Karma is a concept that originated in ancient Indian religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism. It refers to the spiritual principle of cause and effect, where intent and actions influence the future in terms of quality of life and future suffering. The doctrine of karma implies that our free will coupled with moral responsibility have a direct influence on our future circumstances. So who then is considered the lord or overseer of karma according to these religions?
Brahma – The Hindu Perspective
In Hinduism, Brahma is considered the lord of karma. Brahma is the creator god in Hindu mythology and is considered the father of men and gods. He is part of the Hindu trinity of major gods which includes Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva.
Brahma is associated with creation, overseeing the cycle of birth and reincarnation for all beings. He keeps track of the accumulative karmic merits and demerits of souls, dispensing reward or punishment accordingly in each incarnation. Without Brahma, the karma mechanism would not function.
The karma theory in Hinduism maintains that a soul’s karma determines the nature of one’s new existence in the next life. The soul carries with it the karma accumulated over previous existences and in the current life. The soul gets reborn into higher or lower life forms, depending on its karma.
Brahma decides where in the cosmic hierarchy the soul must be placed in the next existence, as well as the circumstances it must face as per its karma. He is said to consult with the gods Indra, Agni, Yama and Chandra before deciding a soul’s destiny.
By overseeing karma and reincarnation of all beings, Brahma upholds cosmic order and balance. He is revered in Hindu scriptures as the keeper of justice through the workings of karma.
Attributes of Brahma
- Creator of the universe
- Maintains records of karma of souls
- Dispenses fruits of karma in next rebirth
- Upholds dharma through workings of karma
- Lord of all Vedas and sacred knowledge
Yama – The Buddhist Perspective
In Buddhism, Yama is considered the lord of karma. He is also known as the King of Justice or Lord of Death in Buddhism. Though interpretations differ slightly across Buddhist schools, Yama is generally seen as a dharmapala or wrathful god who impartially judges the dead based on their karma.
Upon death, it is believed Yama consults his record books to check the karmic virtues and transgressions of the deceased. He then decides the realm into which the soul must be reborn in its next life, whether it be heaven, hell, or back on earth.
As an administrator of justice based on karma, Yama punishes those with wicked deeds in hell and rewards those with good deeds in heaven. For moderately good or bad deeds, rebirth as a human or animal is destined on earth. Only by attaining nirvana can the cycle controlled by Yama be broken.
Thus, Yama determines the realm and life conditions of all beings in the afterlife by considering their earthly conduct. He ensures that the cosmic law of causation is fulfilled.
Depictions of Yama
- Often depicted as riding a buffalo
- Holds the mirror of karma
- Consult record books of good and bad deeds
- Sends souls to appropriate realms
- Wields the rod of judgment
Dharma – The Jain Perspective
In Jainism, karma is not governed by any god or supernatural entity. Instead, it is considered an abstract metaphysical system that maintains itself.
Jains believe that karma is a subtle matter that enters the soul and determines its future births, lifespan, happiness and suffering. Karma is attracted and bound to the soul when it engages in immoral or unrighteous acts driven by passions.
This binds the soul in the karma matter, which can only be removed through right conduct, repentance and penance. The soul has to expend its karma before it can attain liberation from rebirth.
However, what propels this self-sustaining mechanism of karma is the principle of dharma. Dharma in Jainism refers to the universal truth of how things function. Living by dharma entails actions in accordance with virtues like self-restraint, truthfulness, non-violence and non-possessiveness.
Adhering to dharma reduces karma accumulation and binding, while going against dharma leads to karma accrual that result in rebirth. Dharma sustains the working of karma.
In this manner, dharma can be considered the impersonal ‘lord’ or law governing karma. Jain monks and nuns dedicate their lives to dharma by minimizing karma through detachment and spiritual discipline.
Principles of Dharma
- Truth and non-violence
- Self-restraint and non-attachment
- Renunciation of desires
- Pursuit of spiritual knowledge
- Non-possessiveness and non-stealing
Waheguru – The Sikh Perspective
In Sikhism, Waheguru refers to the formless omnipresent God. Waheguru is described in the scripture Guru Granth Sahib as the creator, sustainer and destroyer. The name Waheguru also represents the unity of all virtues such as truth, compassion, contentment.
When it comes to karma, Waheguru is not depicted as an active dispenser of justice through karma. Rather, Waheguru is described as being beyond the operations of karma yet permeating it with divine order.
Karma functions in the realm of duality, dispensing dual outcomes of good or bad based on one’s actions. But Waheguru is described as being the transcendent One, beyond all dualities and opposite poles.
At the same time, Waheguru is immanent and diffused throughout the creation. In this sense, Waheguru is the underlying unifying principle that sustains the law of karma.
Through living in god consciousness and virtuous deeds, Sikhs believe karma can be overcome and human life elevated into the realm of divine grace where karma no longer applies.
Attributes of Waheguru
- Formless and ineffable
- Immanent in all creation
- Beyond dualities and polarity
- Unity of all virtues and divine order
- Reached through enlightenment and good deeds
Conclusion
To summarize, Brahma, Yama and Dharma are seen as the administrators of karma in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism respectively. They oversee the dispensation of karmic fruits over several lives. In Sikhism, Waheguru transcends karma yet is the divine essence sustaining it. While conceptualizations differ, karma ultimately reflects the complex interplay of human free will, moral conduct and cosmic justice across these religions.