The 12 laws of karma and Buddhist philosophy

Buddhist philosophy leaves us twelve fundamental principles to keep in mind.

Do you know the 12 laws of karma? Surely you have heard someone say that life "is a matter of karma", or that something good or bad has happened to them because of karma. The truth is that this concept, so closely linked to Buddhist philosophy, is closely related to the idea of justice that is held through this religion.

But it is not a model of justice that must be followed under the threat that others (people or gods) will punish us if we do not do it, but rather, according to the laws of karma, we must make this notion of justice part of our lives for ourselves.

Buddhism and the laws of Karma

The concept of the laws of karma arises from Buddhist philosophy, a religion based on a set of knowledge, habits and teachings that, through meditation and small daily gestures, allow us to work towards a transformation of our inner self.

Many people claim that this philosophy makes us wiser philosophy makes us wiser, opens our conscience and makes us more consistent with our actions. with our actions. In fact, the influence of Buddhism has had a decisive impact on great European philosophers, such as the German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer, who was greatly influenced by this current of Eastern thought when developing his ethics.

In search of karma

Buddhism has a particular way of understanding existence and human relationships.. This religion states that life is a process of constant change, a process that requires us to adapt and reeducate our minds to become stronger. This can only be achieved by becoming people with discipline (and, therefore, self-control) and by being generous and grateful to others. In this way, we will be able to improve our mental state, achieving focus and spiritual calm.

People who practice this discipline often say that Buddhism in general and the laws of karma in particular allow them to connect better with their emotions, achieve better levels of understanding and be closer to happiness and well-being. In addition, Buddhism Buddhism seeks a spiritual development based on a holistic and humanistic understanding of reality.In addition, Buddhism seeks a spiritual development based on a holistic and humanistic understanding of reality, trying to be careful with the way we relate to other human beings. The laws of karma are a way of expressing this philosophy of life, in which harmony between oneself and others is sought, in a series of concrete points that can be communicated verbally.

What are the laws of karma and what do they explain about life?

First, let us begin by defining the concept of 'Karma'. It is a term of dharmic origin and comes from the root kriwhich means 'to do'. Therefore, karma is a concept closely related to action, to the act of doing.. Karma is an energy that transcends us, and is the direct effect of the actions of each individual.

There are twelve laws of karma that explain exactly how this transcendental energy works.. These laws allow us to know the ultimate meaning of our existence, through the teachings and advice of Buddhist philosophy.

It should be clarified that Buddhism is not a religion in the usual sense, from a Western point of view. Buddhism is a religion non-theisticsince there is no omnipotent and creative god. In Buddhism, the laws come from nature, and it is left to the freedom of each human being to adhere to the advice of this philosophy, or not. In short, to act well or not so well is an individual decision and, from these decisions that we make every day, we are equally responsible for the consequences and effects that we have carved out for ourselves.

The 12 laws of karma and their explanation

But, what are these essential laws of karma proposed to us by Buddhist philosophy? And more importantly, how can we apply them to our lives to be a little happier and live a life full of love and respect for others?

We explain them to you in the following lines.

1. The essential law

As you do, so shall you receive. It is the law of laws when we talk about karma. We reap what we have been sowing during our life. This is obviously related to the cause-effect principle: everything you do has a return. Above all, the negative things we do will be returned to us multiplied by 10.

2. Law of generativity

The mission of every human being is to be a participant in life, and this implies creation.. We are an inseparable part of the world and the universe, and with them we form one and the same thing. It is our responsibility to take the good that we find in the place of the world we inhabit, to build our own life.

3. Law of humility

Everything that we deny, ends up influencing us negatively.. If we only see the bad side of things and of other people, we will be renouncing humility, that virtue that allows us to grow morally and intellectually.

4. Law of responsibility

We must accept responsibility for the things that happen to us.. If bad things happen to us very often, it is possible that we are doing something wrong ourselves. This is one of the laws of karma that focuses on the direct consequences of everything we do, which can be good or bad. Every act has its consequences, let's learn to assume them and face them.

5. Law of connection

Everything is connected. Every act, however inconsequential it may seem, is connected to many other elements in the universe. As they say, the flutter of a butterfly can start a tsunami. Reality is complex and absolutely all our actions have their echo in the future.

6. Law of development

We are in constant change, in a permanent flux.. Whatever we do in our life, we must be aware that we are sovereign of our destiny, and for this we must evolve spiritually. If we are able to improve our mind, everything around us will also change... for the better.

7. Law of focus

We are learning things little by little, in a sustained way. We are not able to access high levels of wisdom without first having been in intermediate stages. We must pursue certain goals in our life, and move towards them little by little. Effort almost always pays off.

8. Law of generosity

It is vital that we act with generosity and kindness towards other human beings.. Living in a state of mind of respect and compassion towards others makes us more connected to our condition as beings that inhabit the same planet.

The laws of karma are not independent of our way of relating to others, since our actions have consequences on others, and also have an effect on our identity.

9. Law of the present

To live thinking about the past, about what could have been and was not, is a perfect way to derail our present and our future. Everything that anchors us to the past must be revised: we must renew ourselves in order to move forward and find what makes us happy.We must renew ourselves in order to move forward and find what makes us happy.

Thus, this law of karma emphasizes not to create artificial problems by uncontrollably feeding worries based on what took place in the past and what might happen in the future.

10. Law of change

Misfortune tends to repeat itself until we find the courage and the means to be able to change our life.. This is achieved on the basis of acquired knowledge and experiences, from which we learn and improve. With them we must be able to correct our course and build new objectives.

11. Law of patience

The fruits that we harvest after much work taste better.. The more dedicated we are to the tasks that occupy us, the greater our happiness will be when we reap the rewards. We must succeed in making patience a fundamental value in our lives.

12. Law of Inspiration

The more effort, energy and courage we devote to our daily life, the greater will be the merit of our triumphs.Even from mistakes we learn, as we have seen in the previous laws. Karma recognizes that we are individuals with the capacity to create and evolve, even in not entirely favorable circumstances. At some point the fruits will come, and we will have traveled a path of effort and courage, in accordance with the laws of karma.

Bibliographical references:

• Dasti, M. & Bryant, E. (2013). Free Will, Agency, and Selfhood in Indian Philosophy. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• Jaini, P. & Doniger, W. (1980). Karma and rebirth in classical Indian traditions. Los Angeles: University of California Press.
• Krishan, Y. (1988). The vedic origins of the doctrine of karma. South Asian Studies, 4(1): pp. 51 - 55.
• Lochtefeld, L. (2002). The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Volume 2. Nueva York: Rosen Publishing.
• Reichenbach, B.R. (1988). The Law of Karma and the Principle of Causation, Philosophy East and West, 38(4): pp. 399 - 410.
• Sharma, U. (1973). Theodicy and the doctrine of karma. Man, 8(3): pp. 347 - 364.