Question: What is karma?

Sri Chinmoy: Nicole, I am so glad you have learned the word 'karma'. It is a Sanskrit word. It means work. In our spiritual life, when we use this word we usually mean service. Now, whom do we serve? We serve God. Why do we serve Him? Not because He has tremendous power, but because He is extremely fond of us. We serve Him because when we serve Him, He never makes us feel that we are His slaves. On the contrary, He makes us feel that He and we are one and equal. It is like holding a mango in your right hand and then putting it in your left hand. This action of placing is called karma. Why do we do that? We do that because our right hand loves our left hand and our left hand loves our right hand. Just because the left hand loves the right hand as well, a few minutes later the left hand will also place something in the right hand. So karma means give and take. Karma means service, but here service means give and take. We give to God. We give Him what we have: our ignorance; and God gives us what He eternally is: Light.