Page 1 - January 2026

Shortcomings – Doña

SWAMINI VIMALANANDA

oña, in this context, refers to shortcomings, wrongdoing,
Dlimitations, faults, negativity, or mistakes. The opposite
of doña is guëa or sadguëa – the positive, virtue or good qualities.

For the sake of understanding our mind and our life, doñas can
be categorized as follows:
Karma Doña – Limitations or Faults in Action

Any action, no matter how perfectly and beautifully executed, has
its limitations. For example, every product has a manufacturing
defect. It may be minuscule, but due to the limitations of
the material, the process, human error, machine error – whatever
the cause may be – it can never be 100% perfect.

Similarly, all our actions are limited by the very instruments
of action – physical strength and skill, mental strength, talent,
intentions, abilities, the external instruments and materials
we work with, as well as the external circumstances that govern
the action. This is Karma Doña.
Actions can be self-centered (Kämya Karma), enjoined (Niyata
Karma), like duties and good actions (Puëya Karma) such as
charity and spiritual practices, or forbidden actions and
sins (Niñiddha Karma), like cheating or robbery. Forbidden actions
are full of doñas.

A good action can have a good intention, but its execution can
be poor. For example, good advice given in a ‘holier than thou’
tone. On the other hand, a wrong action could have a fallout
effect of unintentionally benefiting someone. Even ordinary
actions, such as talking or walking, expend energy. Therefore,
there is a flip side to all actions.

Tapovan Prasad 36 January 2026