"That's karma."
Many say it lightly when they witness an unfortunate event, a surprise misfortune that coincides with what is considered a past misdeed, as if they were an avenger or a vigilante.
Nothing is further from what Hindu and Buddhist principles promote.
"There is no such thing as 'punishment' in the universe," argues
Beatriz Goyoaga
, general coordinator of the Art of Living Foundation for Latin America and Spain in dialogue with
Clarín
.
"Everything good that happens to you is also due to karma," she maintains.
The coordinator of the foundation directed by the teachings of Sri Sri Ravi Shankar assures that The Art of Living accepts all religions and, as she explains, its main source lies in the knowledge of
Vedānta
, a philosophical school long before Hinduism, Buddhism and Judeo-Christian religions.
As far as karma is concerned, what does exist, says Goyoaga, is "the
law of action and reaction
, not of action and consequence."
The clarification is emphatic, because if we spoke of "consequence" we would refer to a concept that implies guilt.
Karma holds that every action has a reaction, which may or may not be immediate.
(Photo: Illustration Shutterstock)
So
what is karma really?
“It is the law of physics of action and reaction, which makes you take responsibility, knowing that every action has a reaction and it may be that your reaction will reap it immediately or you will reap it within ten thousand years”, explains Goyoaga.
Simply put, "karma is a reaction to something that has existed before."
Now, the coordinator completes the following: “The reactions are not necessarily the same in the universe.
They are vectors of force that can be expressed in one way or another.
But there is definitely
nothing outside of the laws of karma
, saying 'get loose', no, you got loose now, but at some point the reaction will appear”.
There are several types of karma, none is a punishment, but a reaction to a previous action.
(Photo: Illustration Shutterstock)
“Stars are born by karma, planets are destroyed by karma, oceans flow by karma.
They are laws of nature and, as human beings are part of nature, human beings also go through our karma”, indicates the coordinator.
Spinning thinner, he also comments that there are several types of karma:
The karma you acquire.
The karma you make.
The latent karma that you are going to manufacture in the future.
Eastern philosophy maintains that there is nothing in the universe outside of the law of karma. (Photo: illustration Shutterstock)
Although karma is the most popular and misunderstood concept in Buddhist and Vedic beliefs, it is not the only one.
According to Goyoaga, other pillars of the teachings imparted by Eastern philosophy are
dharma
and
prema
.
“Dharma is
the mission of everything that exists
in the universe,” says Goyoaga, “everything has a dharma, from stones, plants, animals to humans.
The dharma of the tree, for example, is to give shade and fruit.
The dharma of a tree is to give shade and fruits. (Photo: illustration Shutterstock)
Dharma, clarifies the coordinator, has no action or reaction, but is the mission in life, something that is not the product of chance but of "perfect order."
Finally, "
prema is the divine force that is behind the entire universe
, not a blade of grass of the trillions and trillions that there is moves without there being a divine order, let's call it nature if you want, that is prema, that force of intelligence divine that knows itself and that is love”.
Almost elusive but present everywhere, Goyoaga explains that prema can be, for example, "what you feel when you watch a sunset, that emotion when you connect with that which has created the entire universe."
The 12 Buddhist Laws of Karma
Those 12 Buddhist laws or postulates help guide us towards evolution in this and other lives.
(Photo: Illustration Shutterstock)
Goyoaga, being a Catholic, lists
the twelve Buddhist laws
, precepts that the Buddha's philosophy described to favorably travel the path towards evolution in this and in the following lives.
Essential Law or Great Law
: you receive what you give.
Law of Creation
: you are a co-creator in your life, take actions and manifest what you want.
Law of Humility
: be humble and grateful, remember that your reality is the product of your past thoughts and actions.
Law of Responsibility
: You are responsible for your past and present actions and thoughts.
Law of Connection
: everything is connected to each other, what is done has an effect on others and vice versa.
Law of Development
: the only permanent thing is change and change is growth.
The essential law or Great Law is summed up in that you receive what you give.
(Photo: illustration Shutterstock)
Law of Focus or Concentration
: concentrate your thoughts on the goals one step at a time, in the here and now - Law of Generosity: growth and abundance are only possible if we are generous, what you give, you receive.
Law of the Present
: embrace the "here and now", let go of the regrets of the past and do not worry about an uncertain future.
Law of Change
: If you make the same decisions over and over again you will not get different results.
Law of Patience
: everything has a time of evolution, be patient - Law of Inspiration: put your multiple gifts and contributions at the service of the world, connect body, mind and heart giving the maximum.
Beatriz Goyoaga is the general coordinator of the El Arte de Vivir foundation for Latin America and Spain. On Instagram, @beatriz.goyoaga.
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