Talk:Voluntary (Puruṣhakāra) and Involuntary (Bhogabhūta) Karm:Bhogabhūta (Involuntary) Karm

From Hindupedia, the Hindu Encyclopedia

By Vishal Agarwal

Bhogabhūta (Involuntary) Karm-s are involuntary and are done by an individual impulsively or as a reflex action. No conscious thought or planning is involved in doing these actions. They are done due to our innate nature. For instance, most of the actions performed by animals are in this category. A tiger is compelled by its nature to hunt for its food. Or mental ailments can lead to involuntary movements of limbs in some humans. Other examples are the rhythmic beating of one’s heart, metabolic processes going on inside our bodies, dreams and so on. Sometimes, these Karms are designated by other names like - Adṛṣhtaphala Karm (effects of deeds done in an unseen or previous life), or Yadṛchcchā (happenings due to random chance) or Daivam (fate). However, according to the Law of Karm, no Karm or its effect is random/chance and what we call fate too results from Karm performed earlier.

There is no clear line of distinction between voluntary and involuntary actions. When one does the same voluntary action repeatedly and consciously, it eventually becomes a part of his or her nature. For instance, if a dancer practices all the steps of his performance repeatedly, he would be able to give a flawless and smooth dance performance on the stage naturally. In this dance performance, the dancer moves his limbs through all the steps unconsciously because repeated practice has made the entire sequence of steps a part of her unconscious mind within. Conversely, actions that we normally consider as involuntary (e.g. breathing, beating of heart) can be brought under one’s conscious control through the constant practice of Yoga. For example, Swami Rama (1925-1996 CE) demonstrated under controlled, clinical conditions, how he could control his heart rate and other involuntary activities through his willpower. Therefore, there is no clear line of demarcation between the two types of karm, just as there is no clear separation between darkness and light, but their extremes are easily discernible. [1]

In more modern parlance, involuntary Karm-s are divided into the following categories: [2]

  1. "Spontaneous or Random- Such actions include random movement like those of new born babies, or running, jumping, etc., of children."
  2. "Reflex or Sensory-Motor – Such actions are like the automatic and immediate removal of the hand when it accidentally comes in contact with fire."
  3. "Instinctive – Loving the child by the mother or the building of nests by birds and the like, are the instinctive actions."
  4. "Habitual – Smoking and the like, are like the habitual actions. Firstly, these were voluntary actions but the constant repetition made them non-voluntary."
  5. "Ideo-Motor – The automatic putting into one’s pocket of another man’s match box, and the like, are the examples of such actions. Originally this type is also a voluntary action but through constant repetition it turns out to be a non-voluntary one.”

Even a voluntary action can be devoid of an ethical component – like waving one’s hand in the air for no apparent purpose and no motive- whereas the same voluntary action can have an ethical component – like waving the hand to signal a killer to shoot at an intended victim. [3] The distinction due to the intent in the mind of the doer. It is only the latter types of actions (i.e., voluntary action having an ethical component) that are considered in this compilation.


References[edit]

  1. ↑ Swami Hariharananda Aranya. Yoga Philosophy of Patanjali with Bhasvati. University of Calcutta, 2000.
  2. ↑ Anand, Kewal Krishna. Indian Philosophy: The Concept of Karm. Bharatiya Vidya Prakashan, 1982.
  3. ↑ Sri Dharma Pravartaka Acharya. Sanatana Dharma: The Eternal Natural Way. ISDS, 2015.
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