Karma Is Not Just About Big Big Things Alone

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Karma Is Not Just About Big Big Things Alone

When you say karma, is it only big karma that matters? Karma is a foolproof system.

Let’s say our economy becomes completely digitized, say in ten years from now. Now we are developing the infrastructure. Once we do away completely with cash – it has a lot of advantages. Corruption will stop. Crime will come down drastically. When you can’t hide your money anymore, then there will be no motive left to commit a crime or take a bribe. Then it will be just doing a crime only to get caught and punished. Who will do that? Thereafter, only some psychopaths will engage in crime or some sporadic incidents here and there. Because, if you see today, the reason or motive behind most crimes is money. When that part becomes transparent, completely visible, then crime will also come down drastically.

Why do we want privacy about our financial matters? Because we fear that others will take advantage. For example, if I have one crore rupees with me and everyone knows about it, then criminals can blackmail me, subject me to violence, and take away my money. But my money is digital. The moment I am forced to transfer the money to the criminal’s account, he is identified. It can be brought back. He can be punished. Even if he has given it to someone, it can be traced and still retrieved. Let’s hope this day will come soon.

So, we are talking about a system that keeps track of everything, irrespective of whether it is big or small, relevant or irrelevant. Karma is like that. Don’t think karma is about brahma hatya and surapana. Karma means whatever you do comes back to you. Suppose someone steals two rupees from another person, whatever consequence the person who lost that two rupees has to undergo, the same the person who stole that two rupees also will have to undergo at some future point in time. Because the system called karma is foolproof and complete. It doesn’t differentiate between a theft of two rupees and a theft of two crores.

So, if someone calls you and you tell him, “I will call you in two minutes,” and you don’t return that call in exactly two minutes, but instead return it in five minutes, then you have uttered a lie. The person at the other end may or may not be looking at the clock and waiting for your call back. That agitation in that person’s mind, for which you are responsible because you lied, will also have to be undergone by you at a future point in time. There is no escape. This may sound very casual to you, as if it was such a small thing. “I didn’t mean exactly two minutes when I said two minutes.” Then you could have said, no? “I will call you in some time.” Then it could have been some reasonable time, making it a bit more flexible.

The system would flag an offense the moment you breach that time that you have set for yourself. So, when you make so many of these irresponsible promises, they come back to you as a series of obstacles. Every person who interacts with you will be prompted to break promises and create agitation in you. They may be creating bad karma for themselves—that’s a different thing. But that’s how the system of karma works.

So, what can you do? Be responsible. Use correct words. Every language is so rich with words. Why can’t we use the correct words?

These were the concepts taught in our Gurukuls in the past. That’s why they had a much better quality of life. Today, what are we learning? If you mix hydrogen and oxygen, whatever will come out of it. Can you really do that? Why should every child of the fourth and fifth standard learn this—crores and crores of them, year after year? Why can’t this be taught in an advanced chemistry class? Why are we wasting time like this?

We are doing this because we lack vision. We have become parrots. Whatever the West does, we also do. They do this because they don’t know anything else. Why should we also do that?

Knowledge Bank

How was Ganga related to Shantanu?

Ganga was Shantanu’s first wife. In his previous birth, Shantanu was a king called Mahabhisha. In Indra’s court, he looked at Ganga passionately. Indra got irritated and cursed Ganga to take birth on earth. Then she married Shantanu.

Who is Ganesh Ji’s wife?

Ganesh Ji has got two wives, Siddhi and Buddhi. They stand for success and intelligence. In another representation in iconology of Ganesha, he can be seen with a single wife sitting on his lap. In that form, he is called Vallabha-Sahita Ganapathy. Her name is Lakshmi.