friend who stole my house’s deed while I was on vacation
and made it into her name with her duplicity approach and plan is
living a good life along with her family. She sold my house and took
the money, lied behind me back disgraced me and my family and
interestingly all my friends believed her. What law is this?

Reply

Bill Bliss says:

April 1, 2019 at 7:15 pm

If “Whatever is destined to happen will happen, do what you may to

prevent it” then what is the value of prayer? If the law is applied as
rigorously, as per my understanding, prayer cannot effect a change
and thus becomes a useless exercise. Am I missing something. Please
enlighten me.

Reply

IdPnSD says:
March 22, 2019 at 8:07 am ?
“(1) Whatever is destined not to happen will not happen, try as you
may. Whatever is destined to happen will happen, do what you may
to prevent it. This is certain. The best course, therefore, is to remain
silent.” – This is very correct, and can be called as the destiny law.
One important feature of destiny is that all events in the universe can
be precisely predicted by any high level yogi with the power of third
eye, before the events happen.

“The wheel of karma is the idea that everything in our life takes place
due to past actions and that present actions affect future lifetimes”. –
If this means that we have freewill, then it will be wrong, because all
our actions are guided by the statement (1). You do not have any
choice to control your actions.

“The law of karma states that as you sow shall you reap..” – This is a
statement from Bible, and is correct. It proves that we do not have
freewill. Everything we do must have reasons. But since reasons
come before we take any action, our past reasons (sow) control our
present action (reap). Thus we cannot have freewill at the present
moment. Moment by moment we are guided by destiny statement (1)
above. For more on destiny take a look at the free book at
https://theoryofsouls.wordpress.com/

Reply

Deepak says:
March 13, 2019 at 7:05 pm

It’s really amazing click on my link to know about why good people
always suffer
https://deepaksaini1996.blogspot.com/2019/03/why-good-people-
always-suffer.html?m=1

Reply

Larry Stuart says:

February 16, 2019 at 11:50 pm

Thank you for this wonderful essay. Truly resonated with my spirit
and clearly expresses understanding for the peace within me
regarding a number of recent life experiences. Namaste!

Reply

Viswambhar says:
January 14, 2019 at 2:15 am

The wheels of Karma is very slow but grinds exceedingly ne.

Chckout this https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07MFZGW53

Reply ?
Shekar says:
November 24, 2018 at 2:33 am

Awesome article. While one understands the subject of karma it is

dif cult to nd inner peace.

Reply

moses says:
November 1, 2018 at 5:02 am

highly educative and inspiring article.

Reply

Naima K says:
February 4, 2018 at 7:54 am

Yes, the Universal Law always gives you what you pray for! So be
conscious of what you ask for. WATCH = watch your words, actions,
thoughts, charcuterie, and heart. It works If you work it!

Reply

Alan says:
July 5, 2017 at 2:24 am

I have just read one of my facebook friends was being bullied 5mins
ago, I started typing the meaning of Karma and how this guy will get
his payback. the screen went blank and and i ended up on this page,
how strange, there must be something here for Me,

Reply

Marcel says:
January 10, 2017 at 1:30 pm

“If you truly understand karma, so much can fall away. Repetitive
negative thoughts about your life drop away when you realise that
you
have absolutely created and caused EVERYTHING that is happening
to you
right now.”

Karma is a paradox to people with mental disorders, chronically

illness or disability. Or in other words I can´t understand how karma
can explain the suffering for those. It´s to simple to say this is caused
to actions in their past life. Too that they can´t do anything to change
their habit in hard cases so what should they do to solve this circle
when you believe in rebirth and past actions. So an explanation to
complex circumstances would be appreciated. Thanks.
?
Reply
 Marcha Fox says:
July 16, 2016 at 7:22 am

Beautiful article. I needed it and the world needs it desperately. I

have de nitely noticed that when I want something desperately, my
actions are more likely to drive it away than attract it. This explains
so much. Thank you so much for sharing.

Reply

Frank Burton says:

July 15, 2016 at 11:12 am

I used to not believe this phrase from Sri Ramana Maharshi, choosing
instead to believe that I was master of my own destiny. Now I know
that he spoke the truth. We have no choice in our destiny, which is to
wake up and realize who we truly are, not this ego mind, which
thinks it is in control, but something far greater than that. How
liberating it is to know that I can just let go and surrender, and life
will take me exactly where I need to go. My only job is to not identify
with my ego mind anymore.

Reply

Heather Anne Harper says:

July 9, 2016 at 7:36 am

l was just talking about karma earlier today. Synchronicity at its best.
Lovely article. Thank you for your insight.

Reply

Azriel ReShel says:

July 11, 2016 at 10:47 pm

Thank you Heather!

Reply

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