To Karen: Nityakarma - Eternal Karma

[Guest guest]

Namaste to Karen and all,

Here are some thoughts on eternal karma. Hope it helps to

answer your question.

 

Nitya karma means eternal actions such as puja,

path(recitation of the scriptures) kirtan(singing the names of

God), meditation, homa(fire ceremony). These are actions

which bring us into yoga, union, or samadhi, the state beyond

duality.

 

Yoga is a state of chitta, vritti nirod. The cessation of all

changes or modifications of the mind. This is an eternal state

beyond time and space.

 

When we engage in Nitya karma we do not create more worldly

tendencies or samskaras but instead create nitya samskaras, or

eternal tendencies which go beyond the 6 limitations of

conciousness that keep us bound in worldy

attachments.

 

These are the 6 obstacles in the path of union as outlined in the

The Devi Gita: anger, desire, greed, ignorance, conceit, and

jealousy. By performing nitya karma it helps us to deal better

with these limitations as well as with our own praarabdha

karma, actions performed in the past that are coming to

fruition.

 

Because we have been engaging in various nitya karma

activities, when an arrow from the past lands we are better able

to design an appropriate response so that we do not respond in

a way that leads us further into worldly and egotistical

attachments.

 

Also, when we engage in nitya karma an arrow may land and

we may not be there to respond because we are currently busy

with the Goddess.(ie. puja, chanting, homa, singing, etc.) That

arrow has dissolved into the fire of purification. The more

tapasya or sadhana we do, the better.

 

God is eternal and the activities which lead us closer to

Godliness are eternal as well. These activities are not bound by

time or space. They have no past and they have no future.

Therefore they are eternal.

 

 

 

, "Karen Borak"

<karenborak@e...> wrote:

> Namaste ALL esp Parvati,

>

> Can you explain eternal karma, please? Can it help regarding

other types of karma?

>

> Pranams,

> Karne

> -

> parv108

>

> Friday, September 24, 2004 11:31 PM

> 4 kinds of karma

>

>

> 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.