where Karma ends & Dharma Begins
by Hari Kirtan Das
I have an ongoing game I play in my head for no particular reason. The game is called, “If I had two cats, I’d name them . . .”
Jaya and Vijaya, Soochi and Moochi, Karma and Dharma, Rover and Fido, Wave and Particle, Doonakranitz and Frannakranitz, Hawkwind and Motorhead, . . . The rule (apparently) is that the names must have some kind of complementarity. And if they rhyme, I get extra credit (whatever that means).
The complementarity of a doonakranitz and a frannakranitz is easy enough to see, but, phonemic resonance aside, it’s not always clear where karma ends and dharma begins.
Here’s a way to think about these two distinct but related concepts in yoga wisdom:
Let’s start with karma. The literal meaning of the word karma is “action” but we usually talk about karma in terms of reaction. Both are correct: karma refers to both an action that generates a reaction and the reaction an action generates.
Simply put, karma is the destiny we create for ourselves; the reactions to our past actions that are creating our current situation. When contemplating karma, the question is, “what will the reaction to this action be?” And this is where it gets tricky: how are we supposed to know what course of action to take in response to our current situation?
This is where dharma comes in. The Sanskrit word dharma has multiple meanings, including “essential nature,” “righteous action,” and “the organizing principle of cosmic order.” It also means, “the best way to respond to your karma.” When contemplating dharma, the question is, “what is the best action to take in this situation?”
The obvious answer might seem to be, “the action that generates good karma! (DUH!)”
But that’s not how it works. At least not as far as yoga wisdom is concerned. That’s because karma is about optimization; dharma is about morality. Striving for optimization doesn't work because there are so many factors that are beyond our knowledge and control. Which makes the not-so-obvious answer a bit of a paradox: acting on the basis of morality is the best, albeit indirect, way to achieve optimization.
This is why yoga wisdom prioritizes dharma over karma.
But there's another paradox: our karma determines what our dharma is! Here’s how: the defining characteristics that make us who and what we are in this life are the products of our karma, reactions to our past actions. Action in harmony with our defining characteristics is our dharma.
In other words, your karma makes you who and what you are. That’s where karma ends. Who and what you are determines what your dharma is. That’s where dharma begins.
Karma is mysterious. Astrological prognostication notwithstanding, it’s almost impossible to know what the specifics of your future karma will be. But it’s definitely possible to know what your dharma is.
The Bhagavad-gita is an answer to the question, “What’s my dharma?” This is why the Gita’s teachings are as relevant today as they were when they were first spoken: it provides us with a framework for understanding what dharma is and a system of self-discovery that we can use to get a definitive sense of what our dharma is.
To be honest, Dharma and Karma are kind of low on my list of cat names despite being such consequential elements of yoga philosophy. Boodleheimer and Hemafodda, on the other hand . . .
Hari Kirtana Das
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