4 kinds of karma

[Guest guest]

Namaste to all,

Steve recently asked, "Why do we have to suffer?".

Shree Maa said, "It is because of karma. Therefore it is very

important how we perform our present day actions."

 

The Goddess in the Devi Gita explains that since we are all

bound to act in this world, we should put forth every effort to

attain

to Wisdom and it is through wisdom that we destroy ignorance.

Actions performed in the presence of ignorance can only create

more ignorance. Actions with wisdom is a helper in the path of

liberation.

 

 

In the Guru and the Goddess book Swamiji explains the four

different kinds of karma in the Kasyap Sutra #1.

 

1. Praarabdha karma-Those actions commenced in the past

which are coming to fruition, to fulfillment, now and in the future.

Shankaracharya compares it to the arrow which leaves its bow

and once the arrow has left the bow there is nothing the archer

can do to alter its course but to watch and see where it lands.

 

Every action we perform sets off an arrow. The ideal way to deal

with this karma is to watch the arrows land without reaction and

to perform every action as efficiently and thoroughly as

possible..

Shree Maa once said that we should make friends with our

praarabdha

karma. We make friends with our praarabdha karma when we

accept every circumstance and strive to become free from

reaction or discriminate as to which response will take us closer

to our goal.

 

2. Samksipta karma- Karma which is completed, over and done

with. It is finished. It is full, complete and perfect. There is

nothing left to be done.

 

3. Vartmaana karma- present karma. Karma which is going on

right now. It is in the process.

 

4. Nityakarma-Eternal karma. Those activities which are eternal.

This would include chanting, meditation, puja, homa, japa, etc.

As much Nitya Karma that we can engage in the better.