Does karma cross into new life?

[Nerthus]

I have had a brief look on the internet, but am getting a lot of confusing info.

If a person does a bad act in a past life, will this bad karma still affect him in the next life? The same goes for good acts.

I've read that it does on some sites/ books, and that it doesn't in others. Thought I would get your opinions

 

[Madhuri]

In Hinduism, yes. I don't see how karma works without the reincarnation concept, since it explains why anything happens to us at all; good, bad and neutral.

 

[nameless]

I dont think physical body is the carrier of karma, physical body is just like clothes. Of course, physical body could be affected due to negative results of karma.

 

[Vinayaka]

In Hinduism, yes. I don't see how karma works without the reincarnation concept, since it explains why anything happens to us at all; good, bad and neutral.

This.

The only thing I might add is that it isn't as direct as some people think. It is the effects that come back, not the direct incidents. It is the primary reason for non-retaliation, and following a code of ethics.

 

[DreadFish]

I have had a brief look on the internet, but am getting a lot of confusing info.

If a person does a bad act in a past life, will this bad karma still affect him in the next life? The same goes for good acts.

I've read that it does on some sites/ books, and that it doesn't in others. Thought I would get your opinions

Everyone else has also given good explanations. It is important to note to those who are new to the concept that karma is not, do good, good things happen to you and do bad, bad things happen to you. Karma means "action" and it basically functions like a natural law of cause and effect.

In some schools it is described like this: by performing an action, you plant a seed, that seed matures in it's own time (as many different seeds take differing amounts of time to grow and mature) and then when the time comes the fruit ripens and falls off.

Whether karma is "good" or "bad" is relative and subjective, rather it would be more like: an action produces a like result. Everything that happens in each moment is a result of karma of some kind.
I have heard that, since we are ignorant to the full nature of reality, it is hard for us to understand how the law of karma functions in it's entirety.

 

[Twilight Hue]

Karma is just cause and effect. Whatever we do today whether suttle or profound affects those born in the future, so IMO karma carries as far as the effect is felt. I dunno if we will manifest into a time where any residual effects of what is generated now will be felt, but my contention is that of predeterminism as far as karma goes. I definitly dont view such as being a cosmic scorecard punishing the bad and rewarding the good.

 

[wmjbyatt]

This sort of depends on the tradition. Different sects and schools of thought have differing notions regarding karma. The unifying principle is as Nowhere Man said: karma is cause and effect. There are plenty of schools of Buddhism, for example, which talk about karma but deny traditional reincarnation. There's some threads with very good discussion about the mechanics of that in the Buddhism and Zen DIR's.

 

[zenzero]

Friend Nerthus,

Does karma cross into new life?

Have no idea about Quantum Physics but am sure they would be able to offer a better answer as it is about matter and action/reaction.

Matter/energy is neither created nor destroyed and only changes forms and the variable reactions to an action.

So surely there is nothing new about life or a life as it is an outcome of matter/energy changing forms.There could be a correlation between depletion of trees, increase in human population and so many other life/matter/energy forms.

Over to experts!

Love & rgds

 

[Chuda]

i was told that karma is according to newton's law of motion - where there is an action, there will be an equal and opposite reaction. It goes with us from life to live because it is embedded in our minds which is all that leaves our current physical body. Everything we experience has been created by us in a previous moment, be it this life or previous lives. There is really no escape from our karma except if we can purify our negative karma via the methods taught by Lord Buddha.

 

[Vinayaka]

i was told that karma is according to newton's law of motion - where there is an action, there will be an equal and opposite reaction. It goes with us from life to live because it is embedded in our minds which is all that leaves our current physical body. Everything we experience has been created by us in a previous moment, be it this life or previous lives. There is really no escape from our karma except if we can purify our negative karma via the methods taught by Lord Buddha.

The Newton's third law analogy is considered a bit simplistic in Hinduism. For example A might act on B, then B on C, and then C on D, and then D back to A. So it can be more circular or more complicated than Newton's third law, which is immediate and directly opposite. Still its a decent analogy, and oft used.

Further, effects of karma can be lessened through worship, God or Guru's grace, or through penance. Probably other ways too.

 

[wmjbyatt]

Further, effects of karma can be lessened through worship, God or Guru's grace, or through penance. Probably other ways too.

Yeah, like, you know, seeing it for what it is (*********) and letting it slide off. Three cheers for prajnaparamita!

*Ahem*. Sorry. That was unduely sectarian.

