Karm Aur Karya Karan Sambandh

Here's a comprehensive summary of Osho Rajnish's discourse on "Karm aur Karya Karan Sambandh" (Karma and Cause-and-Effect Relationship), based on the provided text:

The central argument of the text, presented by Osho Rajnish, is a critique and re-interpretation of the prevailing understanding of karma and the law of cause and effect. He contends that the traditional interpretation, which often posits a significant temporal gap between actions (karma) and their consequences (fruits), is flawed and diminishes the practical utility of karma theory.

Key Points and Arguments:

• Immediate Causality: Osho vehemently argues against the idea that karmic consequences are experienced in future lives. He emphasizes that the law of cause and effect is immediate and inseparable. Just as putting one's hand in fire immediately causes burning, karmic actions should have immediate consequences. There cannot be a gap between cause and effect; if there is a gap, the connection is broken.
• The Problem of Discrepancy: The prevalent confusion arises from observing that "good" people suffer while "bad" people seem to prosper. If cause and effect were immediate, this wouldn't happen. To explain this discrepancy, the traditional view incorrectly introduced the concept of past lives, suggesting current suffering is due to past misdeeds and current happiness is due to past good deeds.
• Distortion of Karma Theory: This introduction of past lives as the sole explanation for present circumstances distorts the core message of karma. The original utility of karma theory was to empower individuals by stating that their present actions directly lead to their present or imminent experiences. If you act with anger, you suffer from anger now. If you act with love, you gain peace now.
• The Implausibility of Future-Life Consequences: Osho highlights the psychological and practical difficulties of believing in consequences in future lives. Humans are "instantaneous" by nature; they live in the present and are not easily motivated or deterred by events far in the future, especially in a life that is not even guaranteed. The idea of keeping accounts of karma across multiple lives also necessitates a "controller" or accountant, which he later refutes.
• Science and Cause-and-Effect: Osho draws a parallel with science, stating that science is fundamentally built on the principle of immediate cause and effect. If this principle were to be discarded, science would collapse. He cites philosophers like Hume (in England) and Charvaka (in India) who attempted to disprove this principle, noting that Hume's success would have prevented the birth of science, and Charvaka's success would have prevented the birth of religion.
• Charvaka vs. Mahavir: He positions Mahavir's karma theory in direct opposition to Charvaka's philosophy, which advocated for hedonism and dismissed the link between actions and consequences. Mahavir, on the other hand, established karma as a scientific principle rooted in immediate cause and effect.
• Rejection of a "Controller" (Niyanta): Osho criticizes the concept of a divine controller (like God) who manages karmic accounts. He argues that if a controller exists, they would either be bound by the same laws as humans (making their intervention unnecessary) or they would be above the laws (making them arbitrary and subject to manipulation through prayer and flattery). He uses the example of Prahlada to illustrate how the concept of exceptions to rules (due to divine favor) undermines the very foundation of universal laws. Mahavir, according to Osho, removed the need for a controller by emphasizing the inherent efficacy and unbreakability of natural laws.
• The Power of Present Action: The true empowerment of karma theory lies in the understanding that one has the capacity to change their present actions and thus alter their immediate experiences. If one believes their suffering is from past lives, they become passive, unable to change their current situation. However, if suffering is an immediate consequence of present actions, then one can cease those actions and stop the suffering.
• Understanding Success and Failure: Osho addresses the apparent paradox of "bad" people succeeding. He suggests that success is not solely determined by being "good" or "bad" but by other qualities like courage, intelligence, and discernment. A "bad" person might be successful due to their courage or shrewdness, while a "good" person might be unsuccessful due to cowardice or lack of foresight. True success comes from intelligence and wisdom, which are themselves actions and have their own consequences.
• Ambition and Jealousy: He criticizes the flawed ambition of wishing for the fruits of a "bad" person's actions while remaining "good." This, he states, is a sign of envy. The "bad" person who achieved wealth likely paid a price (suffering, consequences of their bad deeds) for it.
• Karma is Complex, Not Accidental: Osho concludes by reiterating that nothing happens by chance. Even winning a lottery has underlying causes, such as strong resolve or other unseen factors. What we perceive as accidental is simply beyond our current understanding. The fundamental basis of karma theory, as he presents it, is that nothing happens without a cause, and that we are experiencing the immediate consequences of our present actions.

In essence, Osho reclaims the karma doctrine as a vibrant, immediate, and empowering principle, stripping away the metaphysical layers that he believes obscure its practical and scientific essence, particularly the concept of consequences being delayed to future existences.