KARMA Works and Wisdom By Charles Johnston Contents The Three Kinds of Karma.....................................................5 Karma in the Upanishads.....................................................15 Karma in the Bhagavad Gita.................................................23 Krishna’s Teaching on Karma..............................................31 Karma in the Later Vedanta.................................................41 Karma and Sa!vation by Works............................................47 Karma in Modern Theosoph#..............................................53 The Three Kinds of Karma (The tr)th* so often o"sc)red in !ater times* in vario)s +a#s* that the getting rid of evi! and the ac,)isition of good can "e gained on!# "# persona! effort- that there is not* and cannot "e* an# contrivance thro)gh +hich either individ)a! or common good can "e attained* save one’s o+n persona! effort../0o)nt Leo To!sto#* on “Karma.” $hen the +ord Karma is )sed "# +riters on 1ndian phi!osoph# and re!igion it is genera!!# s)pposed that on!# one ,)ite definite tho)ght is imp!ied* and that this has "een )niform and c!ear thro)gho)t the +ho!e period of 1ndia’s deve!opment/from the dim Vedic times* tho)sands of #ears ago* to the present da#. B)t the tr)th is that this term has a !ength# and varied histor#* and its !atest meaning is the fr)it of a !ong deve!opment* +hich ma# "e divided into three c!ear!# disting)ished periods. $hen the +ord first "ecame prominent/at the c!ose of the Vedic epoch* a"o)t five tho)sand #ears ago/it had a ,)ite definite and rigid meaning2 a signification* ho+ever* +hich "ears hard!# an# re!ation to the idea it +as !ater )sed to conve#. 1ts ear!iest meaning +as (the rit)a! !a+./the comp!ete ceremonia! +hich gre+ o)t of the Vedic re!igion* a great artificia! s#stem of !ife +hich !aid ho!d of ever# man "orn )nder it 3even "efore he sa+ the !ight of da#4 and did not re!a5* in the "e!ief of its fo!!o+ers* even +hen the f!ames of the f)nera! fires had died o)t and nothing +as !eft of the visi"!e man ")t a handf)! of ashes to "e scattered on the +aters of the sacred rivers. 6t present +e need not 5 7 Karma: Works and Wisdom concern o)rse!ves +ith the detai!s of this rit)a! !a+- it is eno)gh that* gro+ing )p as precedent and tradition o)t of the s)perstitions not !ess than the tr)e and hea!th# instincts of Vedic times* it +ove itse!f into a vast* a!!8em"racing s#stem* to)ching and reg)!ating ever# act of !ife* determining for each man "eforehand +hat might and +hat might not !a+f)!!# "e done* and "ecoming for each man an a"so!)te predestination +hich made an# spontaneit# of !ife and +i!! a!most impossi"!e. 9ven if* +ear# of this forma! !ife and +orship* a man e!ected to have done +ith it a!!/to give )p ever# am"ition and hope and "ecome an aim!ess +anderer or hide himse!f in the forest far from the homes of men/the +a# of his ren)nciation +as "# in:)nction a!read# defined for him* the #ear in +hich it sho)!d "e made* and even the tho)ghts +ith +hich his mind sho)!d "e ")sied after his ren)nciation +as comp!ete. This rit)a! !a+* as a!read# stated* +as ca!!ed Karma- the !ife of o"edience to it +as the +a# of Karma* and the "oo%s +hich contained its ordinances +ere the sections of Karma. Be!ieving in its divine origin and inspiration, its fo!!o+ers he!d that it em"raced a!! the possi"i!ities of h)man !ife- that ever# deve!opment of !ife +as a!read# foreseen and provided for- that righteo)sness consisted so!e!