ALWAYS BE A GIVER!!!
The Indian culture, society, and philosophy, heavily focus on the word Karma (कर्म). Various sayings in different local languages are frequently used to signify it even today. Sayings like “What you sow is what you reap”, कर्म करो और फल की चिंता मत करो have their own version in every language spoken in India. These sayings bear a very significant and important message for every member of this civilization for ages.
The literal meaning of Karma is an action performed or the resultant state that occurred after the action is completed.
However, very little thought is given about the doer (कर्ता, Karta) himself. Who is this Karta? Why is Karta doing the Karma? What Karta thinks/feels about the Karma that he is performing? Will Karma be impacted by the feelings of Karta? Will Karta’s intentions behind executing this Karma bear any significance?
If one tries to gain more specific insight about the thought process, intent, or the feeling of the Karta, one may not get any simple answers or conclusions.
On a broader level, we know the answer to the above questions but to understand the extent of such impacts, one needs to start reading ancient Indian texts called Vedas.
Very early in the readings, one would realize that simply doing the Karma without any thought process or objective may not be helpful for self or others.
Vedas confirms that Nature has given some characteristics to humans by birth, the ability to give or help is one of them, just like a newborn baby knowing how to suck in order to feed herself. It can never really vanish however hard we try.
As one proceeds further, it soon becomes clear that Karma should be done with the right identification of self, society, and universe. Vedas makes the importance of intentions to the quantum of Karma itself. Vedas directs everyone to do Karma with care for others and society as a whole. It also stresses to give without any consideration of what you may get in return.
If everyone just gives, without respecting the needs of society, then society as a whole may still starve for existence. Therefore, Karma is aligned with the “equilibrium for humanity”. Equilibrium does not mean 50–50, give or take. It means well-distributed resources/energy so that everyone gets what they need in return for whatever they can offer as per ability, capability, and intention to help the society.
This means there are 2 types of people in the world:
- The Givers
- The Takers
Based on the above discussion, we may see Takers in not so positive light with respect to Givers. Therefore, I need to explain about them before I sign off.
There are 2 types of takers, Occasional Takers, these takers are actually the givers but under special circumstances, they need help for the current situation at hand. Ideally, everyone should be of this type of taker only.
But, there is another type of taker, Permanent Takers. These people have drastically lost their ability to give due to various reasons including environment, upbringing, neighborhood, peer pressure, influence from the affluent, and their perceived experiences in life.
The world is functional today because Givers and Occasional Takers have always outnumbered the Permanent Takers.
With this understanding, if everyone starts giving after proper consideration then we will witness a universe where everyone can get what is needed while one is free to pursue what one desires (obviously after consideration). It ensures DOUBLE HAPPINESS all around.
Based on our experiences, we may not seem to have that world but it exists and functionally works. The purpose of this article is to strengthen it further by reminding it.
In conclusion, Be a Karta with sensitivity for “equilibrium for humanity” and the universe will ensure everyone with what they need.
Therefore, try to ALWAYS BE A THOUGHTFUL GIVER!!!
