Who Created the Law of Karma?

Once upon a time a powerful emperor of a country got drunk. Disguised, he went into a tavern belonging to his estate and in a quarrel broke another man’s leg.

The innkeeper took him to a judge who had been appointed to his post by the king. As the judge was about to pass sentence, the king suddenly threw off his disguise and exclaimed, “I am the king who appointed you as the judge, and I have the power to throw you into prison. How dare you convict me?”

In a similar way, the perfect soul, when it is identified with the body, may commit an evil and be deemed guilty by the judge—or law of karma. But when that soul can identify its consciousness with God, the Creator of the law of karma, that royal soul cannot be punished by the judging law.

God Is Loving and Merciful

One can escape the law of karma by identifying himself with God. Once he is able to do that, he should forgive his brothers who sin against him.

But if that soul, who found divine forgiveness from his own karma by meditation, is unforgiving toward his sinning brothers, then he again identifies with human life and becomes governed by the inscrutable laws of limiting karma.

Every soul, therefore, should remain divine by continuously forgiving and loving as God does.

According to the laws of a country, a judge may sentence a young criminal to three years in reformatory school. But the judge also has the privilege to pardon the young offender if the youth repents and promises to behave well in future.

So, according to karma, a person who acts evilly must reap the consequences of his actions. But if that evil doer appeals to God for pardon by intense prayer and meditation, then God, being the Maker of the law of karma can grant him amnesty from punishment.

Excerpted from Karma and Reincarnation by Paramhansa Yogananda.

Karma and Reincarnation by Paramhansa Yogananda

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