According to Steven Vose, Ph.D., a visiting assistant professor at the University of Colorado at Denver and religious studies expert, karma begins to appear in religious text as early as the Upanishads, a foundational text that laid the groundwork for Hinduism around 800 to 200 B.C. He adds that the text makes it clear that humans act in accordance with their desires, and these actions are our karma. In other words, karma is action—for better or worse. So for those who believe in karma in this sense, he explains, “it’s a matter of learning how to sever one’s connection with one’s desires—partly through renunciation, through self-control through the body, with meditative and ascetic practices that we might call yoga. Ultimately, that was a way to short circuit the cycle of karma.” And in the cycle of reincarnation, he adds, it’s even believed karma can transcend lifetimes, theoretically explaining why bad things happen to good people—and vice versa. The idea that our actions have consequences can be seen throughout Western religion as well, though the word karma may not necessarily be used. The notion of heaven and hell in Christianity, for example, can be thought of as another explanation for how karma is at play in our lives. And as clinical psychologist Carmen Harra, Ph.D., previously wrote for mbg, “Heavy karma can trap us in the same old patterns by pulling us toward the same types of people, jobs, illnesses, events, accidents, and unneeded burdens. A much-needed break in the karmic cycle can occur when we analyze our personal karma and take the necessary steps to resolve it.” By understanding the 12 laws of karma, we can figure out why we may be getting stuck in certain areas of our life as a result of “bad” or “heavy” karma, so we can free ourselves up from some of that weight: “In a sense, if you do good actions, good results come back to you. If you do bad actions, bad results come back to you. It’s really kind of as simple as that in a lot of ways,” Vose tells mbg. “For people who hold karma as a principle of ethics, the real question is, how do you react to the things that are in front of you now? Because karma isn’t just about your past. It’s also about your future,” he says, adding that we are always presented with a choice that will not only create our reality but influence our karma going forward. As Vose puts it, this requires a longer view of your karmic weight, acknowledging (and accepting) you may be carrying negative karma you’re not even conscious of. He also adds that humility is necessary to attract good karma moving forward, as ventures approached with anything but a humble attitude aren’t exactly “good” from a karmic perspective. And Vose explains that it’s not always clear what your duty ought to be at any moment—but the key is ultimately to “take the time to assess what your responsibility or duty really is,” adding, “I think that’s actually the point of a well-examined life.” And when we realize that our own karma is not only influencing us but this collective network, he adds, karma as a principle of ethics becomes that much more important. “It’s an invitation to ethical action—especially when it comes to environmentalism and things like that,” he tells mbg. As he explains, you can think of it in terms of where you’re putting your energy and what you choose to act upon. “Are we really giving the best of ourselves to the things and people we’re around? Are we being present? Are we being mindful?” he says. Asking yourself these questions can help you get clear on what kind of energy is actually driving your behavior. “And dāna,” he adds, is about doing these things selflessly, without expecting anything in return. It’s a true act of servitude and giving of yourself, which—you guessed it—results in “good” karma. “We can believe in paying for our crimes, [but] karma is going to do that for you eventually, anyway,” he explains, adding that in Buddhism, they think of karma as things that weigh on you. And so when we’re trapped in the past, we’re not in the here and now. Similarly, when we are too future-oriented, we’re also missing out on the present moment. And this relates to both the laws of humility and giving and hospitality because your actions ought to be driven by a clear heart in the moment—because it’s the right thing to do—as opposed to any future things you hope to happen. Vose tells mbg that this law also relates to the idea of shaping your reality, growing, and being responsible for yourself. It’s an invitation, he says, to effect change, rather than having change affect you. The key is, of course, patience, for the long-term reward that comes with accumulated good karma. “I don’t know if that’s necessarily very satisfying to people, but it’s the thinking that there’s always a much longer trajectory for karma,” he adds. In other words, “any one of our contributions may seem like a small thing in any one time, but the significance is to stick with it,” Vose says. After all, you never know which seemingly minuscule decision can ripple out and make waves.
