Karma 101

I’ve got this fun little book called Karma 101 which really inspires me when I need a spark to do the right thing. We already know that karma isn’t a moral law. It’s not a force wielded by the gods, nor a system of divine punishment and reward. It’s a simple description of how things interact, like Newton’s law of action and reaction.

Karma can seem like an abstract and completely unobservable phenomenon when it’s talked about in the context of cycles and death and rebirth. For most of us, traveling in the fast lane of the twenty-first century, it would seem there are more pressing issues than spending a lot of time debating issues of the next life and how we can reach nirvana. But in our homes and offices, we can observe the behavior of karma in each and every moment. Both Hindus and Buddhists (I’m exploring a lot of Buddhist stuff right now) consider karma a natural law, and it is often compared to Isaac Newton’s law of motion.

For those that aren’t familiar with it, here’s a quick review. Newton’s first law of motion states that if no forces are present, an object at rest will stay at rest, and an object moving at a constant velocity in a straight line will do so indefinitely. His second law explains that when a force is exerted on an object, the object will accelerate, and the acceleration will be in the direction of the force and proportional in strength to the force, and inversely proportional to the object’s mass (essentially, the force will have to overcome the weight of the object if the object is to be moved). The third law says, “To every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.” Indeed, what goes up must come down (unless you believe in magic). With our bodies as an object, and our will, or karma, the force, we can navigate the course of our own lives according to these laws. At birth, we initially inhabit a body that is at rest. As desire and sensory perception develop, we start creating karma as we attempt to satisfy our wants and needs, building momentum in the process.

I thought I’d share some of my favorite karma tips from this book.

DO: Bring enough to share.
DON’T: Assume someone else will.

DO: Put yourself in someone else’s shoes.
DON’T: Try on pants at a clothing store without underwear.

DO: Call someone you know would like to hear from you.
DON’T: Put it off an leave it, thinking you can always do it later.

DO: Say “Hi” and make eye contact with the cashier who’s ringing you up.
DON’T: Ignore the sales clerk.

DO: Help a friend move a grand piano up five flights of stairs.
DON’T: Pretend you’re busy on moving day.

DO: Throw some change in the person’s cup on the sidewalk.
DON’T: Keep the change, thinking, “He probably makes, like, 20 bucks a day.”

“It’s said that on the second night he spent beneath the tree, the Buddha came to an understanding of karma. He said that with his eyes opened, he was able to observe the way in which beings came and went, how their lives unfolded according to their karma, and how this influenced the quality of their rebirth. He borrowed the term karma, the Sanskrit word for action, from Hinduism and adjusted it to refer specifically to one’s will, motivation, or intention.

We act – physically, mentally, and verbally – based on our intent or desire. The intent behind any action, its karma, inevitably shapes an action’s result – it’s “karmic fruit,” and so within each act we commit is the seed of its result. This is what is meant by “What goes around comes around.” Plant an apple seed, and you’ll get an apple tree – not bananas, or oranges, or a suitcase stuffed with cash. Likewise, by planting the seed of suffering, you should not be shocked when you later experience the taste of suffering yourself. Happiness is achieved through the same means. We build up karma throughout our lives, constantly planting the seeds of our future. Since we are primarily responsible for the suffering we experience, Buddhism explains that the root cause of suffering begins in the mind, with our karma, and therefore by mastering our karma we can also foster our own happiness.

In defining karma, the Buddha used the word “volition,” which means the power to choose or determine. Volition, and therefore karma, both refer to the motivation and intent behind an action. When you feel frustrated at the day’s events and go home and end up taking it out on your spouse, you do so motivated by anger and the intent to harm – this is aksula, or unwholesome karma. When our of compassion and generosity you open and hold the door at the post office for a person carrying a box as big as a Volkswagen, you do so to ease their burden, and this is kusula, or wholesome karma. In the third grade when you put a whoopie cushion on your best friend’s chair hoping others would think you were cool… well, you get the point.”

What I really love about this book is that it really delves into aksula and kusula and explains very beautifully different ways in which we help and hurt each other whether intentionally or inadvertently.

“In determining what constitutes an unwholesome act versus a wholesome act, we can look at the literal meaning of aksula and kasula. Aksula, or unwholesome karma, means unskillful, or not intelligent. Kasula, or wholesome karma, means skillful, or intelligent. We can then read these terms and what they represent as describing actions that are unintelligently committed, or committed through intention informed by wisdom. When we sit on the sofa and precariously balance a glass on the couch arm rather than the coffee table, when it falls off, breaks, and spills cranberry juice all over the white rug, this is the result of a careless decision based more on convenience and laziness than careful assessment. Indeed, a good chess player (or hustler at the pool hall) knows when to sacrifice a few pieces or games, giving his opponent the illusion of winning, only to win himself in the long run. Unwholesome acts are those committed through ignorance, ill will, and greed. Such acts will inevitably result in suffering for yourself and others.”

I’ve learned a whole lot from it. I yelled at Sir Maurice today because I was angry at God or Goddess or the Gods for debating with me, and my intention was only to let out frustration – not by any means to actually hurt anyone’s feelings. Sir Maurice’s karma improved today, as it does everyday because he’s always letting me take things out on him like a punching bag. I feel sometime in the future, someone might end up yelling at me and it will be my job to take the brunt of their anger. I suppose I’m ready, on some level, to take that now.

Love
Isabella
xoxoxo