What is Karma and how does it works?

Karma is a word meaning the result of a person's actions as well as the actions themselves. ... Karma is logically about punishment or reward. It makes a person responsible for their own life, and how they treat other people. The "Theory of Karma" is a major belief in Hinduism, Ayyavazhi, Sikhism, Buddhism, and Jainism.

By karma we mean that whatever we do to makes our life it reflect as like a mirror.

Karma, which literally means "action, work or deed", it is the law of cause and effect. If you do evil work, then you'll reap on it or suffering for it. And if you do good works then you'll reap inner joy and peace. ... Human suffering, therefore, is not explained as being caused by God's anger but as a result of ignorance of the divine law.

Our karma(actions) affect our family and ancestors also.  Our lives will be shaped by the way we act.

From where it comes: 

The earliest appearance of the word karma is found in the the oldest Hindu text the Rigveda. 

The term karma also appears significantly in the Vedas. According to Brahmanas, "as his wife man is born to the world he has made" and one is placed in a balance in the other world for an estimate of one's good and evil deed.

The concept of karma first appears strongly in the Bhagavad Gita.The topic of karma is mentioned in the Puranas.

What is it? 

The word 'karma' has originated from the Sanskrit root 'kri' which means 'to do' or 'to 'act and react.

"Karma" literally means "action," and more broadly names the universal principle of cause and effect, action and reaction, which Hindus believe governs all consciousness.

Human beings are said to produce karma in four ways:

• through thoughts

• through right attitude words

• through actions that we perform ourselves

• through actions others perform under our instructions

Everything that we have ever thought, spoken, done or caused is karma, as is also that which we think, speak or do this very moment.

Tulsidas, a great Hindu saint, said that: 

"Our destiny was shaped long before the body came into being."

As long as the stock of karma lasts, a part of it continues to be taken out as  for being enjoyed in one lifetime, leading to the cycle of birth and death. A Jiva cannot attain moksha (liberation) from the cycle of birth and death, until the accumulated their karmas are completely exhausted.

Unkindness yields spoiled fruits, called papa, and good deeds brings forth sweet fruits, called punya. As one acts, so does one become: one becomes virtuous by virtuous actions, and evil by evil actions.

Some examples of Karma: 

Karma is a belief that whatever you do will come back to you, either in this life or the next one.

The path of our life is made by our karmas. If we do good karmas then our way of life will be beautiful and if we do bad karmas then we will get the result according to that karma.

For some, this is not only karmas, but sometimes thoughts and words as well take our life to hell. Many karma examples, both good and bad, can be seen in our day to day life.

Example of good karmas:

When a person does a good deed, and his influence affects his daily life, then that is known as good karmas.

• Putting money in a temple collection box and coming home from that day’s service to find some money you had forgotten you had.

• One morning woke up ear and went to temple to see god and offer some incense and the lamp. Thinking of to spent some busy time for God's sake.

• Helping and educating poor students by giving them free education.

• Give some donations to the poor people and help them.

Example of bad karmas:

When a person commits an evil deed, by their works called an evil deed to make people suffer by his actions.  And that's the effect in his life and later in his life.

• Someone steals a cell phone from someone in the market. Later on, the cell phone is also stolen from them.

•If a husband abuses his wife or a (wife abuses her husband), he causes her physical and human suffering. For no apparent reason, he was tortured and made to listen to bad and filthy things, by putting a bad stigma on his character. Then he must get the result, in this life, or on the next life is also , this is what that no one can break the rules of the law.

• A greedy businessperson cheats people, lies on taxes, and engages in insider trading. They get caught, go to jail, and lose all their wealth.

• If someone thinks he is great and makes others small, then the result will be that one day someone will make him small in the same way.

The role of karma in gaining different bodies:

Whatever life the soul performs with its inanimate body, inanimate senses, it has to enjoy its fruits. 

For example, 

▪︎ If one is very fond of the educational institution and has given a lot of charity, then in the next life he can become rich and get a good education. 

▪︎ On the other hand, if someone kills the fetus, he may have to suffer the same fate (being killed in the womb) in the next birth.

The fruits must be enjoyed, only the fruits of other deeds are revealed at different times, so the fruits of a certain deed may be gained sooner or later. But whether it is good or bad, one must enjoy the fruits of one's deeds. Therefore, when an organism performs an action in one body, it must take on another body in order to enjoy the fruits of that action.

Thus the chain of rebirth continues uninterrupted, which is called ‘karmabandhan’.

Although the human body is gained by the law of action, it may have to be reborn in a lower species; For when the gross body is destroyed, all the desires and plans of the living soul are stored in the subtle body, and under the control of the higher authority controlling the rules of action, he gains a body by which he can realize(E.g. special flying body for reckless desire to fly). This is the real reason why there are so many diverse biological bodies at different levels of consciousness.

