"The Mind is the forerunner of all things.
If one speaks or acts with impure mind,
Suffering follows like a wheel that follows the Ox cart.
If one speaks or acts with a pure mind,
Happiness follows like a shadow that never leaves"
The Dhammapada
Summer is here, bringing the joy and energy of light and heat in our dark clouds of anxiety and uncertainty. A couple of weeks back, the topic of Karma turned up into a conversation about the pandemic. The role of chance plays in getting one infected with the virus and the prospect of survival. The effects of the pandemic are widely different for people in health, Jobs, finances, and the quality of living.
I never imagined Karma could become such a mainstream in culture. Karma is now ubiquitous and part of everyday language, It’s usage has gone beyond spiritual seekers, Hippies, and new agers. When one profoundly questions about it, it is hard to explain, yet Karma seems to provide a structure for many happenings in our lives, communities, countries. All of life’s contingencies are explainable to this invisible force of Karma.
Karma plays a pivotal role in Zen and Buddhist teachings in general, along with Sunyata ( Emptiness ) and Dependent origination ( Ji-Ji-Mugee). A deeper understanding of these three teachings is most beneficial to develop skillful ways to live life of balance. We explore Karma in this posting, but we must apply the caution of not trespassing into the philosophical subterranean Labyrinth of Karma and getting lost. The rich body of Buddhist literature offers profound knowledge of Karma. Zen is ultimately not knowing, nonthinking, but Paradoxically, one needs labels, the language of concepts to cognate, but they should be considered as provisional tools . As Buddha himself said, to cross the river, we require a raft, but once we cross the river, we don’t carry the raft on our shoulders. We will take this path to explore Karma as an essential and practical tool to live our lives wisely.
REAL MEANING OF KARMA:
Karma is one of the essential concepts that evolved from the East, and it is a connected theme to all the ancient spiritual traditions of the Indian Subcontinent. Over millennia the moral and spiritual views of Karma evolved through many subtle interpretational changes through multiple religious traditions of Hindu, Buddhist, Jain, and Sikhs. Still, at its core, Karma remains as a source thread connecting all of them. We could also find Karma parallels in many Bible verses and stories. Over an extended period, in popular culture, the Karma’s meaning and its interpretation evolved to retribution effect or as a preordained destiny thus losing the real essence and the moral compass of what it meant to be.
Karma is a Sanskrit word, and, in a simple form, it means “Action” “doing“ A simile to middle school physics lessons of Newton’s third law, “Every action produces an equal and opposite reaction.” Similarly, the moral view of Karma states every Action creates its reaction or effect. In turn, the outcome or response will create its own effect and so on so forth, thus creating a causal chain of Action and its effect . In Simple English, every Action will have it’s a consequence, as the Bible saying goes, “One reaps what he sows.”( Mathew 5.44.) “Karma Vipaka “is a word in Sanskrit and Pali, meaning the Ripening effect of our Karma or actions. The simple moral view of Karma is right actions produce a good outcome, and evil acts produce adverse consequences.
The breadth of Karma is much larger than physical actions one does. The Buddha said Volition ( conscious choice, Will ) itself is Karma, having willed one acts by body, speech, and thought, in essence, the will is the first seed of Karma in formation. The complexity of Karma profoundly expands as one goes deeper into will /intention and its impacts,
One school of thought is that Karma by itself doesn’t have any right or wrong label. An example of an act of harming an evil person could be virtuous by saving many people, and it is a sinful act when an innocent person is harmed. The Intent of Action could be called out as Good or bad but not intrinsic to act itself, another school of thought is irrespective of Intent of the “Action,” it carries a good or bad effect of Karma. Regardless of different thought schools, It is generally agreed that Karma moves the wheels of the Intention on its path. The act could be the physical manifestation of Intent, but it initiates as a thought formation from the mind. In Newtonian physics parallel, It starts with our will and gains mass and speed through our actions of what we speak and do, thus creating Karma, and it’s ensuing causal chain.
If we start probing the origin of this expansive causal chain, then it goes back all the way to universe formation and over millennia mystics and philosophers try to find out the source of that first Action and questions about who caused that Action and considering the first actor to be the god or Godhead. The Zen way of seeing is the cosmic Moral law or Dharma as Godhead, then why Buddhists revere Buddha, the whole pantheon of Bodhisattvas as Gods. The subject of god is our subterranean Labyrinth of the very vast and deep path and goes in many different directions, and we could quickly lose our way forward. We will cut through this conundrum while exploring the topic of Emptiness and Ji-Ji-Muge ( Dependent Origination).
