No theory, there are practical ways to earn good Karma

Hinduism advocates spiritual practices to purify our thoughts and actions to earn good karma. But did karma theory make Indians fatalistic?

The karma theory has swayed India since ancient times. So, how has widespread belief in karma and reincarnation impacted Indian society?
Brhadranayaka, the oldest Upanishad, quotes sage Yajnavalkya: “A man turns into something good by good actions and into something bad by bad actions.” The statement occurs in the context of a discussion of the fate of the individual after death.

Earning good karma

Significantly, Hinduism also advocates spiritual practices to purify our thoughts and actions and earn positive karma. These include meditation, chanting/japa, and yoga to purify body and mind and manifest spiritual energies.
The Bhagavad Gita advocates 12 spiritual practices to purify the mind-body system. They include meditation, controlling one’s sensory intake, self-restraint, charitable acts, and social work, especially helping the needy, living a simple life, and reading the scriptures. 
Some historians contend that the Hindu theory of karma, unfortunately, served to fortify the grip of the caste system in India for centuries. It was believed that the caste one was born into was the result of one’s own actions in past lifetimes and that it was one’s dharma or sacred duty to live in line with the caste divides.
While this may have been an example of the upper castes’ perverse exploitation of the theory of karma to serve their ends, it was a social reality from which most could not extricate themselves. A more fatalistic or deterministic theory of karma, which caused millions to resign themselves to their fate, may also have been responsible for Indians’ long periods of enslavement to foreign rulers—the Mughals and the British.

The Bhagavad Gita advocates 12 spiritual practices to purify the mind-body system. They include meditation, controlling one’s sensory intake, self-restraint, charitable acts, especially helping the needy, living a simple life, and reading the scriptures.

Viewed from a positive lens

Nevertheless, when viewed from a positive lens, the karma theory makes Indians, by and large, more tolerant, accepting, and mild-mannered. In India, religion forms the core of the national heart, said Swami Vivekananda. But not acquiescing to the fatalistic view of what plagued Indian society, he gave a clarion call for the upliftment of the downtrodden millions in India who are held captive by poverty, priestcraft, and tyranny.
Suma Varughese, spiritual advisor and former editor of Life Positive magazine, rejects the notion that karma theory has made Indians fatalistic or passive, though that is how the British saw us. “Every thought, word, and action creates karma – good or bad. Eventually, it is this karma that creates our destiny both in this life and in others. That means there is no fate or God who determines our lives. It is us. What we have created by unconscious and negative karma we can undo by conscious and positive karma. So, karma is a highly proactive force that enables us to take responsibility for our own lives.” 
Suma warns, however, against seeing someone else’s difficulties as karmic. “The more ignorant would see a suffering person and look away, justifying their lack of compassion by explaining the suffering to his or her karma. Unfortunately, they have not factored in the possibility that ignoring the suffering of another will earn us bad karma! I believe that we are to use this knowledge only to grapple with our own suffering. Recognizing our circumstances as karmic will enable us to come to terms with the difficulties because, after all, we alone have created this in some lifetime or another. Therefore, it is our job to patiently go through our difficulties, learn the lessons we are meant to learn, and eventually free ourselves of the karmic baggage.”
On the societal level, Suma believes that this noble theory can make us ethical if properly understood and practiced.

Karma theory goes global

In recent times, especially after India’s Independence and the establishment of a democratic society, the Hindu (and Buddhist) theory of karma has gradually gained ground in spiritual circles worldwide.
From the 1960s, Indian gurus such as Srila Prabhupada, Maharshi Mahesh Yogi, Swami Muktananda, and Sri Chinmoy have taken Hinduism to the West with seismic effects in their Western disciples’ lives. Buddhist teachers from the Far East, too, have made esoteric knowledge accessible to seekers and non-seekers alike.
Many Christians and Jews today accept modified and nuanced theories of karma and reincarnation as part of their personal beliefs.
Truth be told, the Abrahamic religions (Christianity, Judaism, and Islam), which believe in a divine dispenser of justice, or God, also accept the truth of the Law of Cause and Effect. They do not emphasize it as much as Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism or Sikhism.

In Abrahamic religions

The Bible (Galatians 6:7-8) says: “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.” So, our actions have outcomes whether elevating or destructive.
Proverbs 11:25 says: “A generous person will prosper, whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.” In other words, acts of kindness and generosity lead to blessings in return.
The Bible essentially says that by sowing seeds of righteousness, kindness, and love, we align ourselves with God’s will and reap the rewards of a life lived in accordance with His principles. This is not very different from the basic premise of the Law of Cause and Effect.

Islam also recognizes cause and effect. In the Quran, Allah often presents conditional statements emphasizing that certain outcomes are contingent upon specific conditions. For example, Surah Ar-Ra’d (13:11) reads, “Indeed, Allah will not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves.”
In Judaism, too, conceptions of the relation between cause and effect (or agent and act) can be found. This relation underlies many of the most characteristic affirmations of the Jewish faith. For example, God is the Creator of the universe and exercises providence as the Lord of history, acting as the past and future Redeemer of Israel and other peoples. God reveals his will and laws to chosen individuals and peoples, establishing covenants and expecting willing adherence. Human beings are free to obey or disobey God’s mandate, begetting rewards or punishment. Yet, human beings have the power to repent. God hears and responds to prayer.
Arguably, India is the upholder of some of the richest, most elevated spiritual wisdom the world has known. The law of karma has been an integral part of this profound wisdom. Nevertheless, on the temporal level, this theory has often filtered down as superstition and blind faith among the masses. But times are changing. India has again become the spiritual center of the world and the ultimate destination for spiritual enlightenment.

Illustrations by Navni Chawla for Lotus

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