DEFINITION AND MEANING OF KARMA

Karma (causative energy) refer to chains of actions and reaction that leads from one life to the
afterlife.
Different schools of Indologist define karma concept in many ways:
Karma and casuality
Karma and ethicization
Karma and rebirth
 EARLY DEVELOPMENT
WORD KRMAN MEANS RITUAL ACTION.
SACRIFICE WAS IDENTIFIED AS THE GREATEST MANNERS.
THE DOCTRINE MAY BE NON-VEDIC AND THE IDEAS HAS
BEING FURTHER IN SHRAMANA TRADITIONS THAT ARISE
BEFORE BUDDHISM AND JAINISM.(KRISHAN,1985 &
LAW,2005)
TILLMAN VELTER NOTES THAT IN THE EARLY BUDDHISM
REINCARNATED IS ASCRIBED TO CRAVING OR IGNORANCE.
BUSWELL TOO NOTES THAT THE EARLY BUDDHISM DOES
NOT IDENTIFY BODILY AND MENTAL MOTION BUT DESIRE, AS
THE CAUSE OF CARMIC CONSEQUENCES.
Karma in Hinduism

Accumulated karma Part of Sanchita Karma

from the previous life Consequences of karma
Affects the path of
will be experienced
current life along the current
Bad karma needs to be
cleared in a number of Depends on the present lifetime
lifetimes actions of a person

Sanchita 1.Prarabdha 1.Kriyamana

Karma Karma Karma
 Early development of KARMA in Buddhism

Karma in Buddhism does not exist individually, but co-related with the
concept of Reincarnation in its early development
The law of Karma determines the existence of future-self persons based on
the six stages of monarchy believe
Conclisovely, Reincarnation in Buddhism can be defined as the consequences
of Karma itself
Karma inJainism
 Karma in Jainism
In Jainism, they reflect that all phenomena are related in a universal
chain of source and effect.
This matter, which produces the chain of cause and effects, of birth
and death, is called karma.
In Hinduism and Buddhism, they believed that karma is an atomic
matter and not a process.
To be free from the shackles of karma, a person must stop the new
karmas and eliminate the previous ones.
The Jain believed that any action, even if unintentional will involve
karma.
Karmas can be overwhelmed through a process called Nirjara
which includes fasting, restricting diet, controlling taste,
disappearing to lonely places, along with humiliations of the body,
punishment and apology for sins, modesty, service, study,
meditation, and rejection of the ego.
 Karma in Jainism

Karma is the paradigm that describe the worth of life.

The pleasure of a being's present life is the consequence of the moral
value of the actions of the being in its previous life.
A soul can only achieve redemption and freedom by getting rid of all
the karma attached to it.
Karma works without the intervention and interference of any gods or
angels.
Gods and angle have no part to play in dispensing rewards or
punishments.
The idea of how karma operates is based on different religions thought.
Different religions have different thought and mechanism about karma.
 Reception of Karma in other Religions
Sikhism Shintoism
Believe in the theory of karma as Rejects the concept of karma and
a concept of continuity of the soul carnal sin.
in a cycle of birth, life, and
rebirth.
Circumstances that cause pain and
Law of karma is not recognised as sadness are seen as sins.
it does not acknowledge the
compassion and forgiveness of the Washed away through a ritual
Almighty God.
known as oharae.

Taoism Falun Gong

Good and bad actions are Karma is seen as the cause of
compensated equally without
rebirth. suffering.

Karma is passed on to future Believe the spirit is trapped in

generations. samsara due to karma.

Believe all humans are born equal Karma must be removed before
in Gods eyes. the soul is lost forever.
KARMA IN THEOSOPHY
 Karma helps the universe sustain its harmony, balance, and equilibrium.

Karma and reincarnation are connected.

In the past you created your present and in the present you are creating your

future.

Good actions and thoughts will safe guard an individual from bad karma.

Negative actions and thoughts will cause misfortune to befall on someone.

Never seek vengeance as it will cause bad karma for ones self.
 Karma in Spiritism & New Age
Spiritism New Age

Major role: regulating how ones Wider context online which is

life should be lived universal interconnectedness
condition inherent to the spirit, and evolving whole
whether incarnated or not positive attitude towards
accepted the multiplicity of whatever happen in this world
inhabited worlds, its concept of Karma just represent the
karma became considerably opportunity in becoming a
intricate. better person by developing
inner self
 CHRISTIANITY REJECTS

THE IDEA OF REINCARNATION

(Thus rejects the idea of Karma)
IF NOT KARMA THEN WHAT?

