To understand it fully, you\u2019d have to first accept that suffering\u2014the very thing people go to great lengths to avoid\u2014isn\u2019t inevitable. \u201cSuffering is self-created,\u201d <\/em>says Sadhguru<\/strong>, the renowned yogi behind the Isha Foundation, in his Mindvalley program called A Yogi\u2019s Guide to Joy<\/em><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Realizing this, you\u2019ll eventually see that karma isn\u2019t a cosmic debt collector but rather a natural system in motion. It\u2019s not the trap people think it is but moves where you move it\u2014via your individual choices, habits, and awareness. And it\u2019s certainly not<\/em> negative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The moment you realize this truth, everything shifts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Karma is, simply put, the result of our decisions and actions<\/strong>. Think of it like planting seeds in a garden. Every thought, action, and reaction is a seed dropped into the soil of life. Some blossom into \u201cjoy,\u201d while others grow into \u201cstruggle.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n The thing is, most people don\u2019t realize that they\u2019re the ones holding the watering can in the garden of their own making. That no matter what\u2019s already grown, the garden can always change if they want it to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The word comes from the Sanskrit word <\/strong>kri<\/em><\/strong>, which means \u201cto do.\u201d So, what it really boils down to is action<\/em>. That\u2019s it. No mystical force. No cosmic judge. Just the natural momentum of everything you think, say, and do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Every action\u2014big or small\u2014leaves an imprint. Working just like memory, karma builds habits, reactions, and tendencies that shape how life unfolds. <\/p>\n\n\n\n And what you, Sadhguru explains, is \u201ca consequence of evolutionary memory, genetic memory, karmic memory, and a variety of other levels of memory.\u201d <\/em>Turns out, what we do\u2014our habits, choices, and interactions\u2014directly impacts our quality of life<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Your life is your karma. If you take charge of it, your life will become beautiful.<\/p>\n\u2014 Sadhguru, trainer of Mindvalley\u2019s A Yogi\u2019s Guide to Joy program<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n And our experiences\u2014both good and bad\u2014influence not just us but future generations. Researchers at Emory University once discovered that mice trained to fear a specific scent passed that fear down to their offspring<\/a>, proving how deeply experiences shape us at an unconscious level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So, holding onto resentment will seep into how you react to people. Practice kindness, and it\u2019ll be the lens through which you\u2019ll view and maneuver the world. The point is, the moment you\u2019re aware of a pattern, you activate your inherent power to shift it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYour life is your karma,\u201d<\/em> Sadhguru says. \u201cIf you take charge of it, your life will become beautiful.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Sometimes, a reminder is all it takes to step out of autopilot and into conscious action. Fortunately, you can find spiritual <\/a>symbols<\/a> of karma across many traditions. They\u2019re visual anchors that come knocking on your door to remind you that life moves where you move it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here are some of the most powerful ones:<\/p>\n\n\n\n No action exists in isolation. The endless knot\u2014a sacred symbol in Hinduism and Buddhism\u2014illustrates this truth. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Every loop is woven into another, showing how thoughts, words, and actions ripple outward and influence everything they touch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The real-life lesson it teaches you: <\/strong>Ever tossed a stone into a pond and watched the ripples spread? Karma works like that. The energy you send out\u2014whether through action, intent, or even unspoken thoughts\u2014has a way of coming back, often in waves you never saw coming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The lotus flower grows through murky waters before blooming in the sun. From the karmic perspective, this symbolizes spiritual transcendence<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Translation? No matter what past actions have shaped the present, you are always capable of growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The real-life lesson it teaches you:<\/strong> Maybe you grew up in a toxic environment or made choices you regret. But none of it has to define where you\u2019re headed. Like the lotus, you can rise beyond old patterns, change your mindset, and create an entirely new reality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In Tibetan Buddhism, the wind horse is a symbol of energy in motion. It represents the power of intention and momentum, showing that karma is never static.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ultimately, it shifts with every choice you make.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The real-life lesson it teaches you: <\/strong>Feeling stuck? The energy you put into something determines where it goes. If you keep feeding the same habits, they\u2019ll keep running your life. But the moment you shift your focus, new possibilities can open up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The wheel of life<\/a>, which is called bahavachakra<\/em> in Buddhism, represents the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth as shaped by your choices. At its center lies a still hub, reminding us all that awareness can stop the wheel from spinning out of control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The real-life lesson it teaches you: <\/strong>Think of karma like muscle memory. Repeat the same movement at the gym, and it gets ingrained as a good habit. And it won\u2019t be long before your form displays strength in a whole new way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Similar to the wheel of life, the Ouroboros is fodder for life\u2019s endless cycle of renewal. Depicted by a snake eating its own tail, it reflects the power of learning, evolving, and transforming through direct experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The real-life lesson it teaches you: <\/strong>Notice how video games won\u2019t let you move on until you pass the level? Life works the same way. Until you learn the lesson, the \u201cchallenge\u201d keeps respawning\u2014just with different characters and settings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Hamsa hand is a symbol of protection and intention, found across cultures for centuries. