Science of Karma

There are so many unimaginable things that happen in our life, and how many unexpected news we hear in life. For instance plane crashes, bombing, fire, earthquake, tsunami, etc. A person exists at one moment, and is no more in the next! Many meet death in accidents, while many die of hunger. Different types of diseases take their own toll. There are kids who come dead, while few get born, die in no time. Some are by birth, disabled, and some when they grow choose to commit suicide.

All of a sudden an avalanche comes through and sweeps away thousands of pilgrims, who with great devotion had set out to worship the Gods of Badrinath and Kedarnath (in India). Many a times an innocent man ends up in jail, and several times it also happens that the guilty man is set free? In inheritance, so often one brother receives a significant portion of property and wealth, whereas the other, who is the son of the same father, has to settle for something nominal.

When this happens, one does not find consolation in the ‘ifs and buts arguments’ served by people around, for they don’t help resolve the numerous questions that arise in mind like, “Why did this happen? Why with me only? Why at this time? What have I done wrong? Why do I have to suffer in all of this? How long do I have to go through all of this? etc.”

One wonders if this all is due to our karma, explained by the theory of cause and effect (i.e. the result of the cause). If so, then why do good people have to go through enormous suffering? When their causes are good, their results too should be good. And which cause gave result in the case of baby that is born dead or born disabled? The evolved souls of saints, devotees, and Gnanis (the Enlightened Ones), exist in this very world that is full of mishaps and misery; and yet they experience constant bliss, least affected by any miseries or strife. Do karmas not affect them? Or is everything just abstract? What is the fact?

These questions continue to bother us until we find someone who is able to give the right answers.
And who else but Gnani, the Enlightened One, can enlighten us?

Param Pujya DadaBhagwan, an enlightened being explains the science of karma, stating that Karmas are in three forms:

1.Seed of karma (causes) - This is in the form of our inner intent made in past life.
For example, in past life, you intended that ‘nice temples of God should get built; and if possible, I would like to donate something like Rs. 50000/- for this cause’. It is only in your intention that you wished this; you have not donated a single penny. However, with this inner intent, you sowed the seed of good karma.

2.Fruit of karma (Effect of cause). This is in the form of our physical deeds in this life.
Your thoughts, words and actions are all called physical deeds. They happen naturally, based on your past karma. Continuing the given example...
Subsequently, in this life, in your surrounding, when construction of a temple is being planned and trustees approach you for some contribution, you immediately feel, “Yes, yes, I certainly want to give for this good cause.” And you will donate Rs. 50000/- to them. Your physical thought, speech and action that happened to donate Rs. 50000/- is the effect of your past karma (your intent in past life). You had sown a seed in past life that bears its fruit in this life.

3.Fruits of physical deeds (Result of effect). This is in the form of reward or punishment for our deeds done.
We get the result of our physical karmas, in this life itself. Good karma will bear good fruits, bad karma will bear bad fruits in this life itself. Further, continuing the given example...
For your physical karma of donation, people will praise you, “Oh you are such a generous donor. You gave very big donation.” will respect and honour you with garlands as a good donor, etc.

Based on your present inner intent at the time of experiencing the fruits of karma, new seeds of karma are sown. In the given example,...
After donating, if you feel, “Nowadays, people dupe in the name of collecting donation. I shouldn’t have donated any amount to these people.”
Owing to this intent, you will not be able to donate in your next life.

Hence, intent and action are two different things. The intent happened in past life. The fruit of intent comes in the form of our action in this life. The result of this action too comes in this life itself.
•The intent is called the cause.
•The action (fruit of intent) that we can see is called the effect of cause.
•The reward or punishment (fruit of action) that we can see is the effect of effect.

The reason for us continuing in the cycle of birth and death is: Karma.
The real Self is the Soul that resides in each one of us. Once we come into the nature of the real Self, no new karma will bind. This happens when Gnani makes us aware of our real Self!!! After that, new karmas do not bind and old karmas continue to unfold at their respective time. When all karmas finish, we attain ultimate liberation from the bondage of karma forever.

To conclude:
The seeds of karmas are sown in the past life and they give their fruits in this life. It is due to ignorance that, while experiencing the karmas, we create craving and aversion for people, situation and things. The craving and aversion in turn create new seeds of karma that have to be suffered when they mature in the future next life. When Gnani graces us with Self-Realization, we stop sowing new seeds of karma!!! As the awareness of the Self keeps increasing, we experience more and more bliss within. Finally, when all old karmas exhaust completely, one attains the final Moksha!

To know more about the science of karma please click:https://www.dadabhagwan.org/path-to-happiness/spiritual-science/the-science-of-karma/