• Abstract and Figures
• Public Full-text

Theory of Karma: Universal Path to Positive Health 93 THEORY OF KARMA: UNIVERSAL PATH TO POSITIVE HEALTH Kalpna* and NovRattan Sharma** ABSTRACT The extension of the age old and well established principle ‘As you sow, so you reap’is Karma. It is observed in everyday experience in that every action has a reaction and that every effect has a cause and vice versa. The present paper is an effort to understand the theory of karma and how understanding of karma can lead to ultimate happiness and positive health. The meaning of karma as commonly accepted is the activity, deed or work action or act. According to the theory of karma the life span of every living entity here and hereafter is determined by karma or deed and a pious life leads to contentment, happiness and positive health in the present life and rebirth in higher and better forms of existence. Bad actions lead to birth in lower forms of existence in life that are yet to come and unhappiness in present existence. Basically theory of karma implies a strong causal relationship. In this world nothing happens to a person that he does not for some reason or the other deserve. There are definite invisible cause(s) of the visible effect, not necessarily confined to the present life but may be traced to a proximate or remote past birth. The doctrine of Karma restores one’s faith in a stable, predictable and just world. Consequently, belief in Karma also facilitates the healing process for those who have experienced major suffering in life. This natural process is immune to error understanding of which is essential to the universal path to positivehealth. Key Words: Karma Theory, Happiness, Positive Health. Karma is a law of ‘cause and effect’ and of ‘action and reaction’ which is believed to controls the fate of all living beings. This law functions on the basic principle that any act performed produces an equal and opposite reaction, which * Research Scholar, Department of Psychology, MaharshiDayanand University, Rohtak * * Professor, Department of Psychology, MaharshiDayanand University, Rohtak Journal of Indian Health Psychology 94 Kalpna and NovRattan Sharma directly influences our existence. Karmais synonymous to physical forces, such as, time and gravity, a universal principle which influences everyone. While the lawsof physics apply to the material objects interaction, the law of karma is applicable to all actions of living beings and also governs theirinter-relation. The law of karma states that any act done in life will creates a reaction whichin turn will produce a counter action. Thus, what is produced is this endless chain of actions and reactions which bind the living being to his good and bad deeds. This is the way karma works. It works within the realm of time and nobody is immune from it. If someone makes a mistake, he has to paythepenalty immediately, in ten years time period or in ten centuries time maybe, but the error must be paid for. The existence of such natural law is only felt when a bad life experience is encountered, followed by pain, suffering and grief. Many people feel that bad things only happen to them; however, it is a culmination of actions and events that has occurred at a particular time and place as a result of certain karmic force. There is no such phenomenon as accident or a coincidence in life. All entities create their own realities all along. Nature’s way to ensure that every being gets its chance to grow is karma. Karma also makesus realize the universal truth that¯we all are one- that can inferred from that whatever we do to others, will be experienced by the self. Following lines beautifully explains karma: Now as a man is like this or like that, according as he acts and according as he behaves, so will he be; a man of good acts will become good, a man of bad acts, bad; he becomes pure by pure deeds, bad by baddeeds; And here they say that a person consists of desires, and as is his desire, so is his will; and as is his will, so is his deed; and whatever deed he does, that he will reap —Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, 7th Century BC WHAT IS KARMA? The word ‘karma’ is derived from Sanskrit root ‘kri’ which means ‘to do, perform, cause or effect’. Executed deed, work, action and also the object and intent has been defined as karma. A good act creates good karma, as does good intent and a bad act or intent creates bad karma. Nature of karma theory is ethical. It is so because our intentions and actions are related to the reward, merit, punishment Vol. 13, No. 2, March, 2019 Theory of Karma: Universal Path to Positive Health 95 and demerit. Without ethical premise this theory would have been one of pure causal relation. Therefore, there would have been no difference of merit, reward, punishment and demerit depending on the actor’s intent. Karma theory having ethical