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In Judaism, it\u2019s the Hand of Miriam. In Islam, the Hand of Fatima, with both representing strength and divine blessing. Even ancient Mesopotamians and Phoenicians used similar symbols to ward off negativity, proving that the idea of energy shaping reality\u2014with the universally recognized human hand\u2014is nothing new.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The real-life lesson it teaches you:<\/strong> Every decision you make has power. Even small, conscious actions, like choosing gratitude over complaint, can transform your entire life experience, right down to the day-to-day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Also known as dharmachakra<\/em>, this symbol is all about moving through life wisely, intentionally, and responsibly. It\u2019s a sigil to remind you that life doesn\u2019t happen to you but rather for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So you should align your actions with something bigger than yourself. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The real-life lesson it teaches you: <\/strong>A teacher who uplifts their students, a leader who leads with integrity, a stranger who offers kindness in a tough moment… Each person here is living out a karmic relationship<\/a>\u2014that is, the idea that our actions ripple outwards to affect others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Karma exists in different stages of activation, accumulation, and impact. Some of it is rooted in the distant past, some has unfolded in your life, and some is forming right now as you read this. <\/p>\n\n\n\n To make it easier to digest, yogic philosophy breaks it down into three types: sanchita<\/em><\/strong>, prarabdha<\/em><\/strong>, and kriyamana<\/em><\/strong> (also called agami<\/em><\/strong>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let\u2019s break it down:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Imagine it as a massive storage unit holding every thought, action, and experience you\u2019ve ever had\u2014across lifetimes (if you believe in that). <\/p>\n\n\n\n Some call this the akashic records<\/a>, a kind of energetic ledger that stores the imprint of every action ever taken. Interestingly, quantum physics and spirituality<\/a> often intersect here, with theories suggesting that everything in existence is interconnected through an unseen field of energy and information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In this way, your past actions don\u2019t just disappear\u2014they ripple forward, shaping the patterns of your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The trick is to remember that you\u2019re not bound by it and you always have a choice<\/strong>. The moment you\u2019re aware of your ingrained patterns, you activate the power to break free from them and recreate yourself anew.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is the karma currently in motion, or what\u2019s already been set into action, like an arrow that\u2019s been shot. Your bodily health, the current career path you\u2019re on, or the relationships you\u2019re nurturing today? That\u2019s prarabdha<\/em> at work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The point of it has less to do with what you\u2019re experiencing and more to do with how you experience it. \u201cYou could be in a palace and be miserable,\u201d <\/em>says Sadhguru. \u201cYou could be on the streets and be joyful.\u201d<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n In other words? Your reaction to a situation, more than the situation itself, is what shapes your life story<\/strong>\u2014day in, day out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is the karma you\u2019re actively shaping with every thought, action, and reaction in the present moment. Think of it like writing the next chapter of your life, except the ink isn\u2019t permanent. Every choice you make can shift the trajectory of your future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat is within me must be 100% the way I want,\u201d<\/em> Sadhguru explains. \u201cOtherwise, I am a lost case.\u201d<\/em> In other words, while past karma may have set the stage, how you respond right now is what truly defines your experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Say someone cuts you off in traffic. You can react with anger, reinforcing frustration as your default state. Or you can let it go, refusing to carry that negativity into the rest of your day. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Small decisions like these compound over time, shaping the reality you live in. And the best part? You always have the power to rewrite your story.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Imagine a world with no traffic lights. No rules, no signals\u2014just a free-for-all at every intersection. Chaos, right? That\u2019s exactly how life would be if karma didn\u2019t follow certain principles. It\u2019s all about keeping things in flow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Karma is just about cause and effect.<\/p>\n\u2014 Sadhguru, trainer of A Yogi\u2019s Guide to Joy<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Like traffic laws keep order on the road, the 12 universal laws<\/a> of karma keep life in balance. No cosmic overlord is forcing them against your will. The thing is, they just exist, shaping how energy moves through thoughts, actions, and experiences. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The more you understand them, the better you navigate life\u2019s intersections:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sure, you don\u2019t have to follow these \u201crules of the road.\u201d But if you ignore them, expect a few crashes along the way. But respect them, and you\u2019ll move through life with ease, self-awareness, and flow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dive deeper into what each means:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The thing is, the universe doesn\u2019t concern itself with keeping scores; it just wants to keep you awake. The more you understand these laws, the less random life feels, and the easier it is to remember that you are in the driver\u2019s seat all along.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yep, it\u2019s real tempting to think of karma as a lurking force, ready to strike when you least expect it. Or a single life sentence you need to serve from womb to tomb (the horror).<\/p>\n\n\n\n At least, that\u2019s what the gossip around town suggests about its status. And you may have heard it all:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cKarma\u2019s coming for him.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cShe had it coming.