THE KARMA IN TIME – PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE :
In my childhood days, my grandmother used to use the word “Prarabdham” for any unforeseen happening, in a way implying destiny. Many years later, I learned classical Indian dialecticians defined time phasing impact of Karma. As “Prarabdha Karma” is Karma in effect at that moment, “Agami Karma” is Karma to be operative shortly, the “Sanchita Karma” as Karma not yet formed and “Ahosi Karma “ is ineffective or expired Karma. I’m sure my grandmother had no such philosophical understanding of such Karma classification, but it is part of the everyday lexicon. In essence, every volitional activity ( Karma )is followed by its due effect ( Vipaka ) over time, which could span multiple lifetimes and life forms. Karma Vipaka could also be treated like a Karma reconciliation of debit and credit; by doing wholesome actions, it opens up the possibility of wiping out the effects of some past evil deeds. In Early Buddhist schools, Karma classified by its function, the priority of effect. Forces that either support or counteract the results of the Karma. It also implied that one could transfer Karma from person to person like a credit.
KARMA YOGA:
Bhagavad Gita, The classical Indian text, devotes a lengthy chapter on “Karma Yoga,” the pathways of Action.”The Karma yoga discourse is set on the battlefield, where Lord Krishna, the teacher, and charioteer give a discourse to the Warrior and his disciple Arjuna on his dilemma’s in going war with his kinsman. Mahatma Gandhi, the father of India, revered Bhagavad Gita and always kept his bedside and used as his lighthouse, informing his principles of Ahimsa (Non-Violence), Satyagraha (Civil disobedience ) and in his self-realization and leading the freedom fight. Karma Yoga explains Karma in three forms: Wholesome (Sattva) actions, actions guided by passion ( Rajas), and Inaction (Tamas). Satva is the Highest form, and Tamas is the lowest. Every kind of Action produces its Karmic residue of either wholesome or unwholesome. Krishna advises that Karma Yogi’s breaks this Karmic causal chain, paving the way to attain the emancipation or Nirvana by taking “Actions without attachments “which he says most challenging and the next best way is “actions with no desire for one’s personal gain or favor” and with no self or ego, i.e., one transcending his small Self to find a noble and righteous intent for actions. The great examples of Karma Yogi’s are Mahatma Gandhi, and Dr.King both found great purpose and inspired actions to transcend themselves for the greater good of humanity.
KARMA YOGA – KARMA OF NONATTACHMENT:
Action without attachment is at odds with western civilization and worldly thinking. Every day in our professional life, our mantra is “goal Obsession” or “Outcomes first.” Having a clear eye on the goal, and a plan to execute is a sure path to achieve material success. In the realm of “Action without attachments, “we mindfully keep the goal away from the desire for preconceived results and renounce one’s ego in this process. Paradoxically greatest human achievements and life-changing contingencies seem to come from this “Action-orientation “and not from ego-driven goal orientation.
Here we reconcile these seemingly paradoxical ways into our modern living. Paradoxical thinking is not much of a paradox. If we look deeper, it is a higher level of mind orientation and achieving self-mastery; every Action starts with a will/volition. For example, we want to live in San Francisco. We began to drive from New York to San Francisco, but while driving, if we are too attached to living in San Francisco, we lose our way. We can’t enjoy our journey, and our distracted driving might not even take us to San Francisco, focusing on our current moment of Action we enjoy the driving and also open to many possibilities. By detaching from Self, we gain freedom from past conditioning, as Self is nothing but a bundle of past conditioning. By freeing up from excessive focus on a goal, We free up from the fixed potential of the future and open to all possibilities. Thus the past or future does not bind Action, and action stands at the pivot of the present moment of reality.
YOGACARA AND THREE MODES OF KARMA:
In Buddhist spiritual tradition, Yogacara school stands out as a Psychological school and offers the depth of analysis on mental formations of Thoughts, Feelings, perception, and consciousness as Dharma’s and how to meditate on them to seek our inner wisdom ( Prajna ). Yogacara teachings are more than ever relevant in our modern world of constant distractions and never-ending sensory stimulation. Vasubandhu and Asanga are great teachers from ancient times and in their book Abhidharma Kosa and it’s expanded treatises offer skillful means to understand our mental orientation in Karma formation.
Karma from Habit energy :
As per Yogacara, the actions could have three modes of consciousness. The First mode is the Karma, directed by one’s Habit energy formed by beliefs and conceptual positions one holds at that moment from one’s nature (Svabhava ), leading one’s will /consciousness, which is, in turn, forms a self-referential loop. One’s repetitive actions become personality tendencies and developing habits, thus becoming a foundation of one’s character (Samskara ), and it’s Own nature ( Svabhava ). In this self-referential cycle, the behaviors are learned and reinforced by our actions; Every Action to a stimulus will further enhance a character and personality trait, thus creating a never-ending Karmic loop. Modern neuroscience confirms the learned behaviors, mental conditioning, and habit cycle by asserting that “when neurons fire together, they wire together. Breaking from this habitual pattern requires a break-through by self-awareness of this closed-loop cycle of
Will /Intentions > Actions > Tendencies > Habits >Character > Intentions .
