Cause and Effect

Karma is one of those words that so often gets employed in American culture in ways that the creators of the word never intended. It has Sanskrit origins, and means “deed” or “act.” In a very general sense, karma refers to what’s happening to me today as being caused by the totality of my actions at some previous time or state. It has its roots in Hindu and Buddhist worldviews.

In common American usage the meaning of karma tends to get distorted and misused. It often is given the connotation of being one’s fate or destiny, and gets unnecessarily tied to one’s former lives. According to this interpretation, what’s happening to me today is fate—as if it was predetermined by what I did in a previous incarnation, and now I’m powerless to do anything about it. It’s my lot in life. Accept it, knowing I deserve it, because of something bad I did, countless lifetimes ago.

This interpretation is not only wrong—it can be downright dangerous. It encourages us to be passive and accept the bad stuff (because we’re a bum), or the good stuff (because we’re special). We helplessly swing from bad to good, a puppet of our former doings. This use of karma also allows religious authorities to manipulate their naïve subjects—keeping them subjugated and obeisant.

Karma is best understood as a simple law of nature: the law of cause and effect. The effect of my coming down with a cold is caused by my encountering its virus. If I spit in the face of a macho street dude, I’ll suffer the consequences. Thus, to a large extent, my fate is in my own hands—not in the next lifetime, but now. What I do today heavily influences my tomorrow.

The very first verse of the Dhammapada (the core teachings of Buddhism) begins, “Our life is shaped by our mind; we become what we think.” That’s a basic karmic statement. What I think, say, and do shapes my life; impacts my immediate future. Think, say, or act foolishly and I’ll suffer the consequences. Think, say, or act wisely and lovingly and I’ll reap the benefit (as will those around me).

But of course, my life is not entirely in my hands. I’m not in complete control of my world. Even if I behave myself, sometimes shit happens. (That’s pretty much the story of Job, it seems to me.) But sometimes I also get lucky, even when I’ve acted foolishly. Grace happens. Let me not go overboard at these times and either feel depressed or superior. Let me not attribute these events to the arrival of a comet or think that God has singled me out for punishment, because I’m a bad person. It’s not about me. Comets and God don’t act on my behalf. They’ve got their own business to attend to.

Because karma is a natural law (nothing supernatural here), I know I am able to take charge of my life. I can make healthy choices and have the confidence that the world is not capricious, but is reliable and accountable. Shit happens and grace happens are rare events; the rest is in my hands. Maybe things happening to me at the moment are not all that pleasant (due to what I did yesterday?), but I have the power to bring a happier future—largely based upon how skillfully I respond to these events.