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s called instant karma, babe.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n The problem is, none of it is true. Yet, people try to become stable by controlling their lives with these misinterpretations that ironically fuel their false beliefs. \u201cBut real stability comes from seeing everything utterly clearly,\u201d <\/em>Sadhguru says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So, in the name of clarity, let\u2019s set the record straight and establish what karma is… by understanding what it\u2019s not<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If karma worked like express shipping, people would be tripping over their consequences left and right. But it doesn\u2019t\u2014seriously, no bearded man is keeping receipts up there\u2014and thank goodness for that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As Sadhguru is quick to remind us all, \u201cKarma is just about cause and effect.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Think about it: Someone cuts you off in traffic, and instead of instantly getting rear-ended by another car (as you secretly hope), they might go about their day just fine. Their actions will have consequences\u2014maybe in how they handle stress, how their relationships unfold, or the type of energy they attract\u2014but it\u2019s not about a lightning-fast reaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And that whole \u201cinstant karma\u201d thing? Sure, sometimes life serves poetic justice in real-time. But more often, karma is a slow burn, accumulating over time like interest on a bank account… except you\u2019re the one making the deposits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A rough past doesn\u2019t mean you\u2019re doomed to a rough future, no matter how much your hardships and traumas try to convince you otherwise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And if anything, the real issue isn\u2019t karma trapping you. It\u2019s you unknowingly hitting replay on the same behaviors. \u201cIf you do not overcome these tendencies, the past will keep repeating itself,\u201d <\/em>Sadhguru points out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Think about that friend who keeps attracting toxic romantic partners. Their faces change, but your friend\u2019s script about them stays the same. They vent to you, swear they\u2019ve learned their lesson… and then, boom\u2014new person, same pattern.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But, unlike what they\u2019d like to believe, it\u2019s not \u201cfate\u201d or a \u201cprison sentence.\u201d Maybe they grew up watching a parent stuck in that same cycle, and now it\u2019s wired into them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Here\u2019s the good news, though: self-awareness<\/a> flips the switch. Your past only writes your future if you let it. The moment you stop running on autopilot, you start making new choices. (Pro-tip: maybe slip this truth into your next heart-to-heart with that friend.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cKarma is not in what is happening to you,\u201d<\/em> Sadhguru says. \u201dKarma is in the way you experience and respond to what is happening to you.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Really sit on this for a minute. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Two people can go through the same event, but their internal realities can be worlds apart. One sees an ending and clings to the blame game, while the other sees growth and sets up a new beginning. The difference in their experiences? Perception.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Like Wayne Dyer once said, “The difference between a weed and a flower is judgment.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n So, the moment you shift your lens on life, you shift your experiences. Let this truth be the boundary between you and the seductive lures of self-doubt<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Your karmic \u201chealth\u201d depends on how you play the one you already have. The thoughts, actions, and reactions you have today can either reinforce old cycles or help you break free from them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYour experience of life is where your destiny is,\u201d<\/em> Sadhguru shares. \u201cBecause it\u2019s your experience of life that determines the quality of your life.\u201d<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n What\u2019s interesting here is that his view corroborates with psychologist Carl Jung\u2019s famous saying on shadow work<\/a> and how self-reflection practices lead to self-awareness<\/a>: \u201cUntil you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n So, here\u2019s the playbook on shifting your karma from unconscious repetition to conscious transformation:<\/p>\n\n\n\n No more pointing fingers at the past, bad luck, or cosmic punishment. If life is a series of memories imposed onto each other, then karma is, in essence, all of you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf you see \u2018my life is my karma,\u2019 your successes and failures are yours. The moment you see it is all yours, you will do the best you can,\u201d<\/em> Sadhguru says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here\u2019s how to do it:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Karma shifts at the turning points of your life. So, when responsibility stops feeling like a burden and starts feeling like power, you can best believe that change is on the horizon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Most people try to change external circumstances first\u2014switching jobs, ending relationships, chasing distractions\u2014without ever looking inward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But the universe doesn\u2019t respond to what you want. Rather, it responds to what you already believe yourself to be\u2014inside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHuman experience is caused from within,\u201d Sadhguru says. \u201cAt least what is happening from within us must happen our way.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n So, before trying to fix your outer circumstances, set your foundation with these steps:<\/p>\n\n\n\n When in doubt, fall back on this golden rule of thumb: karma doesn\u2019t change when life gets easier. It changes when you<\/em> get clearer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Your experience of life is where your destiny is. Because it\u2019s your experience of life that determines the quality of your life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2013 Sadhguru, trainer of A Yogi\u2019s Guide to Joy<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Karma is shaped in the tiny, everyday moments\u2014a truth most people slip past and don\u2019t even notice until it\u2019s too late to change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Neale Donald Walsch<\/strong>, the author of Conversations with God<\/em> and an esteemed Mindvalley trainer, said it best in his book: \u201cA life lived of choice is a life of conscious action. [And] a life lived of chance is a life of unconscious creation.