11-08-2006, 02:19 AM
karma-phala is also tied up intimately with the idea of free-will and the actor who posseses that will (kartaa).
Only an actor (kartaa) who acts according to his free will, is liable for his actions (karma) and has to reap the fruit (phala) of his/her actions.
It is trivial to identify the 'kartaa' in individuals.
If one wants to stretch it, one may argue that even societies possess the 'kartaa'-ness. But it is very hard to justify that the free will of choice was with the group and not with the individual. Even if a group tries to foist a 'collective-choice' on an individual, it is the individual that still has the free-will to accept or reject that. Similarly the indivduals of the group that foist this collective-choice on others by their free will, build up their own karma accordingly.
Only an actor (kartaa) who acts according to his free will, is liable for his actions (karma) and has to reap the fruit (phala) of his/her actions.
It is trivial to identify the 'kartaa' in individuals.
If one wants to stretch it, one may argue that even societies possess the 'kartaa'-ness. But it is very hard to justify that the free will of choice was with the group and not with the individual. Even if a group tries to foist a 'collective-choice' on an individual, it is the individual that still has the free-will to accept or reject that. Similarly the indivduals of the group that foist this collective-choice on others by their free will, build up their own karma accordingly.