Karma, Vikarma and Akarma

Discussion in 'Philosophy and Religion' started by laughing-buddha, Aug 1, 2013.

  1. laughing-buddha

    laughing-buddha Relax and have fun

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    We all know karma very well. It’s a bitch
    Is it just “Reap as you sow” or does Karma signifies something more?
    The Texts say – Karma is “Action”.
    Everything- including even your breathing and heartbeat is karma.
    As a born entity, we cannot escape karma. We need to eat, drink walk, talk and so on.
    We are bound in Karma since birth till we die, and this is cyclic in nature.
    Now further- there are 3 categories-Karma, Vikarma and Akarma.
    Karma is – What we do, and which we are supposed to do
    Vikarma is- What we do, which we are not supposed to do
    Akarma is- What we do not do
    All of these three have their own results or rewards, and these are governed by the Law of Karma.

    Some Karma gives immediate result. I tease someone, and he slaps me back. Immediate Result.
    I spend 10 to 15 years in education, and then start earning my living. Result after some time.
    I am born in this family and my uncle leaves me a large inheritance. Result of Karma in previous birth.
    However, one thing is very very certain. There is no doubt about it and I have observed and verified myself many a times- Everything has results. Nothing can go unrewarded.
    Maybe, I get the fruits after such a long time, that I am unable to co relate this with my earlier action. (And I have many examples, which I have personally verified)
    Vikarma will always give you undesirable results since you are not supposed to do this. It takes a great effort and clarity in your mind to understand what you are supposed to do and what you are not supposed to do. Judicious, rational thinking is essential here.
    Akarma is never advised, unless you are recluse and a monk, mediating in a remote cave. There too you cannot escape Karma, but just reduce the amount, quantity of your Karma. Even Akarma gives its results. If I am supposed to fight a battle, I cannot run away. It will give negative results.
    Anyway, this is getting too long a post, and will divert the main concern.

    The aim is- Nirvana, Liberation, enlightenment and it will come only when all our Karma is balanced and nothing is left out to be paid back or taken.
    And the way to this is a rational mind, clarity in thought and choosing our actions wisely.
    "You take care of the road and destination will take care of itself"
     
  2. BlackBillBlake

    BlackBillBlake resigned HipForums Supporter

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    How do you know this?
     
  3. MeatyMushroom

    MeatyMushroom Juggle Tings Proppuh

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    Hmm.. I don't know. One thing I've never liked very much with Buddhism is how it's too long winded, it's too... thought out, or abstracted. At least how I see it..

    For example, the whole teasing and slapping scenario.. you've defined a cause that caused an effect, but it's more like causeffecting±∞

    I mean, I get it, it makes sense, but I just like the lazy mans philosophy I suppose.. why draw lines to prove a point when the points prettier without the lines?


    It could be the way you've phrased it all as well, it's kinda like the Buddhist equivalent of a Catholic church service.. "This IS the way it is because it just is, there is a Master Karma that has Laws, that govern the 3 little baby demi-karmas, and if you don't understand why it is then you will never be enlightened and you will be doomed to the eternal round! Muahaha!"

    Until the end bit, I like that.
     
  4. laughing-buddha

    laughing-buddha Relax and have fun

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    Hinduism. Bhagvad Gita is the book I refer to, (translated in my mother tongue) Below is the link which explains in English (though I have not read this article.)
    http://www.prabhupadavani.org/main/Bhagavad-gita/GT154.html

    1 Do not assume I am a Buddhist. Its just my screen name.
    2 In my opinion, Buddhism is just a branch of Hinduism, which has grown in one direction.
    3 "it's more like causeffecting±∞?"------ YES. that's it.
    4 "why draw lines to prove a point when the points prettier without the lines?"----- The purpose is to clarify. Many a times we get stuck up in dilemma. Should I or should I not? This is an effort to get the logical answer.
    5 I am not clear about what you say on catholic church service. In my opinion, this post is more on logic and reason, rather than any religion or faith.

    Maybe, I could not express better and this has created a bit of confusion.

    By the way, thanks for your feedback. I am improving my communication skills.
     
  5. BlackBillBlake

    BlackBillBlake resigned HipForums Supporter

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    Im not sure that the Bhagavad Gita does teach nirvana as the final goal.

    Certainly not according to Vaishnava traditions. They want to remain an individual distinct from Krishna in order to enjoy an eternal existence with him in his own realm.
    Of course there are many commentators on the Gita, with very divergent views, but prabhupada to whom your link took me, was definitely not teaching nirvana as per Buddhism or Advaita.

    But what I meant by my question was not how did you learn this or where did you read it, but how do you know that it is actually true.
     
