The Theory of Karma
As a child, I remember believing that our actions are directly proportionate to the kind of life we get to lead. Sunday mornings were dedicated to episodes of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata , both of which espoused that the better a person one was, the richer the fruit of karma in our share. I remember asking Mom once, "What exactly is karma?" She tried her best to explain to my 7-year-old self that karma was the sum of our actions, and it more or less determined the course of our future. As I grew up, I firmly believed that if I were a good person, I would lead a good life. As I crossed from my teens into my 20s and then into my 30s, several gaps appeared in this formula. From whatever I could recall, I hadn’t harmed anyone. Then why were there inexplicable obstacles and sorrows in my path? That is when I came across the theory of karma and reincarnation. It appeared that in our present lives, we not only had to give due for our present deeds but also for deeds which...