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Is there karma?

Please also read:
How to free yourself of karma
What is God's work?

A perfect person, if there is such a marvel, does not ask about karma. As a rule, we begin thinking about karma when we fear punishment for having done something "wrong," since all of us have done something we had our regrets about later (which is a part and parcel of the human maturation process). The hidden question behind the apparent one is, in all likelihood, "If I do something bad, and nobody notices, will there be consequences—a punishment?"

Karma means action. The word karma is usually used erroneously in place of the correct and precise term sam’ska’ra, which means a reaction in potentiality. For every action you originate there will be an equal reaction, adjusted according to time, place and person. Both "good" and "bad" actions distort (cloud) the mind and thus limit freedom.

On the cosmic level, tantra yoga philosophy views this universe as Shiva (Cosmic Consciousness) playing with His own energy, Shakti (Creative Principle). Everything this cosmic sport of creation and destruction manifests, in the final analysis, is an expression of the law of karma on the universal level—God’s imagination "distorted" under the influence of karma. Thus, karma is the creator of the whole world. All things that exist in the universe—human beings with their unique bodies and personalities, animals, trees, mountains, rivers—are the karmic transformation of Divine Being. Each cosmic sam’ska’ra, as it unfolds, triggers many more to be expressed. Each cosmic sam’ska’ra, as it expresses, causes new ones to be formed and lie dormant for a while, waiting for release in the future. The law of karma is the primary law of the universe—in essence, the whole universe is singular—God under the influence of His own laws of karma.

Back to human beings! Let us say, for example, you have stolen something from a store, and you were not caught. Will someone steal something from you in the future? Will something of yours get lost? What will be the dreaded "punishment"? Or another example: let us say you have promised to do something for your teacher but procrastinated indefinitely. Will there be consequences?

The answer is simple: there will be consequences—but only once. Sooner or later, the distortion that your positive or negative action has created in the deep recesses of your mind (sam’ska’ra) will "straighten itself out"—express itself—and your mind will be returned to its original pure state. It may not happen immediately—it may take an hour, a day, a month, a year, or a decade. Usually, however, sam’ska’ras express themselves in your subsequent incarnations. The destined release will happen, and you will have to wait in this manifested world of duality for it to happen, which will give you an ocean of opportunity to create more karma in the meantime. Unless you do something about it, it is a vicious circle…

If you are a skilled yogi, you can see the marks of your previous deeds through meditation. These distortions in your consciousness may not yet have come to the surface, but they are already controlling your life. Each sam’ska’ra is already organizing a future situation for its expression.

Don’t be surprised if an otherwise splendid day ends in misery. Or you suddenly break your leg while walking over smooth ground. Or a long-forgotten lie comes to the surface in unpredictable circumstances. Or you receive an unexpected gift or unanticipated promotion. Or your body suddenly develops cancer. Or for no reason known to your doctor, your diabetes disappears. Or you get a sudden urge to move or change your career. All of these have the markings of the laws of karma at work.

— Anatole