Karma & Dharma

"The moment you act, you inevitably activate certain forces, which
will just as inevitably produce certain results. This connection
between cause and effect is the initial meaning of the word
karma. It was only later that it took on the sense of payment for
a sin committed. So you could say that karma (in the second
meaning of the term) manifests whenever an action is not totally
inspired by divine wisdom and love – which is the case most of
the time. But human beings make attempts and need to practise.
Their attempts are clumsy, imperfect, but it doesn’t matter –
they have to mend their ways, put right their mistakes, and of
course they struggle, and they suffer in the process.
You will say, ‘Well, since we can’t help but make mistakes when
we act and then we have to suffer to make amends, isn’t it better
not to do anything?’ No, you have to act. Obviously, you will
suffer, but you will learn, you will evolve, and one day you will
no longer suffer. When you have learned to act well, when all
your actions and all your words are inspired by kindness, purity
and disinterestedness, they will not entail any ‘karma’ but will
attract beneficial effects. This is called dharma."

Omraam Mikhaël Aïvanhov