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Now, the question is: How can you ensure you\u2019re living consciously for the most part?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Find out your sweet spot in three steps:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Small choices compound. Pile them up through habit-stacking<\/a> or skill-stacking<\/a>, and suddenly, you\u2019re not just living differently. You<\/em> become different as a whole.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If your current karma is a result of past choices, then your future karma is being shaped right now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe past exists only in your memory, the future only in your imagination<\/em>,\u201d explains Sadhguru in his program. \u201cThe only thing you have is now<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n So, make the most of it with:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Step into your envisioned future deliberately every single day, and it won\u2019t be long before your entire life shifts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re talking about cause and effect and how every thought, action, and reaction has an impact on reality, then karma is as real as gravity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But if you\u2019re picturing some celestial accountant keeping score of your good and bad deeds, waiting to dish out payback, then no, that version doesn\u2019t exist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n How exactly can science illustrate this?<\/strong> Well, the famous double-slit experiment is where things get interesting: it shows that reality itself shifts depending on whether or not it\u2019s being observed<\/a>\u2014a.k.a., the observer effect. So if science tells us that our perception literally alters reality, then the idea of karma\u2014a system shaped by our thoughts, actions, and awareness\u2014fits right in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Even Neale, in his book, challenges the idea of karma as a rigid debt system, saying that we\u2019re not here to pay for past mistakes but to expand and evolve into our highest potential. <\/p>\n\n\n\n So, if you\u2019re worried about being \u201cstuck\u201d with bad karma, don\u2019t be. The moment you become aware of how you\u2019re shaping your life, you gain the power to shift it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Explore Neale\u2019s greater view on the topic:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nWhat is karma?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
What does \u201ckarma\u201d mean?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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7 karma symbols to remind you of your free will<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
1. The endless knot: the interconnection of everything<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/mv-prod-blog-en-assets\/2021\/10\/116e4625-sadghuru-what-is-karma-mindvalley-pulse-graphics-the-endless-knot.webp\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n2. The lotus: rising above your \u201ccircumstances\u201d<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/mv-prod-blog-en-assets\/2021\/10\/0b652100-sadghuru-what-is-karma-mindvalley-pulse-graphics-the-lotus.webp\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n3. The Wind Horse (Lungta): karma is in flux<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/mv-prod-blog-en-assets\/2021\/10\/4aac37cf-sadghuru-what-is-karma-mindvalley-pulse-graphics-the-wind-horse.webp\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n4. The wheel of life: breaking the cycle<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/mv-prod-blog-en-assets\/2021\/10\/d7f8a191-sadghuru-what-is-karma-mindvalley-pulse-graphics-the-wheel-of-life.webp\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n5. The Ouroboros: transformation through karma<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/mv-prod-blog-en-assets\/2021\/10\/3cf01e53-sadghuru-what-is-karma-mindvalley-pulse-graphics-ouroboros.webp\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n6. Hamsa: the power of conscious action<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/mv-prod-blog-en-assets\/2021\/10\/c2f32c39-sadghuru-what-is-karma-mindvalley-pulse-graphics-hamza.webp\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n7. The Dharma wheel: aligning your choices with purpose<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/mv-prod-blog-en-assets\/2021\/10\/c516a028-sadghuru-what-is-karma-mindvalley-pulse-graphics-the-dharma-wheel.webp\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nThe 3 types of karma explained (sanchita, prarabdha, and kriyamana)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
1. Sanchita karma: the collected past<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
2. Prarabdha karma: what\u2019s playing out in the present era<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
3. Priyamana karma: the karma you\u2019re creating right now<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
How does karma work?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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The 12 laws of karma<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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The common misconceptions of karma<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
1. Karma is not instant punishment or revenge<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
2. You\u2019re not \u201cstuck\u201d with bad karma<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
3. Karma\u2019s ultimately about perception<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
How to transform your karma in daily life<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
1. Assume absolute responsibility for yourself<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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2. Master your inner world before anything else<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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3. Practice making conscious choices, no matter how small<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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4. Live as if your future is already here\u2014the way you want it to be<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Is karma real?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n