Karma and Grace

[Lightkeeper]

What is your understanding of Karma and Grace. Is there a difference between the two?

[Chaitanyananda]

Originally Posted by Lightkeeper

What is your understanding of Karma and Grace. Is there a difference between the two?

In my tradition, the two are worlds apart.

Karma is Sanskrit for "action." Anytime you do something it is Karma. Most people loosely use the term to mean results from action, which in Sanskrit is actually karmaphala - literally "fruits of action." Karmaphala can be "good", that which is in keeping with dharma, or "bad", that which is contrary to dharma (punya or papa) based on numerous things.

Grace, according to my tradition is simply that which is given from the Lord, from Bhagavan. For example, moksha (enlightenment) is not something that can be attained. All one can do is work on being receptive to the grace which could come. We can work towards being receptive, but the grace itself we have no control over.

As to karma, we certainly have control over it, because everything we do is karma, even just sitting and thinking is karma, even dreaming is karma.

[metis]

I agree with the above even though I'm far from certain either exists in some sort of "spiritual" realm.

[Wendy Tall One]

Grace is something I do not have, particularly going down ice covered uneven stairs. Just ask my husband.

Seriously though, Grace is like a blessing or permission. Karma, more like kudos and can also be negative.

[shaw-n]

It is interesting how the definition of karma is so much different in the west as chai pointed out above.
So many people use it to indicate results rather than action.

Grace I have always associated with compassion.

[Chaitanyananda]

Originally Posted by shaw-n

It is interesting how the definition of karma is so much different in the west as chai pointed out above.
So many people use it to indicate results rather than action.

There is a good reason for this, I think, in that in the West people are result-oriented. Success is measured in result, not by effort. They therefore have a tendency to focus on the results rather than what set the results in motion. In the East, the tendency is to focus on the moment, the task at hand and leave the result to the Universe, to God, to the Order, whatever you want to call it. That attitude is a teaching of Krishna's, but is very rare to find in the West.

[jacknky]

Wonderful post, Chai.