Talk:Benefits of the Science of Karma

By Vishal Agarwal

Belief in the Science of Karma has numerous benefits:

1. Explains why a just Bhagavān allows apparent injustices in one’s life. For example, why do saints suffer? Why are some children blind from birth. The Law of Karma explains that this is a result of their previous Karma.

2. Explains disparities in the abilities, experiences, entitlements and privileges of different people. For example, we can attribute the musical prowess of some gifted children to the fact that they had trained in music in previous lives. Likewise, inequalities from birth (e.g. born in a rich household versus a poor household) can only be explained satisfactorily through the Law of Karma.

3. Provides comfort when one is experiencing pain or a period of crisis. When a person who has a firm belief in the Law of Karma suffers, he explains his suffering to some bad karma done in previous life. This explanation makes him more accepting of his suffering, and he refrains from wallowing in self-pity or blame others (including Bhagavān) for his current plight. As a modern teacher explains-

“Karma is a key that we may use to organize our lives, rather than endlessly agonizing over the seemingly unexplainable and often unexpected events forming the fabric of our lives.”

“The holistic doctrine of Karma gives us a reason for everything and everything for a reason. Karma, as a philosophy, maintains hope in the midst of hopelessness and provides us with the courage to continue our personal evolution.”

4. The Law of Karma is retributive because one reaps the fruit of one’s own Karma. Therefore, the fear of suffering in the future prevents many from doing evil Karma now.

5. The Law of Karma is consistent with the notion of a just Divine Lord.

6. It helps us develop a rational plan for our ethical and spiritual progress and growth-

“Karma is the law on psycho-spiritual growth that involves an equal and opposite reaction for every action. Karma is a process designed to ensure evolution of consciousness.”

The importance of the Law of Karma is summarized by a modern scholar in the following words -

“The law of Karma is significant in several ways.

First, it has made a sharp distinction between good and evil, merit and sin or puṇya and papa which is the foundation of ethics.

Secondly, it has connected the good with happiness and evil with suffering and thereby established a causal relationship between the moral worth of actions and their physical consequences. Thirdly, it has systematized the ethical code of virtues and vices which would have been chaotically disparate in the absence of this law…….

Fourthly, it has proved the immortality of the soul, since a soul has to take a new birth in future in order to get the fruits of the actions that have been performed by it in the present life…… Fifthly, it has been used by some theists to prove the existence of God….

Lastly, it has given a sense of contentment and consolation to the suffering humanity. They think that nobody else is responsible for their suffering and they are reaping what they had sown in their past life.”