an Interpretation/theory of 'Karma'

Now before I begin, I have had this idea for a long time, I wanted to write something indepth and thorough on the matter, but I've been putting it off for so long, I may as well just throw something out there, rather than attempt to perfect it which may never happen.

This is about 'Karma', what I think it is, what I think it is not, and how I think it works. This understanding came to me while back through a little personal revelation, it may be a load of S***. When some people think of karma, they think of some kind of possitive/negative consequence they experience as the result of an action they have done (or perhaps a thought they have had). Some kind of magical 'thing' that works mysteriously through some magic means. I'm proposing a quasi-scientific explaination here.

I feel that 'karma' is merely our subconscious 'programming' or genetic make up. It is inherited down our family line through our genes (and more broadly, seeing as we are all human, our human DNA in general). Our genes form our subconscious mental framework, behaviors and personality. This is not the only way In which karma functions. I am also proposing that our attitudes/ideas/behaviour/actions in life are then stored in our subconscious mind, effectiong our future attitude/ideas/behaviour/actions/whatever based on our previous experience. How you deal with situations and respond to certain stimuli will have a varying effect on what is stored subconsiouly. This subconscious 'stuff' that I'm equating with karma will arise from time to time and give birth to various 'mind-states'...

I would like to comment at this point in regards to 'possitive' and 'negative' karma. I don't believe it has anything to do with morality, ultimately. How we come to differentiate possitive or negative karma is through a moral judgement passed by our ego. a thought arises, we judge it with varying degrees of possitive or negative morality, that is then stored in the subconscious. When a similar situation or mind-state arises, our previous judgment has an effect on the current mind-state. I wish I had a better example at this point...

I will try to use the exampe of a cigarette (for those smokers out there). (Assuming the person is already a smoker) a craving for a cigarette arises, a feeling of stress perhaps. Based on our previous actions and how we dealt with this mind-state (by smoking), we then try to fulfill the craving by smoking a cigarette. What we are really doing here is quite sad. We are trying to get rid of this uneasy craving feeling by sacrificing our physical health to temporarily put off the real problem, in this case, dealing with the root of the stress and the craving. We are perpetuating the behaviour, ironically trying to cure it with the very thing that leads to its arrising (darn cigarettes ). In this case, my ego see this with negative connotations, I recognise the destruction of my physical health, so I judge the behaviour as 'bad'- bad karma... This results in a bit of 'karma trap' perhaps, as I constantly judge myself for smoking, yet deal with the problem by smoking more. This is for me personally, other smokers might really enjoy their smoking and have a completely different perspective.

Hopefully this makes some kind of sense so far, maybe I've been inconsistent or contradicted myself, but I will press on. The way forward then I guess, towards greater happiness and freedom, is for us to 'purge' our karma. To suffer through or experience the results of our actions (or genetic traits), whilst trying to refrain from judging the experience so as not to perpetuate the karma cycle. If we have lots of 'negative karma' we can try to transform that into some 'possitive', which would lead to us being a little happier perhaps. However, I believe there is a path of abandoning both possitive and negative karma, a path of purging and fully exploring the depths of our subconscious minds...

In a sense, I don't believe in 'karma' at all. I'm using it more as a metaphor to describe how the mind works, which is what I believe buddhism was originally all about, a metaphorical understanding of psychology (or something like that). No, I am not a Buddhist either, in the sense that I understand the concepts the way Buddhism pertrays them. If all that made no sense, sorry about that . I would be glad to answer questions about this, or to have anyone add anything further.

Or another view could be consciousness runs through everything and when you do bad to someone else your conscience knows you've done wrong and corrects that.

reply to post by Tasmanaut


Buddhism is a system of beliefs that focus primarily on the science of the mind/consciousness, so in some respects you are broaching this subject within this conceptual paradigm.

Karma for me, as a theory of action or volition, is something that transcends the human condition and is at the heart of the Spiritual experience - that it is a Universal Law that applies to all Spiritual Beings that play in this cosmic drama called "life'.

Karma is our No 1 teacher on our Spirit journey. It reminds us as we explore these worlds in our gross bodies that we are all born from the one source - that what we do to another spiritual being, ultimately is an act carried out upon oneself. How we Love ourselves radiates out in to the hearts and souls of others.

I think that people get confused and messed up trying to understand the law of Karma when they apply the concept of 'time' to it. For example - I did a good deed today, I will be rewarded in the near future. There is no yesterday and no tomorrow, only now. The 'effects' of your actions play out instantly, you just aren't aware of it because you think that 'you' in this moment is the only 'you' - there are many you's out there operating simultaneously all controlled by your over-mind. Sorry if this is confusing, but it's a very important part of my theory on Karma. We get caught up in this reality thinking it's the only one we exist in. We are in fact infinite in every detail.



Peace Out

reply to post by nimbinned


well put, and thank you for your contribution. I do agree with your point about the immediacy of the effect of karma, I guess I was writing from the perspective of a less developed viewpoint. Perhaps you could say, the more spiritually developed/experienced you are, the more you notice the instant ripening of karma. I also agree with your point about time, though most people from an everyday average joe perspective probably cannot see that.

I really think that this thread has potential, I hope I can get away with this 'BUMP' as it was an unlikely time of day for most people to be reading this.

reply to post by Tasmanaut


i think u r wrong in relating ur attachment to cigarets with karma

karma is the idea that objective existence exist too, so what is relative to all objective free giving to its truth being positive always, that is known from all existence that exist free and get it back to u same way only objectively
also if u do objectively a move that mean objective being negative always the all existence freedom that exist return it back to u in some ways also objectively so applying to ur objective reality

karma doesnt matter really since each one is his freedom out of everything that is why only absolute opportunists love those things to calculate their returns
karma doesnt matter bc obviously gods are more then our existence dimension free reality, so they can attack or interfer subjectively at any moment deluding and erasing anything u did as well as any right existence mean it to u

but also karma doesnt matter in truth bc our objective existence dimension is in truth related to nothing freedom through opposites so actually what is given is more taken if ur right is true

the origin of karma is the idea about truth that in order for existence to b true, any mean or will still must b resolved objectively fully, so existence would b totally objective resolution of truth known being existing, absolute objectivity is always positive free superior value

which suggest what i always mean that subjects must act from their freedom rights but never through objective field, ones freedoms must invent always smthg new to resource like independant energy from all that they could b still out through, this is the most difficult part that everyone fail to do or mean to still consistent for