Guest guest Posted July 29, 2007 Report Share Posted July 29, 2007 Dear Sadhakas, Namaste! Karmas, in this context, are acts with desire or expectations to achieve intended results for oneself. The key ingredients are intention and doer-ship! There may or may not be any physical action. Result of all such karmas performed presently and in the past, create further pleasant or painful impressions on the doer's mind, and intellect, and retained as memory. All of this mind-stuff is called subtle(sukshma sharira) body which drives the gross physical body during the life of a person. Upon death of the body, the subtle body with mind impressions, memory and feelings of doer-ship-ego takes on new body and continues its journey until this ignorance of being a doer drops and karmas are performed naturally for greater good without a doer. Thus the tree of Karmas rests on ignorance of assumed doership, which in turn, due to not knowing the true identity of this apparant doer. Upon investigation of validity of such a doer-ship, doer falls flat on its face and light of consciousness shines, taking over body-mind as instrument of that devotee. There reins freedom from karmas and thus cycle of apparant birth and death of body continues or halts, but such a person is no longer a person, he/she is jivan-mukta. SO to be free, act as if no doer acting. This will also facilitate acceptance of all results pleasurable of painful! No-doer, no karma bandhan! Namaskaras..lovingly Pratap --- sadhak_insight wrote: > What is KARMA and how can it affect our lives?Is > there anything we can do to change our KARMA? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 30, 2007 Report Share Posted July 30, 2007 Dear Sadhak, Definition of Karma is "any action - physical or mental - done with an attachment of "I" in it". "I" here means the body. In simpler words, Karma means any action that I say "I have done". Here it is important to distinguish between "I" and "Self". "I" means the body and "Self" means the soul. There is a universal saying "Every action has a reaction". Gitaji seems to accept this. Hence for every action we will get something in return (Karma Phal - Fruit of Karma), be it good or bad. Obviously the fruit of Karma will be good for good deeds and bad for bad deeds. Now, the question arises, how can one live wuthout Karma. At this point of time, I would like to give an example. I went to a saint and sought her guidance as to how can we achieve God. She most graciously advised that we need not do anything to achieve God. I was baffled. I thought that she may not be considering me worthy to deserve an answer. However, I once again asked the same question at her lotus feet, as to how can one achieve God without doing anything (Sadhan). After a little while, she said "after all what do you do any way". This put me thinking as to what was the secret hidden in her words of wisdom. I then got an answer from my inner self that I am the soul and not the body. Hence all actions done by the body are not done by my true self. This is the crux of Karma. So long as we will do any activity with an attachment of "I" (the BODY), those Karmas will invite Karma Phal. Since as a beginner, it is difficult to differenciate between "I" and "Self", may I suggest that we may start with Good Deeds. Different people can define good deeds differently. Hence I would like to clarify that there are three "Gunas" - Sattvik, Rasjasik and Tamasik. Sattvik actions lift us up and bring peace in our mind. Examples of Sattvik actions are - Giving something to a needy, who is completly an unknown person. I say "Unknown" because in his case we will not expect anything in retunn at any time in life. - Sit alone and read Gitaji and it's Teeka (Discourse) Similarly, Rajasik actions are the normal day to day actions that we take, keeping in mind that we do not take any action with an intention to hurt anyone. It does not mean that no one should get hurt but the intension should not be there to hurt. Lastly the Tamasik actions are those that lead to lethargy, sluggishness etc. Examples are - Intoxication, Gambling, Killing for pleasure or food etc. There in nothing that we can do to change our Karma. What we have sowed, we will have to reap. What we can do is not to have future karmas and also not suffer from our old Karmas. This is a very advanced stage and may be very difficult for a beginner to understand. Hence, my strong recommendation to my fellow sadhaks is to keep on reading commentaries on Gitaji and keep contemplating on same. After all "Krishnam Vandey Jagatgurum" A.H.Dalmia - sadhak_insight Thursday, July 26, 2007 4:08 AM KARMA What is KARMA and how can it affect our lives?Is there anything we can do to change our KARMA?omah ramdeen - Gita Talk Guidelines FROM THE MODERATOR The following are the guidelines for Gita-Talk discussions. 1. Purpose of the group is to help Sadhaks clarify their doubts related to Gita shlokas. For responses to be posted, they must further clarify the understanding of Gitaji. 2. Wherever possible, please quote Gitaji or other scriptures to substantiate the response 3. Please limit personal feelings, opinions, beliefs etc. 4. Kindly make your responses concise and to the point. (Up to twenty line maximum, if possible). 