What is Karma?
In Sanskrit, the word “karma” means action. It can be described as the action you take, that naturally results in more of the same action. So by choosing a specific path in life, your future will be a result of that choice. We all have the freedom to choose our own course of action. And the majority of people choose to live selfishly, which aggrandizes the ego and leads to suffering. That’s why karma and suffering are so closely connected.
Karma and Suffering
Karma plays a large role in how much you suffer. Accumulating good karma makes you happier and has a dissolving effect on the ego. Good karma can be acquired in many different areas of life. Spiritual, health, financial and so on. When you perform a selfless act you’re dissolving that part of your ego. This gives you more immunity to suffering in that part of your life. For example, if you donate to charity you stop feeling such a strong attachment to money.
The opposite is true for bad karma. Performing selfish acts builds up the ego and increases suffering. For example, if you injure someone selfishly you become more attached to preserving your own well-being.
Taking egoic action in life has spiritual consequences. Since the ego and self is an illusion, living from this place will make you delusional. And this takes you further away from the truth of non-duality. As you perform egoic acts, they become part of who you are. This creates an exaggerated sense of self that puts a barrier between you and enlightenment.
Living Selflessly
Good karma has the power to bring you closer to non-duality. Performing selfless acts reduces bad karma by dissolving specific parts of the ego. This results in less suffering in those parts of your life. With self-analysis you can determine what areas of your life need work. Then you can clear a path to enlightenment by removing all of the blocks to selflessness.