element in it considers the intention and desire before and during action. Thus, the theory of karma encourages every person to seek a moral life and avoid immoral life. The concept of reincarnation is also included in Karma theory. It suggests that re-birthcouldbeinadifferentrealm,theformdependsonthequalityand quantity of karma. Every living being’s soul recycles after death, taking the seeds of karmic impulses from the life completed into the next life. Except for those who have consciously broken this cycle and have reached the realm of God, this cycle continues indefinitely. Positive Health Positive Healthis the scientific studyof healthassets. A healthassetis a factor that produces stronger health, over and above risk factors for disease. Positive Health works to discover which specific health assets produce longer, healthy life, and which health assets lower disease risk and health care costs. The goal is to strive for optimal health —beyond the mere absence of illness. Positive Health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease orinfirmity.” Karma Theory’s Eastern Interpretation Karma for the first time came into being as a concept in Hinduism, based on Vedas and Upanishads. Hindus view karma as a law which is immutable that involves voluntary and involuntary acts as a part of a system of cause and effect that is not comprehendible to one bound by karma. Karma in Hinduism’s perspective explains causality through a system where rewarding effects are derived from past beneficial actions and harmful actions from past bad actions, creating a cycle of action and reactions throughout a soul’s cycle of births and rebirths. This causality is said to be applicable to the physical world and also to our thoughts, words, actions and also the instructions that we give to others. Hindus believe that our consciousness is governed by our Karmas. On the other hand in Jain theory, Karmais thought of a kind of pollution that taints our soul with different colors. It says that Karmas are invisible fine particles of matter present all around living beings, similar to air particles. Soul attracts karmas through activities performed by mind, body and speech. On the basis of karma a living entity undergoes transmigration and reincarnation in different existence stages. Jainism explains that inequalities, sufferings and pain are the evidence for the existence of karma. This theory attaches great emphasis to individual actions and eliminates dependence on supposed existence of divinegrace. Journal of Indian Health Psychology 96 Kalpna and NovRattan Sharma Taking about Buddhist theory of karma, only ‘volitiona l action’ account for karma. Volition may be good or bad. Every volitional act has its effects. According to Buddhism karma is the theory of cause and effect, of action and reaction. It is a natural law that has nothing to do with the idea of reward and punishment. If a good action produces good effects it is not considered a reward but a virtue of its own nature. The basic idea is that intentional actions are driven by disturbing our emotions, volition and craving which create impressions in the mind which in turn will ripen into a future result. Typology of Karma Hinduism theory of karma outlines four types of Karma. Sanchita karma:the accumulated karma of previous lives, which is in our account and which has to be exhausted at some stage of life. Prarabdha karma:a part of Sanchita karma which is activated in your present life and influences the present life. Agami karma:karma that arises out of your current lifeactivities, consequences of which will be experienced in the coming life. Kriyamana karma:karma whose consequences are experiences in any case in this very life. According to Jain theory of karma there are eight types of karma which can be broadly defined as Destructive or Non-destructive. Destructive karma: affect the soul by impeding its attributes. These are as follows: • Perception obscuringkarma • Knowledge obscuringkarma • Obstacles creatingkarma • Deludingkarma Vol. 13, No. 2, March, 2019 Theory of Karma: Universal Path to Positive Health 97 Non-destructive karma: These are responsible for the re-born soul’s physical and mental circumstances. These are as follows: • Body determiningkarma • Life span determiningkarma • Status determiningkarma • Feeling determiningkarma According to Buddhism karma is of fourtypes: Reproductive karma: explains conditions that influence the future birth. This karma produces mental and material aggregates at the moment of conception. The sex, body and base and features of a person are determined by thiskarma. Supportive karma: Assists the action of the reproductive karma in one‘s lifetime. Obstructive karma: which tends to weaken, interrupt the functioning of reproductive karma. Destructive karma: it obstructs the functioning of reproductive karma.

Load more

  11

Copy Link