By Almost every religion has a concept of heaven and hell. Some religions have more than one heaven- levels of heaven. Each religion tries to propagate the thought that, if you do good actions, your final destination is heaven and if you do bad actions, the final destination is hell.
Few religions like Hinduism and Buddhism associate this thought with the law of Karma (at least they call it ‘law’). They further go on to say that your karma will be repaid to you in some of your future ‘lives’.
But, is it really a law? Or is it just a hope?
It is like a prized consolation to us that if someone does bad to us, then bad will happen to them in the future. In fact, the zenith of this thought theory is when, some thing bad happens to a person and we think it is because of some bad he/she had done to us in the past. In this entire thought process, what has not changed is our mind and psychology – and psychology can be crumbled. Here is an example:
“Karma/Action – Eating a roast chicken
Psychology of a Christian – Yummy! Nice protein.
Psychology of a Jaina – I am going to hell. I will not attain ‘Keval Jnana’ “
For the same action, the result according to a Christian and a Jaina changes. It is as if Christ and Mahavira are not able to arrive at a conclusion.
If we really wish to understand the Karma theory, the first thing would be to get rid of the psychologies and say things just as they are- plainly.
Maybe, after all, it might not be about karma or actions. It must be about intentions. The criteria of judgement all the while was not actions but intentions.
It is not always that what you sought out to do will always be reflected in your actions. If all intentions successfully result in actions – then what is there to ask God about.
‘Good’ intentions may result in bad actions and ‘bad’ intentions may result in good actions.
Of course, once again the definition of good and bad itself is based on psychology. However, if there are really scales of good and bad; then it is intentions and not actions that is being weighed.
How can God judge you only on actions?
No. That is not possible. The law is not about Karma but about actions.
Mathematically; Intent > Action
