Hinduism and Buddhism have a belief that the actions in this life determine our destiny in our reincarnated life. Karma is like a metaphorical stone that hits a pond and has a ripple effect that spreads out. Much of what we do stays with us for a lifetime, and much of what we do lives on after we die. Karma advises us that hurting other people will come back to haunt us. Our actions reap the fruit of what we have sown: good = ripe fruit <—> bad = rotten fruit. Karma indicates that in the fullness of time good deeds are rewarded, bad deeds are punished, and justice is served. I maintain free will directs 90% of our deeds (actions) –> they are our choice(s). Let me point out that I discern a difference between Fate and Karma: 1.) Fate is a more deterministic word. Fate is about inevitable happenings that have little to do with our actions. We often have little, if any control over them, and 2.) Karma is a more relativistic word. It is about the free will of making choices. Karma is based on cause-and-effect, or the effects of one’s actions.
Karma involves Nature’s Perennial Wisdom and the Natural Moral Code. Depending on our actions we can connect or disconnect with Nature. Karma can be a backlash from the natural world when we are out of sync with it. Karma is a natural process that keeps Nature’s patterns in order, harmony, and balance. Karma indicates there is a carousel of life —> a natural circle of life we hitch a ride on at conception. Life circles around and, “what goes around does indeed come around.” For Bruce Lipton, “when we understand it (karma), we must take heed of the life we live on this planet because the consequences of life last longer than our bodies.”(2008) Karma has a way of bringing balance to the scales of life. Karma is somewhat fear-based —> it has a revenge component. It is fear-oriented to the extent that if I act in a certain way, or don’t act in a certain manner, something negative can come my way. The consequences of karma can come back to us 10-fold. In my journey I have bumped into the results of karma, and I can verify that it is true what I have heard about karma –> karma can be a bitch (pay-back is a bitch)!