The word “karma” has been circulating in pop culture & social media over the last few years. It has become part of our everyday vocabulary.
To best understand " karma," we need to utilize a more scientific perspective. This article is based on ideas from world-renowned scientists and philosophers.
Isaac Newton (1643-1727), a mathematician, physicist, astronomer, alchemist, theologist, and philosopher, writes in his Third Law:
“For every action, there is an equivalent reaction"
Action is the cause of an effect; that is, the cause generates an effect or action. This principle of action and reaction reigns over everything in our universe, from the tangible physical world to intangible actions such as human behavior.
Here are some examples of everyday cause-and-effect in the material world:
Boiling water generates steam.
Freezing water generates ice.
Ice generates cold.
A spark generates fire.
Food generates nutrition.
Bacteria and viruses generate illnesses.
Fire generates heat.
Sleep generates rest.
Exhaustion generates fatigue.
Sun generates photosynthesis in plants.
In the intellectual/mental world:
Research generates knowledge.
Analyzing generates results.
Thinking generates ideas.
Perseverance generates willpower.
In the emotional world:
Success generates joy.
Empathy generates tolerance.
Death generates anguish.
Loneliness generates sadness.
Love generates gratefulness.
We can see that each action will have an effect or consequence on every level: the physical, the emotional, and the intellectual. While this list simply illustrates some examples, the actual list is infinite.
Throughout history, philosophers and scientists have recognized that an action generates a reaction and that certainty is called KARMA.
The concept of karma is even mentioned in the Holy Bible: “Because they sowed the wind, they will reap the whirlwind” (Oseas 8:7).
The biblical quote became very popular: “They sowed the wind, they will reap the whirlwind.” This quote incorporates the ideas of sowing and reaping, in other words, cause and reaction. Once again, we can understand that an action comes with a consequence.
Albert Einstein (Physicist 1879-1955) expressed the same idea in this quote:
“Never play in life a ball if you are not prepared
to receive it back.”
Einstein is implying that everything returns. The figurative ‘ball’ signifies actions, emotions, words, ideas, attitudes, and intentions.
Einstein’s idea of karma implies that for everything that occurs, for each event, there will be a consequent event caused by that original event.
Following a mathematical mechanism, we can deduce, though perhaps not immediately, that life gives back what was first offered. Our past intentions or actions influenced, influenced, or will influence our lives now or in the future. Today, we are enduring or enjoying the consequences of our past actions.
Does karma accumulate? We can think of karma as a bank account. If the balance is in the red, it is because we have contracted debt. What should be done when this occurs? Logic dictates that we stop generating debt and try to pay off the existing debt.
Einstein supports the idea of cause and effect with the following quote:
”Luck does not exist, everything has a cause”
We oftentimes see things as the product of chance or luck. Einstein adheres to the idea that all has a
cause, thus introducing the concept of causality versus chance.
Let’s refer to the prior list of examples:
Fire generates heat, and this is not by chance. Physics and the laws of thermodynamics explain this.
The sun does not generate photosynthesis in plants by chance. The laws of conservation of energy mandate this reaction.
Even with bacteria and viruses that generate illnesses, a logical biological process enables viruses and bacteria to enter the body and multiply, leading to infection and illness.
It is also not by chance that perseverance generates willpower. A sustained and directed effort is needed to reach a goal.
Karma can be individual or collective. We share collective karma with our planet, country, family, culture, education, and beliefs. The same principle applies to all levels.
Even when life becomes very difficult, knowing about karma can dilute our pain and help us accept what is happening to us. Finding the root cause is very difficult, if not impossible, without an expert guide on karma and the law of cause and effect. It is always useful to try to find the cause of today’s pain so that we can learn from it and change our attitude to avoid any repetitions.
Finally, if we are having a happy, prosperous, successful streak, let us be thankful for our past actions, which are gifting us today’s sweet fruit!
Contact us to learn more about how we can help you achieve higher happiness and a deeper understanding of yourself.
PHILOSOPHICAL STYLE, INC. - JULY 2024
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