What is Karma?
According to ChatGPT ,
Karma is a Sanskrit term that means “action,” “work,” or “deed.”
It implies that every action has consequences, and these consequences influence future events or situations in one’s life.
In terms of karma, we are taught that good actions lead to positive outcomes, while bad actions result in suffering. This principle fosters the belief that if we do good, good things will happen to us. Additionally, when someone hurts us, it gives us hope to move on, trusting that the universe will bring justice by addressing their wrongdoing.
So, when an honest and kind person who strives to do good to others only receives suffering in return, their belief in the karma system begins to waver. This is because we are told that when we do good, good will happen; we wait for the good surprises and happiness in return.
However, karma is not always about getting good, happy surprises in return for good deeds. It is also about getting the strength to handle suffering.
Last year, while I was in Bangalore, I experienced a severe case of food poisoning that required hospitalization. I was in critical condition, needing continuous administration of saline and antibiotics. My friends got me admitted to the nearby hospital when I was half-conscious, and my parents had to fly down. My mom, being a mom, spent sleepless nights by my side during my week-long admission.
Despite my stomach rejecting even a single drop of water for the first three days, having to wear adult diapers due to continuous loose motions, and experiencing extremely low blood pressure, for some unknown reason, I had the strength to talk. So, the usual chirpy me, even in that sick state, was talking and joking with every nurse and doctor that came for visits. I would ask them about their hometowns, families, and their workday at the hospital and would joke about random things with them.
The visiting doctor was surprised at how I was even speaking, let alone laughing and joking, in my state, as patients in my condition are usually admitted to the ICU. At the end of my stay, my happy and energetic self got me the title “Best and Favorite Patient in the Hospital” from the head nurse, which I happily accepted while saying my goodbyes to them.
On the way back home, my mom looked very low. When I asked her why she was sad, she shared how deeply hurt she was to see her daughter admitted to a hospital for the first time ever. It pained her to see me endure injections for a week and be unable to drink water.
The dramatic me, who had read a lot of books on Buddhism, said, “Mummy, suffering is a part of life. First Noble Truth of Buddhism.”
And my mom, who is a believer in karma, said, “But we have never hurt anyone. Why did we have to suffer? Why did you have to suffer?”
It was then I had to remind her to see the good in that bad situation. I reminded her how I had two friends who left the office midway to come home, dress me up, and take me to the hospital while I was half-unconscious. My parents were lucky to get a quick flight to Bangalore in be with me in less than 12 hours. Even though my condition was bad, I had no physical pain except for the little pricks from the injections. I had my best friend, who had just moved to the city a few weeks prior, who would spend her weekend traveling for 3 hours to and fro just to sit with me and talk through the day to cheer me up. I reminded my mom how the doctor said he was surprised to see me have so much energy even though all my symptoms would have warranted an ICU admission.
Things could have been much worse for me, alone and far from home in a different city, but somehow everything was very much bearable.
So I mixed my Buddhist learnings with her karma teachings and explained that we will have our good days and bad days. Suffering is inevitable, but maybe it was due to some good karma on our part that everything worked out without things getting worse, and we all had the strength to get through that tough week.
I have an elder cousin who is our favorite in my family. Her family is one of the kindest people, and so is she. There are just some souls who cannot think badly about others, and they belong to that kind. Over the past few years, she has had to go through some hard times. Every time her life seemed to be getting better, some tragedy would strike, and she would have to endure more pain. And because she is our favorite cousin, it hurt us a lot to see her in pain. My mom, who empathizes with every other human being on Earth, was extremely sad to see her niece in pain.
According to karma teachings, the parents’ deeds also affect the children of the family, which made my mom’s faith in karma waver again. Her niece is a kind-hearted soul, and so are her parents. So why is her niece in pain?
Again, the dramatic me said, “Mummy, suffering is a part of life. First Noble Truth of Buddhism.”
She has gone through many downs, but she has had her parents, her in-laws, and her husband helping her out during her lows, giving her the strength to get back up. Not everyone is lucky enough to get the help and the strength to get back up, but she always did. Though good karma didn’t shower her with a surprise 10-million-ruppees lottery ticket, it did help her in times of extreme need by enabling her to handle things a bit differently.
A lot of people think karma works in a way that if they give away a wooden axe to someone in need, they will get a wooden, silver, and golden axe in return.
But one needs to understand that it’s not always about getting things in return. Sometimes, karma works in a way that a bear knocks down a few trees, and you get quick firewood and hence there is no need to cut trees on a day when you are super tired and sick.
Oh Damn!!! I feel like a 80 year woman writing such philosophical words.
Anyway….
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