Karma: It All Counts

This weekend while reviewing karma-samskara theory with a friend – (what else are weekends for!?!) – one key point arose.

The teaching was that one must undergo the reaction for all bad and good actions independently. That means a good act does not cancel out a bad one. In both cases one must undergo the reaction.

How many times in life do we think that we should do something to make up for a less-than-desirable act. For instance, we blow-up at a friend or loved one and try to make up for it by behaving angelic next time. Well guess what? Here’s news for you. From a karmic perspective, the fruits of that angelic behaviour do not cancel out the doom of your lesser behaviour. The reactions of both will have to be undergone.

That means even if your angelic behaviour was worth +1000 karma points and your other behaviour was worth -10 karma points, the result is not +990. Rather the result is two separate actions, one worth +1000 and the other worth -10.

An original action cannot be wiped off the board completely; the reaction must be experienced.

So where does that leave us? With the plan to keep the mind steady and balanced at all times so we may address each and every situation with equanimity.

Invariably that will help us side-step any missteps and bring our best to each and every situation. Then we have the greatest opportunity of filling our lives with plus points and not inviting any negative reactions.

The final aspect of the discussion was the concept of grace. While as humans we are bound up in our samsakaras (unexpressed reactions of past actions), Cosmic Grace is above and beyond and can always wipe our slate clean. From our side though we should not indulge in misdeeds thinking that grace is just around the corner and all will be well.

We are to use our free will and act in a way that is decidedly proper: In a way that brings benevolence to all. That is the best we can do.