I know that kharma is a doctrine of responsibility and that it is subject to the law of consequences, the law of sowing and reaping, cause and effect, but has little to do with rewards and punishments. What else can you tell me about it?

‘All activities, even thoughts, in the school of life earn either kharmic merits or demerits. However, it is not only the actual deed but every consequence arising from it, every effect of which it is the cause, which incurs a gain or loss. Kharma is incurred not only by the commission of a wrong, but by its condoning. Often the contrasting aspects of merit and demerit are not readily seen. It is not sufficient to do a specific thing, the attitude towards its doing is also important. Thus, while the performance of a particular task or the foregoing of something may, of itself, be deserving of merit, if it be done with ill grace or with consequent irritability, the merit is considerably diminished. The whole question of kharmic merit adjustments is very complicated and cannot be fully explained in brief communications. However, the path and adjustment of kharmic merit also reside in a whole system of moral codes, prohibitions and rules of life. A whole hierarchy of Beings overshadow the operation of kharmic adjustments.’ ‘Some things do not earn merits of themselves. For instance, no matter how full of the quality of kindness a person may be, there is no merit to be gained until a situation arises wherein it can be expressed. Likewise, truthfulness of itself is incapable of earning merit until a circumstance arises where there is a choice between truthfulness and its opposite. There are of course all kinds of qualifying circumstances and blendings, but always there is a balance of merit and demerit.’ (Book of Gwineva). Everyone has three kinds of kharma. First, that from the past incarnations not yet exhausted. Second, the kharma that has been incurred and is continually being incurred in this life, which may be worked out during this life or which may not come to fruition until future incarnations. There is a third type of kharma which does not come into operation in this life because circumstances are not right for its being brought into action. This may be likened to vapour held in suspension in the atmosphere, invisible, but which will fall like rain the moment conditions are ripe. It should be noted that as well as an individual kharma there is also a national kharma and a world kharma.