Why Not All Karma Punishment Occurs in the Same Lifetime

This is a draft

Introduction

The concept of karma and justice often raises questions about why certain individuals seem to escape punishment for their misdeeds in this lifetime. We often hear that a person should have been punished in the current lifetime itself. He escaped punishment by dying. What is the point in punishment in the next life, if he does not know why he is being punished for? However, this perspective overlooks the deeper complexities of cause and effect, and the true nature of existence.

Why not have instantaneous punishment

If the consequences of our actions were immediately apparent, life would lose its richness and diversity. Imagine a world where everyone lived identical lives, with predictable outcomes – it would be robotic and devoid of meaning. The beauty and essence of our existence lies in its variety of experiences, challenges, successes, failures, shaped by different perspectives, desires, and choices.

The universe operates on a principle of fairness, but it’s not always immediately evident. It should not be immediately evident. This ‘veil’ over the workings of karma is what allows for the creation and continuation of our world. If everything were instantly and obviously fair, the world as we know it would cease to exist.

There are many “Karmas”, some give immediate results. Like overeating makes you feel sluggish. Or drinking gives you a hangover. The result of these Karmas have come within 24 hrs. Some have longer-term effects, like a sedentary and stressful lifestyle will give a heart attack after decades. Some may not occur in this lifetime. Yet, for all Karmas, there is also an instant retribution. This we will realize only if we know the true nature of our existence.

Our true nature

Suppose a Mr. Ramesh likes cakes very much. As soon as he sees the cake, his mouth starts watering, he goes into states of indescribable bliss. But another Mr. Sateesh has no such experience. For him, it’s just a, well, just a cake. So is the bliss in the cake or inside Ramesh? In reality, the bliss is within Ramesh and he projects it on the cake. The cake does not have any bliss property within itself. Replace the cake with the pretty girl or handsome boy, or that job, or that house or whatever. And when we don’t get it, we get frustrated, and if we get it but we don’t get that happiness out of it, then we get frustrated on that thing. Or if we get it, we get happiness, for some time and then move on to the next thing. This, in brief, is the story of life.

The point to note is that our core nature itself is of peace and bliss and contentment.

Karma has an instant plus long term retribution

When we commit harmful acts, we create layers that separate us from our innermost blissful state. This separation itself is a form of punishment, occurring instantly. For example, when we’re angry, we may hurt others, but we also harm ourselves through increased stress and negative emotions. That only is the Karma seed which attracts the retribution at some point of life. The seed Karmas themselves are like particles or dirt which cause disturbance of our own peace. And attract the fruit at a later point of time. In a way, it’s a double-whammy.

The experiencer does not die

From a existential perspective, death is not IT. The experiencer – our consciousness – never truly dies. Life can be seen as a series of experiences, similar to dreams where we may take on different identities but remain the same underlying awareness. This continuous flow of experiences transcends our conventional understanding of life and death.

Nature, in all its wisdom, has already explained this to us. When we dream in sleep, we are a different identity. Suppose you have a nightmare. You are a different person and a lion is chasing you or somebody is stabbing you. It’s a terrible dream, but it’s not you or the identity you are familiar with. Does anybody say, “I don’t care if I get a nightmare tonight, because it’s not me”? You want pleasant dreams, don’t you?

Our identity is a layer, and the dream state shows that when we transcend that layer, “we” still get affected, because identity is a superficial layer. When we die a physical death, only a surface layer dies, the underlying experiencer is still experiencing. So the perpetrator of the crime is still getting punished, though it may be in the form of a nightmare from a worldly perspective.

The Case for Redemptive Punishment

What about the case for redemptive punishment? Only if a person knows what he is being punished for can he correct himself. From a spiritual perspective, temporary problems and temporary solutions are a band-aid, not a solution. The person will go out and commit the crime again. Why not come out of the jail for good?

The root cause of negative karma is always the same: selfish desires, lack of empathy, and a willingness to hurt others for personal gain. These stem from a fundamental misunderstanding of our true nature and the interconnectedness of all beings. Whether manifested through jealousy, violence, or unethical behavior, the core issue remains a lack of spiritual knowledge.

The Ultimate Solution: Liberation through Self-Realization

The solution, therefore, is also there: self-realization and enlightenment. That is the only redemption. By understanding our true nature and freeing ourselves from the bonds of identity ego and associated desire, we can break the cycle of karma. This path of liberation, or moksha, is the ultimate way out of the karmic cycle.

In the grand scheme of things, the specific details of individual transgressions become less important. What matters is recognizing the root cause of our suffering and the path to liberation. By focusing on self-realization and cultivating compassion, we can transcend the cycle of karma and find true freedom.