5. Please limit discussions to subject at hand. 6. Please do not include links to other sites or other organizations 7. Please do not include your personal information such as phone number, address etc. 8. Kindly do not address the response to a particular individual, since the message is going to the entire group. 9. Due to a large readership, not all responses will be posted. 10. Moderator at his discretion, may modify the posting, if content is unclear or not appropriate for distribution to the group. 11. Please respond taking into consideration novices, youth, westerners, non-secterian audience. Please limit the use on only sanskrit words, and provide the english word with sanskrit bracketed wherever possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 31, 2007 Report Share Posted July 31, 2007 Dear Friends The question has three parts as under:- 1)What is KARMA 2) how can it affect our lives? 3)Is there anything we can do to change our KARMA? The answers are as under:- 1) Karma is a matter/substance having physical existence and which fuses with soul and is carried to next life .Bad karma is represented by black matter/substance and good karma is white matter/substance. Karma is a living (alive) matter and attracts similar matter and resists opposite matter. As such, it is difficult for persons having black matter/bad karma to listen to good advice or take action for spiritual development. 2) Persons carrying bad karma (black matter) will be uneasy and unhappy irrespective of financial or social position. Further, persons carrying bad karma (black matter) will suffer physically ,emotionally and mentally to the extent of load of karma .It creates obstacle in path of happiness. 3)Certainly ,we can do a lot to change our Karma, as under:- a) The first rule for changing bad karma to good karma is not to hurt any one ,not to harm any one so that additional bad karma is not accumulated. b) The second rule is to practice compassion , kindness and benevolence. Carrying a thought that everybody should benefit from me and doing something for everyone daily reduces bad karma and accumulates good karma. c) The third rule is patience and tolerance. One must not react immediately in anger. By suffering silently without reacting dissolves bad karma. The understanding of the above and starting to practice in daily life will produce result immediately. The result will be you will start singing or dancing or both. Regards A K Jain , sadhak_insight wrote: > > What is KARMA and how can it affect our lives?Is there anything we can do to change our KARMA? > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 31, 2007 Report Share Posted July 31, 2007 Loving Divine, Pranams. The question is: What is KARMA and how can it affect our lives?Is there anything we can do to change our KARMA? Please read and contemplate on all slokas in Chapter 3 of Gitaji. In a broader perspective Karma includes any and every action done consciously or unconsciously to attain any and every goal, known or unknown, impacting one or many. Action - reaction, reaction and action, all is karma. Breathing to sustain our life is also a karma. In BG 3:5 Lord indicates that no one can remain without some karma. Later in the same chapter He says even though I don't have to attain anything in the 3 worlds, yet I remain engaged in action (BG 3:22). Understand the difference. He has nothing to attain, yet he engages Himself into action - this is the height of Yogic state, the selfless karma. So performing action, as needed, to run our day today life is necessary. Even if one remains doing nothing is still thinking and breathing and doing nothing is also a karma. The point is when all these karmas are done in union with God, surrendering everything to God, done by God (this is the highest stage of spirituality), when nothing remains for me to do - all is done in its natural state, it becomes no karma of my own, 'I' - the ego, mind & body. Any way, I also believe in what Dalmiaji said that every action has its reaction Karmafal is unavoidable - whether you bear it or someone else (able Guru) bears it for you, it will come. Not a single action goes wasted in nature. Each and every action bears fruit. It could be one & /or many fruits, affecting one & /or many persons resulting sooner & /or later, in this or future lives. I will try to explain the point by giving an example as I have heard it from Baba. It is like Bow and arrows. With the arrow 3 things are possible. One arrow that has already left the bow. Usually you can not return so it is going to kill a dear to whom it was targeted. Second, the arrow is in your hand ready to leave the bow, you have choice - shoot or not to shoot, if you are observant, you can stop your impulse even at last moment. And 3rd situation is, the arrow is still sitting in the quiver on which you have complete control of not to use. So our karma's are like this. On some we have no control, whatever is done is done, we have to bear the fruits - good or bad. Some actions we are about to perform (in our heart we know it is bad), we can control those impulses and decide to withdraw those actions even half way in motion. And yet, there are set of actions that we can completely avoid by engaging ourselves into mediation and self enquiring and obtaining the knowledge of who