  6. MeAgain

    MeAgain Dazed & Confused Lifetime Supporter Super Moderator

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    Everything is interrelated so any action has its corresponding reaction which depends on the preceding action.
     
  7. MeatyMushroom

    MeatyMushroom Juggle Tings Proppuh

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    Sorry I think the church service thing was cos it seemed to suck the life out of something incredibly fun(nny) and interesting, although I'm not actually too sure myself right now.. first time I've been stoned in about 3 months, and I'm very, very high right now. Apologies :D
     
  8. BlackBillBlake

    BlackBillBlake resigned HipForums Supporter

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    Hard to disagree with that.

    If there were no reaction there wouldnt seem to be much point to action.

    What I question is not that the word karma means action, or that a law of reaction is implied. Its the whole notion of becoming free of karma and entering a state of nirvana that I have difficulty with. Most of the time it seems to me that we are stuck with action as long as we are alive, and maybe even beyond that. And we dont even control it. The body itself is always busy on many levels. And since as you say everything is interelated, we cant really separate the body from the wider environment.

    (incidentally, to excuse my bad typos, the apostrophe key has ceased to function on my machine.
     
  9. BlackBillBlake

    BlackBillBlake resigned HipForums Supporter

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    ha ha ha :sunny:
     
  10. Chodpa

    Chodpa Senior Member

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    You must not know any actual Vaishnavas. Vaishnava includes tantric methods of worship and Devi-Shaktism which are the most nondual and profound of all traditions in the world. In Sri Vidya Nirvana is taught and there is a form of mantra called the Mahashodashi Nirvana mantra. India is too vast for these types of summations.
     
  11. Chodpa

    Chodpa Senior Member

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    Balancing karma is a smoosh idea, no reality to it. You cannot pay back something you never had. What you are was fully a gift. It is entirely rescinded at death. You have little choice in the matter.

    What occurs is enhanced light. Increased sattva. In sattva the mind gets transparent. The only karma for transparent mind is to work with transparency. The only liberation is through giving up. The only enlightenment is through lightening up.

    Lighten up motherfucker.
     
  12. BlackBillBlake

    BlackBillBlake resigned HipForums Supporter

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    My mistake. Should have said gaudiya vaishnavism.

    I was talking about prabhuada since thats where the link took me, so I assume thats where the Op is getting this information.Hardly anyone in the west is aware of tantric vaishnavism etc while many have read hare krishna books.

    And anyway, I dont know that non dual is that profound.
     
  13. Chodpa

    Chodpa Senior Member

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    sure nondual is profound - especially politically - to have no higher than human intelligence to make reference to increases personal responsibility
     
  14. BlackBillBlake

    BlackBillBlake resigned HipForums Supporter

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    Seems to me like an oversimplification even if it may be politically expedient.
     
  15. Red Fox VII

    Red Fox VII Member

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    What I've read in the Gita makes a whole lotta sense to me, doesn't seem very abstract or contrived.

    Everything you do is karma, your karma has effects and causes reactions.

    You can't stop your nature, which is a result of varying ratios of the "gunas".

    I mean I'm not trying to sum up my understanding of the Bhagavad Gita here, I'm just saying, what's so abstract about the eastern philosophies?

    If you begin to meditate and pay attention more to what's going on, what actually is reality, you'll understand more how the eastern concept of karma seems to just be an observation of what is.

    The western philosophers, those guys to me just seem full of abstraction and forcing their own personality on you.
     
  16. FlyingFly

    FlyingFly Dickens

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    So karma is basicly another way of calling trigger and outcome
     
  17. usedtobehoney

    usedtobehoney Senior Member

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    This is how karma is explained in the tradition I follow: if you see the need, do the deed.

    In other words, whatever you're aware of you have responsibility to act on. Not acting on the things in your life are a way to add more overwhelming levels of karma to your life. Also karma is the way in which you connect to trials in your life with other people. It is whatever it is that you need to learn in this life.

    Your karma is what you're supposed to learn through other people, but also the actions you take to learn those things, the struggles you have and rather or not you really acknowledge, accept and react with integrity to those things.

    I don't see desolving karma as a goal...experiencing temporary samadhi or a sense of overall bliss in the trust that things go as they are supposed to go do to you working with your own karma seems to be a very realistic goal that goes along with the way the world works in a busy world that may be experiencing transformational forms of evolution.
     
  18. themnax

    themnax Senior Member

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    i see it a little differently. i don't see karma as anything personal at all. not as any kind of a judgement requiring any sort of a judge to impose it, but simply a completely impartial natural physical condition of how things work, among the seen and the unseen alike.
     

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