law of karma

[Guest guest]

Dear Members

I wish to share with you this wonderful article with you all. I request other

members of this group who are silent members to come forward and join in our

discussion we are undertaking in this forum.

 

 

Law of Karma

 

Karma is a Sanskrit word meaning action. However it embraces the whole meaning

of living. Thus according to Indian philosophy we are because of our Karma.

Thus our Karma or actions or deeds (both good and bad) decide our future in

this or the next life. Law of karma occupies a central position in Indian

philosophy. According to some commentators the law of karma is very

deterministic. They claim that you are born according to your Karma, things

happen to you in your present birth because of your past Karmas etc. According

to them because of past Karmas it is not possible for one to change the present

life. This however negates the whole basis of Yoga which claims that one can

change the Sanskaras (memories) and hence ones life. All the four systems of

Yoga - Jnana, Raja, Bhakti and Karma teach us to live positively in thought,

words and deeds. This helps us in producing positive memories and hence good

Karma. I therefore believe that each one of us has the power to change our

destiny and our memories by our actions in this life. Our actions change the

neural pathways in the brain and hence the mind, which guides us to our future

course of action. Thus we can change our memories or Sanskaras through Yogic

process and cultivation of deep thought. This can subsequently change our

Karma. Deep thought on any subject for a long time is the essence of Yoga and

is referred to as Sanyam in Patanjali Yoga. Sanyam allows memory removal or

sublimation of existing memories into new ones. Thinking deeply about a subject

for a long time requires tremendous processing capability of the brain and it

can only be achieved if the mind gets rid of some of the existing memories.

This is the genesis of removing Sanskaras. Modern brain researches do show that

brain is pliable and is capable of developing new neurons, neural pathways and

hence memories. The intensity of an experience dictates the quality of memory

formation. Deep thought allows a very intense experience. When we think

continuously and deeply about a particular thought tremendous processing takes

place in the mind, since the brain is evaluating millions of alternatives. This

processing can be thought of as a cyclonic activity, which embraces other

thoughts in its wake to produce the energy to focus on a single item. This

process when continued for a long time helps in memory sublimation. Why are we

interested in getting rid of our memories ? Our lives are full of happy and sad

events. They produce happy and sad memories. Unhappy memories in individuals

lead to violence, hatred and general unhappiness in the world. If we can

willfully remove our unhappy memories, it will help us live a more fruitful and

happy life. Besides it will also help us in liberating ourselves from the cycle

of birth and death. Sometimes people feel that the the old unhappy or

unpleasant memories which do not surface may have been removed or sublimated.

However they surface again when we start thinking about some unpleasant events.

Somehow the brain has the capability of bringing out certain type of memories as

if they are stored in a certain section of the brain. Thus if one thinks of

unpleasant thoughts all the unhappy memories start coming out. Similar is the

case with pleasant and positive thoughts. How can we remove the unhappy

memories ? Besides the yogic process another way is to think continuously about

happy events so that this process reduces the intensity of unhappy memories.

Sometimes they can also be removed completely. Initially it is difficult to do

so but with practice and patience it can be achieved. This process is much

superior to that of suppressing the unhappy memories. This is also the way

nature evolves where it makes the negative things irrelevant rather than

suppressing them. If we try to suppress the negative feelings and memories they

come back with much greater force. Thus by positive thoughts, words and deeds or

Karma we can change our memories and can become happy.

Regards

Prasanna Kumar

[Guest guest]

Sri Prasanna Kumar ji and all,

Thanks for the interesting article. As you rightly said the shaping of the

Sanskaras and the Karma thereby lies in our hands.

Unpleasant memories if suppressed can bring lot of grief as they would certainly

surface. Thinking of happy events constantly would help the brain to some extent

but would never wipe away the unpleasant memories.

One way of addressing the unpleasant memories would be to get to analysis of

what lead to them first. This in itself is rather painful but a little bitter

ness is better than something life long. Find out if we have also been a cause

and accept it consciously. that takes away some sting off psychologically. The

next thing would be to , show some empathy, what had driven the other causes to

behave so or result in the unpleasantness.

If it were caused by persons, try to forgive them . I know it is the most

difficult part of the painful exercise but it has to be done to exorcise the

demons. If we can sympathise with the person/s, believe me that gives immense

self satisfaction of having done something good, then bitterness is more than

gone. If we can thank them for the experience, for we learn more through

unpleasantness than its counterpart, then it would not be difficult to erase

the unpleasantness of the memories as erasing them per se would not be

possible. To reinvent these unpleasant memories, divest them of their

bitterness would make life easier. After this exercise, one can experience an

inordinate amount of lightness- indicating the heaviness of the burden we have

been all along been carrying.

