Kamma in Sanatana Dharma

[Anicca]

Greetings

What is the teaching of Kamma in Sanatana Dharma?

[TatTvamAsi]

Greetings

What is the teaching of Kamma in Sanatana Dharma?

There is no such thing as "Kamma" in Santana Dharma. There is Karma & kAmA.

Karma refers to causality but also means "action" in Sanskrit.

Karmaphala refers to the fruits of the action.

Karma, when used loosely, alludes to the effect in the cycle of cause and effect.

There are three types of Karma; Sanchita, PrArabdha, and KriyamanA.

This is a very elementary explanation of Karma in Hinduism/Sanatana Dharma.

[Anicca]

There is no such thing as "Kamma" in Santana Dharma. There is Karma & kAmA.

Karma refers to causality but also means "action" in Sanskrit.

Karmaphala refers to the fruits of the action.

Karma, when used loosely, alludes to the effect in the cycle of cause and effect.

There are three types of Karma; Sanchita, PrArabdha, and KriyamanA.

This is a very elementary explanation of Karma in Hinduism/Sanatana Dharma.


Everykind of action makes Karma or only intentional action?

[Eastern Mind]

Namaste:
You very well might get a variety of answers.

Mine would be yes, all action creates (is) karma. Lets take the example of driving a car, and running over a rodent hence killing it. There are degrees of karma from this action that I can think of.

1) You know nothing of ahimsa, and it was clearly an accident, as the rodent ran right in front of your vehicle.
2) You know nothing of ahimsa, and you see the rodent, turn the wheels so that you purposely drive over it.
3) You know of ahimsa, attempt to practise it, but its an accident.
4) You know of ahimsa, but momentarily 'forget' and intentionally run over it.

Now all of these would have corresponding karmic actions back on you, but each would vary in strength.

Same thing applies with 'good' action, such as helping a blind person across a road.

Aum Namasivaya

[TatTvamAsi]

Everykind of action makes Karma or only intentional action?

Not just every kind of action, but thought, and intention also creates Karma, to different degrees. However, this only applies to the "ignorant", or the unawakened ones.

The moment one becomes a jnani, or enlightened, one's actions, thoughts, intentions do not involve Karma. This of course is a conundrum because that means if an enlightened person rapes and stabs someone, the philosophy states there is no Karma attached to that person. Although this sounds absurd, it is indeed true because no one who is actually enlightened, will commit such abhorrent action. The exception of course, is the Lord; Krishna, Rama etc. These are not human beings but the divine that has manifested bodily on this planet. When one is unaffected by the three gunas (Sattva, Rajas, Tamas), Karma has no effect on one. Everything in this manifested world (unreal according to Advaita Vedanta) cannot escape the clutches of the three gunas and hence are affected by Karma. This is why when one crosses the ocean of Samsara, and realizes that there is nothing that is born and nothing that dies, Karma too ceases to exist.

After all, according to the Veda, when only Tat exists, how can something else, whatever be its name, "Karma" exist? It would be a blatant contradiction to the philosophy. This is why only the "awakened ones" or as you people call them "Buddhas" are impervious to Karma.

Sri Ramana Maharishi gives a wonderful explanation regarding Karma. The jIvA experiences the cycle of birth & death innumerable times and is caught in the web of causality; Karma. When the jIvA sheds its sheaths and realizes that all is Atman, there is no Karma.

"Ayam Atma Brahma!"

JAI HIND!

Namaskar.