Four types of Karma:

Although there are many types of karmas, in the Vedas and Upanishads only speak of the four main ones.

1. Prarabdha Karma or Matured Karma

When we do something, it is taken note of by the universe. Whatever we are presently facing in life that can't be changed is Prarabdha Karma. However, it doesn't mean our future can't be changed. There is still the karma that hasn't matured yet.

2. Sanchita Karma or Stored Karma

There are people who experience the same type of problems as if it is on repeat. There is also no stability in their lives. Good fortunate seem to come and go at random. This is because of the stored up karma. The good and bad are experienced at the same time. The good news is Sanchita Karma can be changed if we go to the seed thought (main thought). We can either nurture or destroy it.

3. Agami Karma or Forthcoming Karma

Agami Karma is mandatory. It's a result of past actions. Karma is important because all the choices we make today affect the future. It's only by being continuously aware of what we are doing in the present moment we can change Agami (our future).

4. Vartamana Karma or Present Karma

This is the karma that you're going through right now. Let's say that you would like to get rid of a tree. You can chop the tree down or uproot it. But you still have to get rid of the woodchips, fallen leaves and fruit. It's a huge effort, but it's also only done once. Once that is cleared, you won't have that tree and its fruits anymore. You can plant new seeds, a different fruit tree and harvest those every few months, clearing up your karmic field regularly.

How can zero actions of karma be done?

So, if we do evil karmas, we have to suffer, even if we do good karmas, we have to suffer in the bondage of fruitfulness, in the bondage of karmas, in birth and death, etc., then what kind of karmas should we do? The answer is, action must be performed at the ineffective, unnatural, chinmoy level of the inert triple. When Sachchidananda Vigraha is performed for the satisfaction of Lord Krishna, when the activity is Krishna-related, then the touch of the qualities of nature becomes flawless, chinmay. Thus the officer is not bound to reap the fruits of his karmas; In this action there is no work stoppage, but the inertia stops. That is why this fruitless action is called non-action. This is the only way not to do 'karma' by doing karma, that is, not to get entangled in the result of karma, which is what Krishna has taught. The performer returns to Bhagavad-gita from the cycle of birth and death, from the fragile covering of inanimate nature, from the inanimate body, and enjoys eternal blissful life there.

For example, one of the two students in the class is a fan, the other is an inexperienced homosexual worker. The devotee student studies for the purpose of Lord Krishna. How is that possible? Everything he studies in class is about inanimate objects; So how will this study be a Krishna-conscious action? The devoted student may realize that his college education will eventually give him a job, which will enable him to provide for his family members, those who depend on him; But the real life, the real real and eternal relationship is with Krishna, all worldly relationships are temporary. So he chants the Harekrishna Mahamantra in a certain number every day, observes the four prohibitions, the study of Srila Prabhupada's.

By doing so, he attends weekly Gita or Bhagavata classes thus preserving the sanctity of consciousness. Also, he received his college education only to perform his duties for the love of Lord Krishna. He knows the purpose of his life is to return to the eternal abode of Lord Krishna by attaining pure Krishna consciousness, pure devotion.

The other student also knows that Lord Krishna is Lord and he is strongly attracted to the pleasures of the material world. He studies for the purpose of fulfilling his enjoyment desires - works hard. He does not follow the rules, and is always busy planning for himself or his family to create opportunities for future sensuality. Thus he is a Sam Karmi, that is, he studies karma to fulfill his national desires.

Apparently two students are doing the same thing - college education, but there is a big difference in their consciousness, their future consequences will be different. The sex worker will continue to be influenced more and more by the qualities of nature, especially menstruation, as he engages in various plans for his future, that is, to make arrangements for him to suffer the subject of death. The devotional student, on the other hand, will continue to practice a consciousness in college or later life, and will gradually attain the state of suddhasattva, i.e., nirguna, or chinmaya, free from the influence of inanimate objects. Such pure-minded devotees are directly controlled by Lord Krishna. The action of the inert qualities on him ceased, and the grace of Lord Krishna began to flow through him.

Arjuna and Duryodhana: The ideal example is Arjuna and Duryodhana. Both Arjuna and Duryodhana had chariots; Both had bows and arrows; Both were Kshatriyas; Both were ready to fight with might. From the outside there seems to be no difference between the two. But there was a huge difference in the consciousness of the two. Duryodhana was fighting for the fulfillment of his own desires, and Arjuna was fighting for the favor of Lord Krishna. Duryodhana considered himself the controller of everything and he made many master plans to finish the Pandavas. Arjuna, on the other hand, knew that everything was going on, working under the influence of Krishna's absolute will, and that he was just an instrument or doll in Krishna's hand, that Krishna could use him as he wished. This is the way to become detached.