Understanding Karma

Karma refers to the law of cause and effect. According to the Jain definition, all living beings are responsible for their actions, their thoughts and their beliefs. Each acquires Karma. Like a bank account, Karma is deposited and withdrawn; unlike a bank account the balance is continuous; this means sometimes the Karma is positive and sometimes it is negative.

Humans, not animals, have the greatest responsibility in relation to their actions, inactions and reactions to experience. The more evolved and aware the person, the more responsible he or she is for the choices. As our wisdom increases, our accountability also increases.

It is for this reason that Jains talk about the endless cycle of birth and death and of the aspirant destroying inner enemies to minimize violence to self and others. Though many aspire, it is believed that the last Jain Tirthankar to overcome all his inner enemies was Vardhaman who is called Mahavir and lived 2500 B.C.

Simply stated, Karma refers to the understanding that we are all responsible for our experiences and the more aware we are the more accountable we are.

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