This is not a theoretical, meaningless exercise but one I have assidously

practised for some time and I know it has alleviated a lot of pain and made me

a happier and a better person. The memories are no longer painful, as I dont

associate any unpleasantness, bitterness or pain with them.

This is possible because memory is associative in nature.

Vedadri Maharshi has also advocated, loving and blessing our enemies, thank them

for the experience so that it does not register deep into the memory and become

a baggage to be carried forward -karma into the future.

Reslove them and they no more have the power to trouble you and come in your path of Karma.

These are by humble views based on my own experience of dealing with pain.

Regards

Nalini

(Om Namah Shivaya Namah Mallikarjunaya)--- In

, "prasanna kumar"

<groupowner.prasanna wrote:>> *Dear Members*> > I wish to share with you

this wonderful article with you all. I request> other members of this group who

are silent members to come forward and join> in our discussion we are

undertaking in this forum.> > > > > > * Law of Karma*> > **> > Karma is a

Sanskrit word meaning action. However it embraces the whole> meaning of living.

Thus according to Indian philosophy we are because of our> Karma. Thus our Karma

or actions or deeds (both good and bad) decide our> future in this or the next

life. Law of karma occupies a central position in> Indian philosophy.> >

According to some commentators the law of karma is very deterministic. They>

claim that you are born according to your Karma, things happen to you in> your

present birth because of your past Karmas etc. According to them> because of

past Karmas it is not possible for one to change the present> life. This

however negates the whole basis of Yoga which claims that one can> change the

*Sanskaras* (memories) and hence ones life. All the four systems> of Yoga -

Jnana, Raja, Bhakti and Karma teach us to live positively in> thought, words

and deeds. This helps us in producing positive memories and> hence good Karma.>

> I therefore believe that each one of us has the power to change our destiny>

and our memories by our actions in this life. Our actions change the neural>

pathways in the brain and hence the mind, which guides us to our future> course

of action. Thus we can change our memories or *Sanskaras* through> Yogic process

and cultivation of deep thought. This can subsequently change> our Karma. Deep

thought on any subject for a long time is the essence of> Yoga and is referred

to as *Sanyam* in Patanjali Yoga. *Sanyam* allows> memory removal or

sublimation of existing memories into new ones. Thinking> deeply about a

subject for a long time requires tremendous processing> capability of the brain

and it can only be achieved if the mind gets rid of> some of the existing

memories. This is the genesis of removing *Sanskaras*.> > Modern brain

researches do show that brain is pliable and is capable of> developing new

neurons, neural pathways and hence memories. The intensity of> an experience

dictates the quality of memory formation. Deep thought allows> a very intense

experience. When we think continuously and deeply about a> particular thought

tremendous processing takes place in the mind, since the> brain is evaluating

millions of alternatives. This processing can be thought> of as a cyclonic

activity, which embraces other thoughts in its wake to> produce the energy to

focus on a single item. This process when continued> for a long time helps in

memory sublimation.> > Why are we interested in getting rid of our memories ?

Our lives are full of> happy and sad events. They produce happy and sad

memories. Unhappy memories> in individuals lead to violence, hatred and general

unhappiness in the> world. If we can willfully remove our unhappy memories, it

will help us live> a more fruitful and happy life. Besides it will also help us

in liberating> ourselves from the cycle of birth and death.> > Sometimes people

feel that the the old unhappy or unpleasant memories which> do not surface may

have been removed or sublimated. However they surface> again when we start

thinking about some unpleasant events. Somehow the brain> has the capability of

bringing out certain type of memories as if they are> stored in a certain

section of the brain. Thus if one thinks of unpleasant> thoughts all the

unhappy memories start coming out. Similar is the case with> pleasant and

positive thoughts.> > How can we remove the unhappy memories ? Besides the

yogic process another> way is to think continuously about happy events so that

this process reduces> the intensity of unhappy memories. Sometimes they can

also be removed> completely. Initially it is difficult to do so but with

practice and> patience it can be achieved. This process is much superior to

that of> suppressing the unhappy memories. This is also the way nature evolves

where> it makes the negative things irrelevant rather than suppressing them. If

we> try to suppress the negative feelings and memories they come back with much>

greater force.> > Thus by positive thoughts, words and deeds or Karma we can

change our> memories and can become happy.> > > > Regards> > *Prasanna

Kumar***>