is it that is realy performing all actions? Thus avoid the fruit of actions that have yet to come our way. When we understand the true doer (self/soul) behind each action, the course of our life can be changed completely. So wise people say that the destiny is in our hand is so true! Even in the 1st situation when you think the arrow is already shot and you can't do anything, Baba says, if you are smart, you can clap and make the dear run away before the arrow touches his body. So I would say may be able Guru can help avoid or minimize the impact of some of our past karmas. The best course of action for us is to watch our action and not to indulge in such action that is going to harm others. Obtain the knowledge of self (recognize the breath within breath that gives life - can our hand perform anything if there is no desire, can desire exist if there is no mind, can mind function if there is no breath, can breath - air do anything if there is no praana, what is this praana? Who is breathing it in this body? How it gets pulled and utilized in this body? etc.) and slowly empty our bag and not to accumulate any more new karmas and thus stop the cycle of birth-death. Hope this helps, always at Thy Divine Feet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 31, 2007 Report Share Posted July 31, 2007 Ram Ram. Kindly support your statement 'which fuses with soul ...' from Gitajee, please, in which is stated 'na karoti na lipyate ...' Sarvottam , " Ashok Jain " <akjain wrote: > > Dear Friends > > The question has three parts as under:- > > 1)What is KARMA > 2) how can it affect our lives? > 3)Is there anything we can do to change our KARMA? > > The answers are as under:- > 1) Karma is a matter/substance having physical existence and > which fuses with soul and is carried to next life .Bad karma is > represented by black matter/substance and good karma is white > matter/substance. Karma is a living (alive) matter and attracts > similar matter and resists opposite matter. As such, it is difficult > for persons having black matter/bad karma to listen to good advice > or take action for spiritual development. > > 2) Persons carrying bad karma (black matter) will be uneasy and > unhappy irrespective of financial or social position. Further, > persons carrying bad karma (black matter) will suffer > physically ,emotionally and mentally to the extent of load of > karma .It creates obstacle in path of happiness. > > 3)Certainly ,we can do a lot to change our Karma, as under:- > > a) The first rule for changing bad karma to good karma is not to > hurt any one ,not to harm any one so that additional bad karma is > not accumulated. > b) The second rule is to practice compassion , kindness and > benevolence. Carrying a thought that everybody should benefit from > me and doing something for everyone daily reduces bad karma and > accumulates good karma. > c) The third rule is patience and tolerance. One must not react > immediately in anger. By suffering silently without reacting > dissolves bad karma. > > The understanding of the above and starting to practice in daily > life will produce result immediately. The result will be you will > start singing or dancing or both. > > Regards > > A K Jain > > , sadhak_insight@ wrote: > > > > What is KARMA and how can it affect our lives?Is there anything we > can do to change our KARMA? > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 5, 2009 Report Share Posted April 5, 2009 Hare Krishna,KarmaMost people have heard of Karma but have little understanding of what that means. So what does it mean? As I am sure a lot of you know Karma means 'action'. That is the literal translation of the word. For every action there is another action. This is the Law of Cause and Effect that Karma is all about, and is what we mean when we say the word karma most of the time. Karma is pretty much the Law of Cause and Effect. Every action or thought we do or have has an effect. This is inescapable. The Law of Cause and Effect is Absolute and is working in just about everything we do. In fact everything that we have happen to us is a result of our Karma. We either have Good karma or bad karma. What would you rather happen to you? Good or bad. All sane people only want Good to happen to them. We live in an intelligent Creation. God's Law is Absolute. He knows just exactly what you are doing and why. So you can't cheat. In case your wondering karma is also in the Gita. It states "As you sow, so must you reap." This is stating the Law of Karma. If you do bad things they will come back to haunt you, but there is a way of nullifying or avoiding the 'negative' effects of karma. This is through Love. Love is the ruling Law of All Life, so when you align yourself with this Law, life will cooperate. Karma also effects persons state of consciousness and their thought Source. A person's karma of this sort needs to be taken into account when Counselling them (An inner Qualification is required in order to Counsel someone, not a piece of paper).Karma also explains why bad things happen to 'good' people. They are not really good at all and are just reaping what they have sowed in this or previous lifetimes.With Love,Sree Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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