What is Karma? Are all life events and earnings decided by karma?
A male devotee (Name hidden) asked like this:
“Hare Krishna Prabhuji, first of all i want to appreciate your efforts that you are doing a fantastic job and your replies to questions asked by the devotees is so detailed and wonderfully explained. My question is there is a concept in Islam that our Rizq i.e. or earnings are predetermined by God does this concept also exist in hinduism and if yes can u please provide the reference of the book or any sholk related to that, there is one more small question is taking interest also prohibited in Hinduism like in Muslims? hide my name. there are 2 questions if u would like to answer one then i would prefer to ask the first one.”
REPLY:
Yes, it is PARTLY true. Our earnings are predetermined, but by OURSELVES, not by god.
Some children take birth in beggars’ families.
Some children take birth in rich families.
What is the fault on the part of children to take birth to the beggars?
In Sanatana dharma, it has clear explanation.
(What is the Karma if our help hurts someone unexpectedly? READ HERE!)
God created man and allowed him to act freely.
The man performs some actions and faces the reactions for those actions either in the same birth or in the next birth.
Some simple offenses/sins are given reactions in the same birth.
Some serious offenses/sins are given punishments in the next birth.
If a person is earning excessively, but enjoys everything selfishly for his own comforts without helping others, he will be given the next birth in a beggar’s family.
Thus, Our earnings in this birth were decided by ourselves by our activities in our previous births. These activities were minutely recorded and implemented by the karma network of God.
Thus, everything including our earnings are determined by ourselves in our previous births.
There is no need for any scriptures to prove this. Because, the karma concept is very logical that can be understood even by a K.G Child.
All our scriptures have clearly declared that everything in our life is predetermined by karma, i.e., by our activities in our previous births.
Karma theory is the basis of all the preaching and rituals recommended in the Vedic scriptures.
The Karma Kanta of Vedas are meant to perform Parihars (Remedies) and compensations to be done in day to day life.
(Are Siva and Brahma subject to karma and death like us? READ HERE!)
The Upanishads speak about the Karma as “Actions and their Reactions”.
Everything that we have ever thought, spoken, done or caused is karma, either in this birth or in our previous births.
(1) Krishna Himself has said clearly in Bhagavad Gita about Karma:
”No one who does good work will ever come to a bad end, either here or in the world to come.”
(2) The Saint Tulasidas said:
“Our destiny was shaped long before the body came into being.”
Not only the Indian scriptures, many worldwide authors and thinkers have confirmed this to our surprise:
(3) “Russell Simmons” said:
Let us see further in simple terms:
Misers in the Previous birth are Poor in this birth.
Broad minded people in the previous birth are Rich people in this birth.
(Why should we fear for karma as we forget our karma in next birth? READ HERE!)
Let a Poor person who have no money with them, helps liberally to the distressed persons even by borrowing or begging when someone asks for help. He helps a person at any cost either by borrowing or begging. He does not like to say NO to anyone who asks for help from them.
Such persons, in his next birth, will become a person who will be listed as the richest person in the world. Today’s Richest persons that we see, have helped the needy people by taking pains in their past births.
This has made them make money without limits and see their money grow every minute.
There are some other people who are not even fit to be classified as misers. They will enjoy everything from others and will never do anything good for others. They will never show any gratitude for others. They will not offer even a rupee for the suffering people.
Such persons will take birth as poor in the next birth and struggle for living. More we help others in this birth, more we will earn in our next births.
(Is Changing Karma by prayers possible or not? READ HERE!)
So, our monetary position and earnings are decided by the karma network and its richness or poverty levels are decided by how far we helped others.
Had we helped others more in our past births, we will earn more in this birth.
A real help is showing the gratitude for the debts we owe to others – guru, animals, birds, ancestors, other people, etc. Because, we have been gaining something from others day by day.
To reciprocate your guru, serve him through your service or atleast through earnings to fulfill his mission.
To reciprocate your ancestors, do the recommended rituals for them.
To reciprocate the other people who help you through grains, supplying, etc., help them whenever they require.
To reciprocate the animals who help us to produce grains (bulls), give good care to them.
To reciprocate the birds that spread the seeds and help the plants grow everywhere, offer food t the crows and other birds.
(If karma decides our next birth, how did we take first birth without karma? READ HERE!)
Thus, we are indebted to many in this birth. So, we have to clear them by helping others.
If we remain misers without reciprocating those who help us, we will take birth as poor again.
Karna and Sudhama are the best examples for helping others even when they are suffering.
The life on this earth has been designed as if every living being is expected to help each other by understanding the role played by each other in the maintenance of the affairs of this planet.
So, be broad minded to have more money.
Scriptures simply say: More we give, more we will get back.
When we give more, our negative karma is reduced. So, we get more.
Simple equation. But true equation.
Thus, it is clear that all our Life events including our earnings are decided by the karma network. Understood?
You have also asked whether getting interest is banned in Hinduism. No such barring, but, genuine and bearable profit making thru interest is allowed in Hinduism. Only the gambling types of investments are barred. We invest in banks and get some genuine interest. We take the money from bank fixed deposit and help to some friend. It is not wrong to get from that friend similar interest given by the banks. The point is that, we should not hurt him by charging interest excessively.
(How Devotional Service or Bhakti relieves from karma & material distress? READ HERE!)