The Global Head of Chinmaya Mission, Swami Swaroopananda, released a souvenir at Chinmaya Mission New Delhi titled ‘Doubts Dispelled’. It is a compilation of a series of questions – answers, from talks and satsangs, at various places with Swamiji.We are bringing this series of blogs based on that souvenir. Equal and Opposite Reaction is the second blog of the series.

Equal and Opposite Reaction

The Law of Karma (the law of cause and effect) is not applicable only to the next life. Our rishis discovered that every action has an equal and opposite reaction. Every action incurs a reaction. You do the action; you get the result – a few seconds later, some minutes later, some hours later or even years later; depending on the seed and the fruit. For example, a bean seed sprouts in a few days, whereas a mango seed takes a few years. Each action gives its result according to the precise laws of the universe, but the result always comes in the future.

Time Taken for Effect

When the reaction is relatively immediate, the law of cause and effect is clearly evident and comprehensible. But sometimes the result can be delayed even to another life. In this case, the chain of causation is hidden from us.

The time taken for a result to fructify depends on the nature of the action, the laws of nature and the result. The theory of Karma operates according to the law of action/ reaction. The law is clear. There can be no effect or result without a cause, no fruit without a seed, and, therefore everything happens as a consequence of past actions.