Karma is used so often to denote fate or destiny. When we engage in energetic action expecting fundamental transformation, there can be lot of karmaphala attached to the same. Let us look at this with an analogy from physics. This is an intuitive way to und.
There has been much said and written about Karma. Most people map Karma to be some kind of fate or destiny. The word Karma simply means action and Karma phala is the result of the action. You would have read about Prarabdha Karma: the karma for this life time; Sanchita Karma: the sum total of all karma accumulated so far; Agami karma or Kriyamana karma: the karma that we gather this lifetime for future usage.
There is no simple way to understand karma but nevertheless here is an analogy. Suppose you have a total of 10,000 rupees in your bank account, that can be equated to sanchita karma as it is the amount available for you to spend. You withdraw 1000 rupees and buy a lottery ticket. That 1000 rupees is your prarabdha karma which is available for you to spend. Suppose you win 5000 rupees. This is because of spending the 1000. This is like your kriyamana karma which gets added to your bank account for future spending. Just that, when it is rupees it sounds wonderful but when it comes to karma we want to empty the whole thing without creating new balance. We will talk more about this in future posts. This post is not about the types of karma or the usual things that you hear about. This post is about a much subtler thing that you probably missed.
Many people work for creating an impact in the society. They may be working with individuals or communities or larger networks. While working for change in the society or bringing about a change in individual behaviour (as a mentor or teacher or counsellor) there is an expectation for immediate change and rapid results. Lot of effort goes into bringing the change as quickly as possible. This can happen when parents are trying to change the behaviour of children or teachers are trying to correct student behaviour or social workers are trying to bring grassroots level changes. If we decode “change”, it is actually giving up of an old pattern and adopting a new one.
To intuitively understand this, let us take examples from physics. When an atom splits, there is huge amount of energy that is released. It is the process of nuclear fission. This energy has to be channelised properly else the consequences can be severe. Similarly, when you act as an agent of change, there is tremendous amount of energy released and the consequences of which “may” have to be born by you. If it is a small change, it is less energy and handleable. If it is a fundamental change or you try to do this in a change resistant environment, there can be larger consequences. One need not get scared of this but it is useful to become aware of this. Working with the individual or environment, building a “runa” or connection and then bringing about a change can be a smoother process. Then we gather less of the karma phala because we haven’t actually done anything big. It just happens. This is a very subtle thing but if you ponder over it it will make a lot of sense. Your frustration in trying to change someone or something will gradually reduce and you will be much calmer in handling things.
The role of a Guru is tough. He or she works with the Sishya, guiding them every step with or without the full understanding on the part of the Sishya. The Tapasya and Sadhana of the Guru helps in handling the energies of this “fission reaction” and brings about amazing transformation in the Sishya without both of them feeling bitter. It is a complex and subtle thing.
Note: Featured image source: https://kardashev.fandom.com/wiki/Nuclear_fission?file=Nuclear-fission.jpg
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