Karma

Karma is an Eastern religious concept. Newtons law of motion, “Every action has an equal and opposite reaction” is a good example of Karma. Karma is an act or acts that cause the entire cycle of cause and effect which actively shape the past, present and the future of an individual. It is opposed to the faith of Abrahamic religions like Christianity and Islam that view life as the will of God.

We are not just a product of our genetics, our surroundings, and our upbringing. Siblings who share all these and are different in spite of it are a good example. There has to be a reason why some of us are born poor, some rich; some healthy, some diseased; some intelligent, some stupid. True, the genetic characteristics we inherit cannot be discounted but there are certain innate abilities we possess that are alien to our gene pool. The artistic ability of a child born to scientists or the scientific abilities of one born to musicians cannot be explained by genes. Each of us is a result of our past and present actions. We are the architects of our future. It is in our hands to make our lives Heaven or Hell.

While our past to a certain extent dictates our present our present actions need not be determined by our past. We do possess free will. Sometimes the winds from our past are so strong it takes everything just to stand fast, but sometimes they are gentle enough to let you choose the direction you want to move in. You have no control over the Karma that got you to the present but you definitely have some control of the Karma that will take you forward.