Q. Write a short note on Buddhist doctrine of Karma .
ANS. The doctrine of Karma in Buddhist philosophy is based on the doctrine of dependent origiuation. According to both these doctrines, the present life of man is the result of his past life and the future depends upon the present. According to the Buddhist religion, "Because of their karmas, men are not similar, but some are long living, some short living, some healthy and some un halthy etc. "When a disciple with broken head and blood flowing from it came to Buddha, Buddha said, "Oh Arhat, bear it as it is, you are bearing the fruits of your karmas for which you would have suffered in hell for centuries. According to the doctrine of karmas every man is responsible for his actions. The actions must bear fruits. The future of every individual depends on his present actions.
According to the doctrine of karma, the fruits of the actions are according to the character of the actor. If some bad man has committed a sin, he will bave to suffer for it in the hell. But if some good man has by chance committed some evil action, he will get rid of it after suffering a little in this very life. “It is like this that if a man put some salt in a small cup of water, the water will become salty and not worthy of drinking. But if the same amount of salt is thrown in the water of the Ganges, no visible defects will be observed.”
When the doctrine of karma becomes all - powerful the human freedom disappears. When everything is pre-determined according to karmas, then how can the individul effect any change in it? Gautama Budha has not given any clear answer to the freedom of man vis - a - vis the doctrine of karma. But he has accepted the possibility of overcoming the entire law of karma and the actuality of the free actions. According to Buddha the doctrine of karma is not mechanical. Though the present is determined by the past, the future is free and depends on our will. "O priests! if any one says that the man must bear the fruits of his karmas, there is no religious life in that condition, nor is there any opportunity of the absolute destruction of suffering. But if some one says that the reward which a man gets is according to his action the priests! in that condition there is religious life and the opportunity of the destruction of all suffering.” As a matter of fact, if the doctrine of karma is mechanical then there is hardly any place for religion and ethics in human life. The doctrine of karma shows an order in the field of spiritual development as well as that of terrestrial process. It does not lessen the importance of efforts and responsibility. The philosophy of Buddha is against absolute determinism as well as aganest absolute indeterminism.
In the Buddhist philosophy, the succession of the world has been called Bhava - Chakra. In their cycle, the chain of the cause and effects is always operating. It is this effect which has been emphasized in the doctrine of the dependent origination. Both birth and death are two links in the name chain. As the old is destroyed, the new takes birth. Not only human beings, but all living beings are caught in this cycle of the world.
But there is an escape from this worldly cycle. According to the Buddhist philosophy the karma ceases to have any effect in the ultimate spiritual status. In that stage the karmas and their effects are destroyed for ever and the man rises above both merits and demerits. After attaining liberation the actions cease, but this does not mean inactivtity. Really speaking, all karmas do not bear fruit, but only those karmas result into effects which are prompted by the passions originating in ignorance. After the attainment of liberation the karmas remain, but they bear no fruit as the burnt seeds do not sprout in the plants.
The end.
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