Understanding Karma

    Furthermore, since most of us aren’t enlightened beings, we have no way of knowing what the karmic result of our action will be. Ever see a tip jar at a coffee shop that said: “Tipping is good karma”? What if the barista takes those tips and buys some heroin, or a knife and stabs somebody? Sorry, you’ve just created “bad” karma. Your intention was good, though, and that is what is really important. Just don’t think your good intentions will lead to good results all the time.

    I have found that a good Western word that helps understand karma is “responsibility.” We are responsible, each one of us, for everything that happens in the world. And when I say everything, I do mean everything. It’s like the chaos theory example of a butterfly flapping its wings causing a hurricane on the other side of the planet: everything is connected, and since we are so connected, all your actions effect everything else. Now, of course, this inter-relatedness is impossible to fully comprehend, so how could we know the full reach of our actions? We can’t. We’re not in control. But, we are responsible.

    The difference is in the quality of life that we can lead. A life lived as if you were responsible for absolutely everything that happens is a life lived in relationship, a life where what you do really matters. A life that doesn’t believe we’re responsible for anything is a deeply unsatisfactory life full of an impersonal determinism, cruelly shaping our lives beyond our will, and outside of our agency. Which one do you want to have? Don’t get so caught up on what other people’s karma is, look at your own. How can you make a difference today if the whole world really does depend on you?