“Driven by a virtuous or evil purpose, each living entity performs some work, which has consequences associated with it. After death, the same person steadily reaps all those auspicious and inauspicious results.” (Hanuman speaking to Tara, Valmiki Ramayana, Kishkindha Kand, 21.2)

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गुणदोषकृतं जन्तुस्स्वकर्म फलहेतुकम्
अव्यग्रस्तदवाप्नोति सर्वं प्रेत्य शुभाशुभम्

guṇadoṣakṛtaṃ jantussvakarma phalahetukam
avyagrastadavāpnoti sarvaṃ pretya śubhāśubham

1. Different species

This is one of the accusations towards the “Hindu” group, for lack of a better term. From the critics, from the skeptics, from those who don’t understand the deep and rich philosophy from what can more accurately be described as sanatana-dharma, there is disbelief in the idea of equivalence with other species.

The philosophical explanation is that the quality of spirit is the same. I am the same individual during childhood as I am today. I was the same person within the womb. I will continue to be the same vibrant spark of life after the complete disassociation from what is known as the deha, or body.

देहिनो ऽस्मिन् यथा देहे
कौमारं यौवनं जरा
तथा देहान्तर-प्राप्तिर्
धीरस् तत्र न मुह्यति

dehino ‘smin yathā dehe
kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā
tathā dehāntara-prāptir
dhīras tatra na muhyati

“As the embodied soul continually passes, in this body, from boyhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. The self-realized soul is not bewildered by such a change.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 2.13)

The next birth, the next journey, if you will, is not necessarily within the human species. It can be as a dog, a cat, an elephant, or even a tree. Wherever we see life, the animating spark is the same. It is not the same individual or identity, but the qualities and size of that spark are the same. It is the very essence of life; it is the definition of the individual.

Karma is a way to explain how birth takes place across different species. The less intelligent will not understand this concept. They are bewildered by the changes, but the wise person, the pandita, sees with an equal vision.

विद्या-विनय-सम्पन्ने
ब्राह्मणे गवि हस्तिनि
शुनि चैव श्व-पाके च
पण्डिताः सम-दर्शिनः

vidyā-vinaya-sampanne
brāhmaṇe gavi hastini
śuni caiva śva-pāke ca
paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ

“The humble sage, by virtue of true knowledge, sees with equal vision a learned and gentle brahmana, a cow, an elephant, a dog and a dog-eater [outcaste].” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 5.18)

2. Different circumstances

Within a specific species, we see variety to the circumstances. The differences are as obvious as the complexions and features to the face. Not every person looks the same. Not everyone grows up in the same circumstances. One person has their parents with them until the end of life, while another person becomes an orphan early on. One person knows only wealth, while another person begs for food on a daily basis.

These differences are due to karma. It is the simplest and most accurate explanation. Karma is the mechanism by which the authorities can act. It is how they make the decisions. Because the highest being of all is always neutral. He is neither for nor against any individual.

समो ऽहं सर्व-भूतेषु
न मे द्वेष्यो ऽस्ति न प्रियः
ये भजन्ति तु मां भक्त्या
मयि ते तेषु चाप्य् अहम्

samo ‘haṁ sarva-bhūteṣu
na me dveṣyo ‘sti na priyaḥ
ye bhajanti tu māṁ bhaktyā
mayi te teṣu cāpy aham

“I envy no one, nor am I partial to anyone. I am equal to all. But whoever renders service unto Me in devotion is a friend, is in Me, and I am also a friend to him.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 9.29)

3. Action and consequence

This is karma at the fundamental level. Doing something and then experiencing the result. The result may not manifest for long. I ate food this morning, but I am hungry a few hours later. The result may not manifest until after many years, as in planting a seed in the ground and anticipating a tree which produces an abundance of fruit.

We experience consequences today for actions from a long time back. The distance is so great that we fail to remember. It is not until a later moment that we realize the boomerang effect. That harm we caused to someone else, we are now suffering the same. That charity we gave many years back is now returning to us in financial blessings. This is all karma.

4. Guna and dosha

Shri Hanuman explains that these are the two basic directions of action. Karma goes in either guna or dosha. In this context, guna is good. It is righteousness. It is beneficial. It is auspicious. Dosha is the opposite. It is evil. It is wicked. It is ultimately bad.

Even if we know better, we sometimes gravitate towards dosha. Even if we have a hankering for revenge, for getting even with someone, we might still follow guna. This combination then creates appropriate responses. We may experience those responses within this lifetime, but certainly also after the completion of this lifetime. This is how to understand the afterlife. The existence continues, and karma is the mechanism for configuration of that continued existence.

5. Not forever

If we understand karma through the proper authorities, appreciating their benevolence in kindly teaching us and countless future generations, then we also learn that karma is not important. It is one of the main topics covered in Bhagavad-gita, in the discourse between Krishna and Arjuna, but it is not eternal. We are not forever condemned to suffer or enjoy based on fruitive activity.

There is a way out. There is an opportunity to stop karma. It is like turning off the spinning fan that is attached to the ceiling. It is like turning off the machine that was started a long time ago. This way out is connecting directly with the person who is in charge of karma and the entire material nature itself.

गतसङ्गस्य मुक्तस्य ज्ञानावस्थितचेतसः
यज्ञायाचरतः कर्म समग्रं प्रविलीयते

gata-saṅgasya muktasya
jñānāvasthita-cetasaḥ
yajñāyācarataḥ karma
samagraṁ pravilīyate

“The work of a man who is unattached to the modes of material nature and who is fully situated in transcendental knowledge merges entirely into transcendence.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 4.23)

For the person who is in knowledge, who understands the spiritual science, who acknowledges the Supreme Lord standing above, then their work has the potential to merge into transcendence. It may appear to be no different than guna and dosha, with accompanying consequences, but the end-result is final release, moksha, such that there is nothing to fear at any time.

In Closing:

No more consequences to fear,
Because finally hurdle to clear.

Rather than on reactions to deserve,
Work into transcendence to merge.

Because acknowledging who karma commanding,
Who always has topmost standing.

Caring not even for instant relief,
Because reactions finally to cease.

Categories: the five

Tags: dailyprompt, hare krishna, karma, poem, poems, poetry