Karma — Cause and Effect — Simplified

Life = Simultaneity of Cause and Effect (Best represented by Lotus Flower that blooms and seeds at the same time)

Karma has been used both as an escape mechanism and as a tool of fear. Today I wish to demystify it slightly based on my understanding gathered on my spiritual journey practicing ND Buddhism.

When I did the Landmark program, I was introduced to the fact that “Life is Empty and Meaningless” and that we humans make stories and give meaning to incidents that occur. Since we give meaning, and there are number of options that we get to choose from, we should choose a powerful one. This helped.

Few years later I got introduced to ND Buddhism, that’s when I learnt that Life as such is very simple. Yeah, Life — it’s simple not complicated. Life is simply Cause and Effect. Ok so where is Karma in all of this?

Karma is action. When you perform a Karma/action, you create a cause. Since cause and effect is simultaneous, in that when you create a cause you see the effect, when you create a cause you are bound to see the effect. Hold on! What?? I’m sure that’s buzzing in your head…well it took me a few years to understand this.

We all have karmic tendencies, from which we perform a karma in a certain situation. This karma is influenced by our state of life/being. For example, if you are leaving a room, you will

1. Slam the door if you are angry. [Cause created: Anger]
2. Close the door if you are in a decent mood [Cause created: Calm/Peace]
3. Barely reach the door if you are sad or depressed — essentially no action. [Cause created: Sadness]

As can be seen, depending on the state of life, an action is performed. From the above, option 2 is the best right, because we all know opportunity is found in action.

Now that we have established it is your life state that determines your action, let’s look at what happens next. We all know that an apple seed sown results in an apple tree not mango nor papaya. So when you perform an action of Anger, you are sowing Anger and so you will see Anger. Here

1. action — karma (based on your karmic tendency and life state)
2. sowing — cause
3. see — effect

So if you reflect closely you will see certain incidents keep happening. “Why do I meet people who are irritating?” — for example is one such possible scenario. Look at patterns that keep happening. Those patterns are your karmic tendencies, from which you take action, sow the cause and keep seeing the effect.

Another way to understand karmic tendencies is to look at how you behave in a particular situation. For example someone is shouting at you for no particular reason, what would you do / how would you respond?

1. Option 1: Shout back — karmic tendency is to get angry
2. Option 2: Start crying — karmic tendency is to be sad
3. Option 3: Stay calm — karmic tendency is peace (here you might be more empathic and choose to help the person)

There could be more options, but hope this helps drive the understanding that how you behave in a particular situation is your karmic tendency. This is your default mode. But can we override the default?

Is there a way out? Yes there always is. Question is are you ready to do what it takes? :) Every problem comes with a solution. The solution here is your life state. When you are able to constantly manifest your best version or highest life-state, you will only do good actions and thereby accumulate good fortune by sowing great causes. How do you do that? I have found my answer in Nichiren Daishonin Buddhism. As I recite Nam MyoHo Renge Kyo and summon forth my highest potential, I bring forth my infinite compassion, wisdom and courage to deal with all that comes my way. Over the years I have become calmer, wiser, braver and learnt to love myself just a little more than when I started. The journey is long, but I know I am heading in the right direction based on how I handle things and life is unfurling.

Remember

1. If you have sown, you shall reap — no escapes (not even death) as life is eternal. (though some may not believe this but this is another discussion for a different post/day)
2. A beggar doesn’t gain admission to a restaurant — So you get what you deserve or attract based or who you are being. A sunflower attracts bees and butterflies, a mound of dust cockroaches and flies.
3. Happy people do happy stuff. There are numerous ways to manage your life state, I was fortunate to get something that was logical, reasonable and workable. Hope you find yours.

If you want to know more, happy to help. Be happy, stay well.