Before exploring Karma, we must understand how Hinduism views the mind. This is because the concept of Karma is deeply connected to it.

The Layers of the Mind

In Hindu philosophy, the mind has four layers, which determine who you are as a person.

1. Buddhi — This is the conscious mind. It is responsible for thinking, decision-making, and problem-solving.
2. Chitta — This is the subconscious mind. It stores your memories, desires, and tendencies from your current life. These mental impressions, called Sanskaras, shape your behavior and thought patterns.
3. Vasana — This is the psychic mind. It stores your desires and tendencies from your past lifetime. These influence your behavior in ways you don’t understand or can’t explain.
4. Prakriti — This is the unconscious mind. It controls automatic functions like breathing and heartbeat. Anything that is programmed by nature in you is called Prakriti.

Finally, Atman. This is not a layer of your mind but what exists beyond your mind. This is called soul, spirit, or consciousness. In simple terms, this is the divine that resides within you.

What is Karma?

So now that you understand the four layers of the mind, we can discuss Karma, which has two meanings.

1. Karma means action. Anything you do, from thinking to sleeping to working, is Karma.
2. Karma refers to all the mental impressions stored in your subconscious and psychic mind. It is your experiences, behavior, tendencies, and everything your mind has accumulated over this lifetime and many past ones.

So, how does Karma affect us?

Karma or your mental impressions decide your destiny. It also shapes how you behave, perceive, and interact with the world. In short, you can think of Karma as software that pretty much runs your life.

If your mind has stored negative karma — formed by actions that harm others or yourself — you will suffer. If your mind has stored positive karma — formed by helping others and caring for yourself — you will feel peaceful.

Self-purification

The more negative karma you clear, the more your thoughts and behavior will change, leading you closer to God.

This process of clearing the mind to remove karma is called “Self-Purification.” It is done through practices like meditation, mindfulness, positive habits, and Sadhana or spiritual discipline.

If you clear all your past karma or mental impressions and practice daily routines to clear day-to-day karma, your mind is said to be purified. You are now liberated from your karma and its cycles. When this happens, you begin to experience your Atman or the divine in you. This is the experience of divine presence that many liberated souls talk about.

Love,
Sri Devi Om

• Note: In Hinduism, the psychic mind is also called Chitta, and the mental impressions here are Vasana. To prevent confusion and simplify the concept, I’ve just termed the layer itself as Vasana.