That’s exactly what I realized when I watched a video of Geshe Michael Roach in which he said:
“These teachings came down to us from the 4th century. This knowledge about karma will help you achieve any goal.”
Before hearing that phrase, I thought I understood karma. It’s such a popular word; the meaning seemed obvious. I assumed karma was something that just happens to you—an irreversible force, like gravity or any law of physics. Those were the kind of vague and illogical beliefs floating around in my head.
And it was Geshe Michael who finally explained everything to me—specifically, in detail, and without any of the esoteric stuff. So, here are the 7 rules of karma that will help you become happier in every aspect of your life. Maybe even completely happy.
- Every action leaves an imprint in your consciousness
- Every imprint grows and multiplies over time
- If you don’t plant the seed, you get no fruit
- If you plant a seed, it will definitely sprout sooner or later
- Karma shapes your habits and character
- Your environment and experiences reflect your karma
- You hold the power to create the life you want
Every action leaves an imprint in your consciousness
Geshe Michael loves to explain this with a really cool and simple example—by imagining us as gardeners. Think of your mind as a garden and each action as a seed you plant in it. If you plant a seed of a flower, a flower will grow; if you plant a thorn bush, you’ll get thorns. Likewise, when you do something kind or positive, you plant a positive seed in your consciousness that will eventually blossom into a good experience for you. And if you do something harmful, you plant a negative seed that will sooner or later result in pain or problems for you.
Every imprint grows and multiplies over time
A small seed can grow into a large tree that yields hundreds of fruits, and karma works the same way. Each action you take can come back to you magnified. A tiny good deed might reward you with much greater good fortune down the road, whereas a seemingly minor wrongdoing can balloon into a bigger problem later. Understanding this helps us realize that even our small daily choices matter a lot.
If you don’t plant the seed, you get no fruit
In other words, nothing in life happens without a cause. You can’t expect to receive something you want if you haven’t done anything to earn or create it. For example, if you want loving relationships but you never show kindness or love to others, there’s no seed for love to grow from. This rule teaches you that to get something, you first have to take action and create the cause for it.
If you plant a seed, it will definitely sprout sooner or later
No action is ever lost or forgotten. Once you do something—good or bad—the consequence is only a matter of time. The seed you plant in your consciousness will remain there until it finds the right conditions to ripen into a result. Sometimes it happens quickly; other times, it might take years (or even longer) for an action to come back to you. But eventually, it will come back. This means every single thing you do matters, because sooner or later you will experience the effects of it.
Karma shapes your habits and character
Each time you repeat an action, you strengthen its imprint in your mind, making it more likely you’ll do that action again. Over time, this forms habits—good or bad—and influences your personality. If you consistently help others and act generously, you’ll find it becomes more natural to be kind; you gradually become a genuinely kinder person. On the other hand, if you often lie or hurt others, those behaviors can become habits that are hard to break, gradually shaping you into someone you might not want to be. Realizing this principle encourages us to cultivate good habits and break bad ones, since we’re literally crafting ourselves with every action.
Your environment and experiences reflect your karma
The imprints in your consciousness don’t just influence what you do; they also influence what happens to you. In a way, the world around you acts like a mirror, reflecting back what you’ve put out. When you plant seeds of compassion, patience, and honesty, you’ll notice your life is filled with more supportive, caring, and trustworthy people. Things tend to go more smoothly for you.
Conversely, if you sow seeds of anger, deceit, or selfishness, you might find yourself facing a hostile or unfair environment. This principle shows that you largely create the kind of world you live in through your own actions.
You hold the power to create the life you want
Knowing all these principles, you become almost omnipotent in the sense that you gain control over your future. Karma is not about fate randomly handing you good or bad outcomes; it’s about you planting and growing the exact experiences that you will have. This means whatever you want in life—success, happiness, love, health—you can attain it by understanding the specific seeds that lead to those results and consciously planting them. If you want happiness, give happiness to others. If you seek prosperity, help others prosper. By diligently using these karmic rules, you become the gardener of your own life, capable of achieving any goal and harvesting true, lasting happiness.
Juli Anokhina
