________________
Thus He was Thus He Spake: The Karma
Reshma Jain
'Even chance meetings are the result of karma... Things in life are fated by our previous lives. That even in the smallest events there's no such thing as coincidence'
The above line is written by prominent Japanese writer Haruki Murakami but a thought which most constantly stays with me in all my vulnerable moments is my Guru Shrimad Rajchandra's...' je pan thaychey ae vyavasthit kaaran na lidhej thay cheyEach moment, event, good or disaster is perfect as is..'
Karma is the most quoted word in the Indian subcontinent- more misquoted also. So as I dwell into my obsession with everything karmic, I would like to share the personal views of my two best friends' on what Karma means to them. The three of us really are chalk and cheese yet love each other to death and constantly try to strive to be good, better human beings.
Lina Mathias is a Catholic, steers clear from concepts like rebirth, yet occasionally ponders over concepts like Karma.
Alpana Lath Sawai grew up with stories of Hindu mythology, was deeply moved by her Buddhist Vipassana experiences but has chosen to be an agnostic-she cannot bear it if people don't take complete responsibility for their actions, no solace of "Karma thinking" for her.
I on the other hand - live, drink, breathe, quote Karma in all the situations of life. My conscious, subconscious all constitute the branches and balances of Karmic debts.
Lina Mathias expresses her views on Karma: "As somene who was born into a Roman Catholic family and grew up in a totally Hindu-dominated neighbourhood, participating in all the Hindu festivals and religious ceremonies, my spiritual knowledge is a rich mixture of felt and read content from both these religions.
The word 'Karma' has so many meanings for different people conjuring up words and images like rebirth, fruit of one's actions, what goes around comes around etc For me, primarily Karma would mean "action", what I do and why I do it. Even though Christianity does not believe in rebirth and neither do I, I do believe that what you do and say does have ripple effects far beyond and more significant than merely the immediate consequence. For example, while I might not think of it consciously, the Biblical line "The sins of the fathers are visited upon the children" would be at the back of my mind when I wonder if a certain unkind
action of mine would rebound on my son especially if I have been impatient and intolerant of a young person.
While I am definitely not qualified to comment upon Christian theology, I do believe that Christianity is an outward looking religion. In the sense, that it is your actions, your deeds, what you do, that take on great importance and though Christian mystics are venerated, it is the saints who went out and worked among the lepers and the sick and the widows and orphans who are the most worshiped.
Christ said "Whatsoever you do unto the least of my brethren, you do unto me" Meaning that what you do for the lowliest of the low is actually what you do for me. I would like to think that that is a form of karmawhat you do for the marginalised and the underprivileged actually bears fruit as your worship of Christ
So even if I do not believe in rebirth and heaven and hell are concepts that might seem rather far away in the hurly-burly of life, what would motivate me to act justly, kindly and truly reach out to anyone in need, not just a friend or relative or acquaintance. For me, it would definitely be another line from the Bible "Much has been given unto you, much is expected of you." As usual there are many interpretations of this but I think it means that not using the gifts and talents given to you for the greater good and happiness of those in need, is the big sin. Not using let's say, your intelligence, your linguistic skill, your gift for music or cooking or organising for others—is being selfish.
So, my concept of Karma is when I act, when I reach out, think of what to support, what to protest against, it would be a mixture of all of the above that would propel me."
૨૦૫
Alpana Lath Sawai's view on Karma
"Karma has got a bad name. Most people associate it with a sense of inevitability, like it's as bad as death. But karma is what you make of it. Nothing is inevitable, not even death, because who's to say what dies and what remains?
Karma is simply an interpretation we give to things that we find hard to understand or deal with. Like children suffering people who don't understand Hinduism or karma always throw this in our face - how can children have done anything to warrant the kind of suffering they experience? I know how karma would explain it. But, I think we use karma to shield ourselves from the randomness of our existence. Our suffering is random. No one's sitting up there picking us off one by one. No
Thus He was Thus He Spake: The Karma
