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| Dharma and Karma |
Dharma and Karma sit in the gardens of heaven reflecting on the world. They are surrounded by luscious greenery, crystal blue ponds with an abundance of aquatic life, vibrant colors of every kind of flower, and wildlife running all around them; such beauty could be found nowhere on earth. Karma and Dharma probably have one of the hardest jobs ever: they have to determine what was good and what was bad and bring justice to the world. You might be wondering what is so hard about that; it’s not that hard to differentiate between the two. However, Dharma and Karma know exactly how hard it is to differentiate good from bad here on planet earth. The lines between good and bad are often so blurred. It is Dharma’s job to determine righteousness. It is Karma’s job to ensure that those who do certain deeds cause a certain effect.
Dharma said to Karma,” Oh how the times have changed, yet it feels as though our jobs just get harder as the years pass! Why can’t evil and good just be black and white? Why does it have to be so complicated?”
“What do you mean?” said Karma.
“Well, it seems as though the lines between what is good and what is bad are becoming more blurred. The other day I had someone ask me if I kill someone out of revenge because they killed or hurt someone that was dear to me am whether I doing something wrong,” said Dharma.
“Ah yes, these are the questions that stump me too. You think you have it hard, at least you don’t get asked after doing something good why you didn't receive good Karma in return. If you do good in life you will receive overall good Karma in life, but you can’t expect good things to happen at every moment you do something good,” said Karma.
“ I don’t know how many times I have explained to people this concept of Karma, yet no one is satisfied. If only people would look at the Ramayan and Mahabarata for examples of how Karma and Dharma work,” said Karma.
Dharma asked,” What exactly do you mean?”
“You Dharma have said many a time that Rama and the Pandavas are good humans, and they abide by the rules of righteousness, yet they had to suffer many losses and pains to gain overall Karma and to preserve Dharma. If I handed out something good every time someone did something right people would stop trying to be good. One has to experience evil to know what good is and what the benefits are of living an honorable life as opposed to corrupt life,” explained Karma.
“ That is exactly right. Rama had to suffer his wife Sita being stolen from him, but because he was a dharmic man in the end he destroyed evil and upheld the Dharma of the world. Same with the Pandavas, they experienced much turmoil until they finally received justice and defeated Duryodhana in the battle of Kurukshetra,” said Dharma.
“Maybe we can write these stories again in a storybook to tell all the people of the world how Dharma and Karma actually work. Then maybe people will stop harassing us with everything doesn't go perfectly,” said Karma.
“That is an excellent idea, Karma,” said Dharma. They began working hard at rewriting the stories of Dharma and Karma.