 

[DreadFish]

i was told that karma is according to newton's law of motion - where there is an action, there will be an equal and opposite reaction. It goes with us from life to live because it is embedded in our minds which is all that leaves our current physical body. Everything we experience has been created by us in a previous moment, be it this life or previous lives. There is really no escape from our karma except if we can purify our negative karma via the methods taught by Lord Buddha.

Though I would mention that we do not keep the same mind after death either. Our mind also changes with death, with the exception of those things that were powerful enough to make a strong imprint on the mindstream.

 

[Jainarayan]

There are 3 basic types of karma: Karma in Hinduism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

• Sanchita is the accumulated karma. It would be impossible to experience and endure all karmas in one lifetime. From this stock of sanchita karma, a handful is taken out to serve one lifetime and this handful of actions, which have begun to bear fruit and which will be exhausted only on their fruit being enjoyed and not otherwise, is known as prarabdha karma.
• Prarabdha Fruit-bearing karma is the portion of accumulated karma that has "ripened" and appears as a particular problem in the present life.
• Kriyamana is everything that we produce in the current life. All kriyamana karmas flow in to sanchita karma and consequently shape our future. Only in human life we can change our future destiny. After death we lose Kriya Shakti (ability to act) and do (kriyamana) karma until we are born again in another human body.

 

[Marco19]

Friend Nerthus,

Matter/energy is neither created nor destroyed and only changes forms and the variable reactions to an action.

Hello Zanzero,

do u mind if i ask u this:
if Matter/energy is Not created, then how it's came/existed/began ...

 

[zenzero]

Friend Marco,

if Matter/energy is Not created, then how it's came/existed/began ...

Existence is eternal, has always been there in different forms and no-forms.

Love & rgds

 

[Marco19]

Friend Marco,



Existence is eternal, has always been there in different forms and no-forms.

Love & rgds

well, i have no problem with second part (changeable)
... BUT what comes to "eternal", donno why but i can't understand it.
for me there are (at least) three options: eternal, created, just started without creation.

Each option has some followers/believers... so i wonder if you believe/think in eternal how do you justify it?
sorry for repeating my question again, but i really have trouble with this point, hope u may help me

Thanks in advance.

 

[Twilight Hue]

Though I would mention that we do not keep the same mind after death either. Our mind also changes with death, with the exception of those things that were powerful enough to make a strong imprint on the mindstream.

I wrestle with the notion of mindstream and how transference comes about via karmic relationships. I never thought of this beforehand as a dynamic continuum primarily due from which the cognitive mind ceases upon the onset of death. In spite of many good elaborations that can be intellectualized, it helped in some respects, yet this is still a clouded realm in my case.

In Vajrayāna Buddhism the subtlest state of consciousness is known as clear light. In terms of categories of consciousness, there is one type of consciousness that consists of a permanent stream or an unending continuity and there are other forms of consciousness whose continuum comes to an end. Both these levels of consciousness - one consisting of an endless continuum and the other of a finite continuum - have a momentary nature. That is to say, they arise from moment to moment, and they are constantly in a state of flux. So the permanence of the first kind is only in terms of its continuum. The subtlest consciousness consists of such an eternal continuum, while the streams of the grosser states of consciousness do end. -Understanding and Transforming the Mind- -Wallace, B. Alan-

The closest I came experientially to understanding this is through my many attempts to recall fully my childhood in every detail for which obviously, is an impossible task to undertake. In spite of such "vacant" gaps, I know full well however the mindstream was never broken in spite of losing all memory pertaining to those moments. Freaky.

 

[zenzero]

Friend Marco,

Each option has some followers/believers... so i wonder if you believe/think in eternal how do you justify it?
sorry for repeating my question again, but i really have trouble with this point, hope u may help me

Let us say, that it is in the realm of the unknown forever.
Unless anyone proves otherwise, at any point.
Besides only when the subject and the object becomes one is where TRUTH IS!

Love & rgds

 

[zenzero]

Friends,

Personal understanding:
Consciousness is what everything IS!
But forms goes through evolution and from one form to another consciousness is common however the form itself being a part of consciousness does not remain and so it can be labelled as Gross consciousness.
The extension of this is that all thoughts though new has a continuity but still is a new thought and the fulfillment of it, the thought ceases to exits and so it too is another form of consciousness that keeps ending, till all thoughts exhausts and the mind is free of all thoughts to reach that state of oneness which is pure consciousness.

Love & rgds

 

[Literate Peasant]

As I understand our thoughts and actions are like seeds being planted. The type of seed planted will determine that which grows from it. Obviously our actions affect us in this life, and our actions carry beyond our particular lifetime. This is a simple and natural concept. What we personally experience beyond our individual lifetime is still the great mystery.