Most of our day to day existence is nothing but Karma formation in autopilot mode driven by our Habit energy. Hence it is essential to form wholesome Habit energies to produce positive effects in our personal life and others.
Karma of Mindful Awareness :
The second form of Karma is directed from the awareness of think and act with clarity, being aware of distinctions and ability to perceive multiple perspectives, relative truths, and the capacity to hold paradoxical views at the same time. This is done through witness hood, and this is watching one’s actions in a third-person mode. This ability to see “what’s going on and catch oneself” and the clarity to recognize the variety of choices presented by that moment, thus having our most profuse inner freedom to make a different choice that leads to a different outcome.
Buddha uses the metaphor of a farmer, “A wise man cultivates awareness through effort like a farmer irrigating the water and tilling the field.” The winds of sense responses bring-in every kind of seed to our field of awareness, some are fruit-bearing crops, and others are poisonous weeds, like a diligent farmer, wise man waters and fertilizes the fruit-bearing crops and weed- out the poisonous ones. Actions are done by farmers, well nurtured by sunshine and water, the farmer reap the benefit (Karma Vikapa ) of fruits. Karma is not a simple linear cause and effect; many causes and conditions together form the Karma Vipaka . Buddha also expounds on the interdependence nature of Karma, e.g., the Farmer, seeds, wind, water, and sunshine, all coming together in these Karma connections to reap the benefit of fruits. A seed is the most significant cause ( Hetu ), and other positive or negative conditions ( Pratayaya ) acts like either enablers or hindrances.
In essence, our everyday actions and behaviors offer our inner freedom of choice to shape our destiny. The greatest liberty is One could become a different kind of person and seek a different life at any instance by taking wholesome Action. When one’s mind changes, the world around him changes that instantaneously.
Karma of Zen Mind :
Finally, a third form consciousness is “Suchness “ or ” Thusness” reality that crosses the boundary between the subject and object dichotomy. The distinction between the actor and the action, doer, and doing disappears. The Action in pure awareness of that moment is the highest form of Karmic action.No Karmic residue happens at this stage, like a log that completely burns to ash with no leftover coal crumps. The act is being auctioned in its most elegant form. In our colloquial language, we call this “Zen moment. “The Japanese word “Zanshin” and a pali word “Manosikara” represent this as the mind entirely focused and peaked in Action. The enlightined Zen masters dwell in this reality . In our everyday life The great athletes, artists, and musicians all share a glimpse of this moment once in their life. The most elegant form of Art, most enthralling play and music and beautiful objects emerge from this Zen moment, where the actor is inconsequential, and actions are spontaneous. This is about one surrender entirely to the process, and neither Self nor desire directs the Action. Thus the highest form of Action is Mui-shizen, the “”non-doing “the “spontaneous action.”
THE TAOIST KARMA OF NON-DOING :
The Great sage Lao Tzu called this “Wu-Wei” the way of acting without striving or forcing; Doing nothing is a guide to Action in awareness, one waiting in patience for the right moment not too early or not too late, the Action is nothing but the inevitability of that moment. In essence, do nothing, but everything actioned. This is simultaneously spontaneous and inevitable. This is sailing in the wind, Floating with the stream, and being in alignment with Tao. Lao Tzu says, “Tao does nothing, and yet nothing is left undone.
KARMA OF MORAL DUTY VS. INERTIA :
Action without striving shouldn’t be confused with a lack of Action or Inertia. The power of Inertia is far more potent than taking Action. In a world of Idea’s only very few people realize their full potential, and what differentiates them is “taking actions.” It takes tremendous kinetic energy to unleash the force of Action. The power of that Action turns the wheels on its destination. Sometimes we are so much lost in self-doubting and being scared to take Action. Even when we are not sure, a small step or Action is a step towards the destination. Every little step adds up like small waves converging to build up to a tidal force. As the saying goes, “When one starts walking, the walkway will show up.” In Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna advises Arjuna’s moral dilemma of being at war with his family and unjust kinsman and his Intent of renouncing the war by taking “sannyasa.” ( Renunciation ) .Krishna reminds him of Tamas Karma ( Inertia ) is the lowest form of Karma and why it is one’s “Nityatama Karma” ( The Obligatory Action or moral duty ), i.e., choicelessness about doing what needs to be done for the greater good. Especially in times of turmoil when the truth is being obscured, and unjust prevails, the bystander effect of watching without acting is the lowest form of Karma.
KARMA IS FREE WILL :
Finally, the Mindful awareness of the moral and spiritual framework of Karma gives us immense inner freedom and potentiality to become the intentions and actions we take, the most vicious person could become most virtuous by his actions from Mindful awareness. At any moment, we can change for better or worse by the steps we take. The best way to interpret Karma is not it’s attribution effect or destiny. It is life creating and changing force at one’s own will by Mindful Awareness.
