Karma Explained
In continuation of the above dialog, a valid question to ask on Karma — what happens to a judge or a soldier who need to take harsh actions. Or someone in the corporate setup who needs to let go of employees? Do these actions create Karma? Would these adversely affect the individual in a lifetime?
A judge who awards a harsh sentence to a criminal does not commit a sin or accumulate any Karma as he/she is doing their duty. A soldier involved in a bloody fight and killing many is doing his duty. This is precisely the crux of the message that Lord Krishna passes on in the Gita as he advises Arjuna. So what becomes clear is, when everything is done as duty with no attachment to it, there is no ethical residue. However if the judge knows that he is on purpose being harsh or gets emotionally connected and serves a lenient sentence, that creates a Karmic bond to correct later in life.
Birds or animals have no Karma as they have no free will to make a choice and hence no carry forward to next life. They are re-born immediately. There is no concept of a waiting time or a “queue” to create the right circumstances to live the Karma. The cycle is continuous and back to back
So in summary
- Most texts allude that past life Karma does not exceed 50% which means there is enough leeway for freewill and choice.
- Karma is always executed by the physical body but the carrier of the ethical residue across lives is the Atman (soul) which moves from one body to another. Note the distinction of the one who does and the one who carries the consequence.
- The duration and context of your current life is basis past life Karma, as life needs to create a context to repay and reap the Karma.
- Most Hindu mythologies clearly show that Gods in human avatar (like Lord Rama or Krishna) live a consequence for their actions, a way to teach the above concepts.
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