GRACE
KARMA vs GRACE
KARMA GRACE
One reaps in next Grace is the
life what one sow unmerited favors or
on this life . unconditional love
gifted by the God to
Continuity of soul people
experience
One gets something
Every actions good one does not
tracked by deserve
deities and spirits
Example of the Gift:
Jesus was sent
to wash the peoples
sins away by
sacrificing himself,
for getting pinned on
the cross
WHY CHRISTIANITY REJECTS
THE IDEA OF KARMA?

THE CONCEPT OF AFTERLIFE

AFTERLIFE

FACE JUDGEMENT

HEAVEN HELL

The Judgement is ETERNAL

(YOU ONLY LIVE ONCE)
Comparable concept:
Psychoanalysis
LAM HOUY YNG 23200
WHAT IS PSYCHOANALYSIS?

Developed by Sigmund Freud (1856-1939).

Freud believed that people could be cured by making conscious their
unconscious thoughts and motivation.
Aimed to release depressed emotions and experiences. It is only having a
cathartic experience can help and cure the person.
Psychoanalysis also called gives ample opportunity to observe how perilous are
the prejudices of the present time. It is entering to which the thought of our time is
tending in a realm.
HOW PSYCHOANALYSIS RELATED TO KARMA?
Karma (in Hinduism and Buddhism) is the sum of a person's actions in this and
previous states of existence, viewed as deciding their fate in future existences.

As for the therapeutic value of recalling past lives a growing number of therapists
from different countries have become persuaded of its effectiveness (Lucas, 1993)

Go back to the origin of the problem in a previous lifetime. In other words, the time-
line is extended backwards to assume the souls continuity with previous existences
via what some have called the soul memory or far memory.

Through psychoanalysis can go back to the source of Karma.

 COMPARE PSYCHOANALYSIS WITH KARMA IN
CHRISTIANITY, BUDDHISM AND HINDUISM
Psychoanalysis Christianity Hinduism Buddhism

All religious beliefs are "illusions
and insusceptible of proof."
Highly influential in shaping
western understanding of mental
suffering and how to alleviate it.
The Bible rejects the idea of
reincarnation, means it does not
support the idea of karma.
Hebrews 9:27 states, Just as
man is destined to die once, and
after that to face judgment
In the stream of Karma, Similar concern with the
dream do not work in a nature of suffering
simple and straightforward between psychoanalysis.
way. BUT, dream are
reminiscences in 'you have to be somebody
psychoanalysis. before you can be
nobody
Psychoanalysis aims to
strengthen but Buddhist is
ontological.
CONCLUSION
Both the religions and psychoanalysis have same objective is to cure or relieve the suffer of an individual.
 Free will and destiny

- Its our proficiency to play will without any disturbance or interference of any incoming factors
- Individual free will is related to the influence of our samskaras causes by our past karmas.

Three different situations in free will for example:

i) Some believe destiny in the hands of fate and to believe that all happens is Gods will,
ii) Some emphasis on free will where implied to change whatever we want out of life.
iii) Karma doctrine undermine the incentive for moral-education because all is suffering and consequence of
past life
 Psychological
indeterminacy
Problem:
- Is also unlike to the theory of
karma which is similar in every
religion stated that God has a
plan, or in some ways impacts
human events.
- Issue in the theory of karma
which is psychological
indeterminacy which is no one
can predict or able to seek what
is their karma in the previous
life.
Transferability of
karma
In Buddhist religion explained the
transferability of karma merit and
demerit from an individual to another
particular person.
An exchange of non-physical quality
related such as what you give to
another human being, in return you
might eventually receive
indirectly/directly.
The problem of evil
Monotheistic religions with two
beliefs which is:
i. One who is absolutely good and
compassionate
ii. One who knows absolutely
everything and is all powerful.
Its a on going-debate between Adi
Sankara and Brahmasutrabhasya
i. Adi Sankara stated that there has
been an ongoing debate about
karma theory and how it answers
the problem of evil and related
problem of theodicy.
ii. Brahmasutrabhasya where he
posits that God cannot reasonably
be the cause of the world because
there exists moral evil.