Karma is one of the most commonly known but poorly understood concepts of Vedic Science. This term first occurs in the Vedic themselves which refer to karma as the ritual we do in life. In the Vedic view all life is a ritual; that is, all life is a repeated action which produces certain subtle or occult results. It is these results which determine our future condition and the state of the world live in. Each action has a certain effect which determines who we are and what we will become. Our most constant and intended action, our daily practice, thereby is the measure of the direction of the evolution of our soul and our effect upon the world-soul. Whatever this may be, whether it is making money or seeking truth, this is our worship or way of directing our energies in life and must have certain consequences. In the Upanishads this secret doctrine of karma and rebirth is first explained in rational and philosophical terms.

And sensitive person is struck by the amount of injustice there is in the world. Most of the time, we see those who are evil triumph over those ho are good. We often see the good man suffer in poverty or social rejection, while the man of evil or mixed character is rewarded with money, fame and power. Saints, sages and avatars are often ignored, slandered or martyred. We observe that the positions people hold in life seldom correspond to their inner qualities. Men of true wisdom are seldom found at the lead of educational institutes. Most religious leaders lack in any real spiritual experience.

While we do see instances wherein evil men fall or are defeated by the good, it appears more as an exception than the rule. We see a world teeming with inequality, wherein the weak and poor are often trampled under. Today, the earth itself is being destroyed, along with much of its plant and animal populations. It appears that if there is a God, he is not watching over this world and is not involved with its evolution.

The Doctrine of karma, by the common understanding, means “as you sow, so shall you reap.” By this many take it mean that those who are rich and affluent in life must be reaping the rewards of past good actions, while those who are poor and destitute are paying back for previous misdeeds.

Such attitudes of karma are simplistic and erroneous because karma is based upon the inner reality of things, not upon the outer names and forms of the world. Karma, as a spiritual law, is not adjusted according to our various and conflicting cultural definitions of success and failure. Our life and consciousness is like an iceberg, the greater portion of it lies beneath he waters of our ordinary awareness. As long as we only judge the visible portion of things we will come to many wrong conclusions about reality. Karma, as a spiritual law, must apply to the whole reality of man, not just to the preconceptions or prejudices of the surface mind and emotions.

From such an inner standpoint, the soul’s happiness is often the suffering of the ego, and the happiness of the ego is often the suffering of the soul. In this regard good fortune in life may be sign of a strong ego, while suffering may occur to us to awaken us to the truth behind the outer forms of things. More evolved souls may choose more difficult incarnations, while less evolved souls may require comfort and ease. It is like mountain climbers. The beginners must take only the easy slope, while the experienced go after difficult inclines.

We also see that anyone who chooses the spiritual life is going against the outer order of society. Hence, it is usual for a spiritual aspirant to receive criticism or undergo hardship from the outer world. According to the ancient myths, all the Gods abandon us so that we can discover ourselves; only we ourselves can destroy the dragon of our own ignorance. Oppression or hardship in life may not be an indication of bad karma but the shadow of the good grace of the spiritual path in a world that is contrary to it. Moreover, the spiritual life often involves a quickening of our karma, an attempt to work it out at a faster rate. For this reason we may experience more negative karma as we move along the path. This, again, is no indication of necessary evil in our nature but apart of a process of purification.

Quoted from "From the River of Heaven" by David Frawley