Karma is a tricky subject to understand. One could think action and reaction seem simple enough.

However, in the Bhagavad Gita, the great treaty on spiritual truth, Krishna says the path of action is mysterious and complex, therefore one must learn what is action, inaction and which action should be avoided.

The intricacies and interplay of cause and effect are difficult to trace and understand. However, there is a simple truth that we should know about karma – in many ways, it’s your best friend.

While we may not be fully independent, we are all endowed with free will. Within the playground of this world and the parameters of our circumstances, we have the freedom to desire and to act on those desires.

The universe says, ‘Go for it. Do whatever you like.’

What we miss in the small print is that while we have the freedom to act, we do not have the freedom to avoid the consequences of our actions – the consequence is your karma.

Karma teaches us to take responsibility for our actions and their consequences.

The latin root of the word consequence means ‘following closely.’ In order for an activity to be complete one must deal with the beginning (the desire), the middle (the action), and the end (the consequence). If we perform an action and try to avoid its associated reaction the cycle remains incomplete and one is bound to repeat the same thing again and again until we learn the lesson.

This is the gift of karma – our best friend and greatest teacher. With all of its complexities and intricacies, if we can learn this simple truth one’s karma can become an instrument of one’s ultimate liberation.