# in this/to find o)t +hat the traditiona! !a+ en:oined* and to fo!!o+ it +ith perfect o"edience. The rit)a! !aw "eing regarded as an e5pression of the +ho!e of !ife* the +a# of Karma came to mean right action thro)gh the +ho!e of !ife/a right direction and app!ication of a!! the forces of !ife. The c)!t of the rit)a! !a+ dre+ its greatest strength from the Brahman caste. The Brahmans—at first priests* be!ieved to have inf!)ence with the gods- and practica! magicians* be!ieved to be a"!e to )se this inf!)ence thro)gh certain ceremonia! acts to practica! ends —were dependent for their wea!th on the e!aboration of ceremonies* and for their power on the ho!d +hich the# co)!d gain over the imagination of the princes who ca!!ed on them to perform these ceremonies for partic)!ar purposes2 the gaining of +ea!th* victor# over enemies* freedom from i!!ness* extension of possessions* etc. This idea of the efficac# of ceremony gre+* from the be!ief that the Brahman’s inf!)ence with one deit# or another co)!d be purchased for some specia! end* to the wider be!ief that the +ho!e of !ife co)!d best be !ived "# an obedience to the ceremonies prescribed "# the The Three Kinds of Karma & priest- so that the Brahman priest8craft grad)a!!# c!aimed to !a# ho!d on the who!e of !ife* of prince and people a!ike* and s)cceeded in imposing the be!ief that the onl# right and satisfactor# !ife +as obedience to Brahmanica! stat)te. $e need not for a moment "e!ieve that this action of Brahmanica! priest8craft +as necessari!# ma!ign* or a matter a!together of se!fish ca!c)!ation and intrig)e. ;n the contrar#* +e sha!! "e )ntr)e to h)man nat)re if +e do not perceive that in ever# stage of their deve!opment the Brahmans honest!# "e!ieved in themse!ves* as a!! priesthoods do- "e!ieved that the# had the inf!)ence +ith and over the gods +hich the# c!aimed to have/that the# co)!d confer the "enefits +hich the# asserted +o)!d fo!!o+ the d)e performance of ceremon#- and sincere!# tho)ght that the rit)a! !a+ rea!!# formed the highest and tr)est idea! of !ife* the most perfect standard of righteo)sness and tr)th. B)t in the same po!it# of ancient 1ndia* side "# side +ith the gro+ing Brahmanica! hierarch#* +as another force* strong!# antagonistic and ma%ing for a ,)ite different idea! of !ife and cond)ct. This force +as the e5pression of the geni)s of the +arrior race from +hich the r)!ers of ancient 1ndia +ere dra+n* a race profo)nd!# different in inspiration and character from that +hich gave 1ndia its priesthood- for* right!# )nderstood* the difference in caste "et+een Kshatri#a and Brahman 3prince and priest4 +as a difference in "!ood as +e!! as in occ)pation. 6s the instinct of the Brahmans !ed them to find the standard of !ife in o)t+ard o"servances* ceremonia!s* and traditions- so the instinct of the Kshatri#as !ed them to see% for the meaning of !ife in in+ard things/in the heart and +i!!* in int)ition* in the !ight of the e!f. (<o!!o+ the !a+*. said the Brahman* (and #o) +i!! gain the re+ards of the !a+.. (<o!!o+ the !ife of the e!f* as it e5presses itse!f in #o)r heart and +i!!*. said the Kshatri#a* (and #o) +i!! "ecome possessed of the po+er and "eing of the e!f.. 6s in+ard and o)t+ard things are in a"so!)te contrast* so a!so +ere the idea!s of Kshatri#a and Brahman- and this contrast is not mere!# a s)":ect for anti,)arian research* ")t rather a vivid and stri%ing pict)re of a conf!ict r)nning thro)gh the +ho!e of h)man !ife and arising ane+ for each individ)a!. 1s the +i!! to s)"mit to the order +hich seems to "e imposed on it from +itho)t* or is it to impose itse!f on o)t+ard things as their sovereign and !ord= > Karma: Works and Wisdom This abso!)te contrast in idea!s "etween the two races is admira"!# i!!)strated in the )se of the word Karma. To the Brahman priest* as we have seen, it meant the ceremonies of the rit)a! !a+* scr)pu!o)s!# performed in order to gain rightness in !ife—the re+ard of obedience to the !aw. This meaning of the term inspires the +ho!e of the sacrificia! Vedas* and the vast theo!ogica! !iterat)re which gre+ aro)nd and o)t of them; so that these books are technica!!# known as the Karma books* and the +a# of !ife the# enjoin as the Karma wa#. B)t the Kshatri#as* the r)!ers* the men of wi!! and power* attach a tota!!# different meaning to the word. 6s the# fo)nd their !ife8 impu!se not in o)tward things* ")t in their own hearts and wi!!s—in the inherent !ife and power of their own se!ves—so the# )se the term to signif#* not conformit# with the o)tward rit)a! !a+* ")t the springs of action and impu!ses of their own wi!!s* purposes* intentions* and energies* which* in their idea!* made )p the rea!it# of their !ives.