Karma theory in new words-Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev

An efficient astrologer can give readings in case of a person never seen by him and a  good amount of readings given by him prove accurate.It clearly proves that he has not made his destiny.It was already made.His destiny is made by his karma i.e what he has done not only  in this life but also in past lives. Karma theory has been explained by many authors.Sh K N Rao has beautifully explained it in his book “Karma and Rebirth in Hindu Astrology”. He has also given many examples with horoscopes which form an interesting and instructing reading for all astrology lovers. Shri Ramsukh Dass Ji Maharaj of Gita Press Gorakhpur has also written an interesting book on this topic.

Astrology and karma theory are closely related to each other.Both are related to transmigration of souls.Transmigration of souls is now not a matter of belief.It has been scientifically proved in the researches of modern psychologists.Interested readers may read the books written by Michal Newton and Brain Weiss etc.”Journey of souls” by Michal Newton even suggests the presence of a super soul who is very kind and compassionate and counsels our soul in a very loving manner. Eternal fire and torture of hell have nowhere been found by modern researchers.

 Recently I attended “Inner Engineering” programme of Isha Foundation.I also read a book on Inner Engineering.Karma theory is also explained in this book from pages 213 to 220. This book is written by Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev. Whole book is worth reading.Karma Theory is explained in it  in a completely new way and in the language  of a modern psychologist.Personally I have been greatly benefitted by inner engineering programe of Isha foundation and meditation technique of Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev.It is a very useful programme for genuine seekers of  truth and for those who want to transform their life. Karma theory as explained by Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev provides us a hope to  rewrite our destiny without liquidating each of our past karma.We can rewrite it here and now as we can rewite our software.What Karma means and how it gathers power to control us ? Please read how Sadhguru explains it .

“Karma”literally means “action”.Action is of three  kinds.It could be in terms of the  body,mind,or energy.Whatever you do with your body,mind,or energy leaves a certain residue.This residue forms a pattern of its own,and these resultant patterns stay with you.When you gather a huge amount of impressions,slowly these shape themselves into tendencies,and you become like an automatic toy,a slave to your patterns,a puppet of your past.

          Karma is like old software that  you have written for yourself,unconsciously.Depending on the type of actions that you perform ,you write your software.Once you write a certain type of software,your whole system functions accordingly.Based on the information from the past ,certain memory patterns are formed and keep recurring.New life is just cyclical.

          That is why same patterns keep returning in your life.There are a few variations,but they remain essentially the same,repeating themselves across generations.After a while, this repetiveness can be deadly.It is important to see that these patterns rule you from within ,not from without.No one has to exercise any external control upon you.Your inner autocrat rules you all the time.You may think it is a new day.Circumstances may change,but internally you are experiencing the same thing over and over again.And so, the more things change ,the more they stay the same.—-not physically but experientially! You are helplessly stuck in the karmic rut.

           Freedom is now the empty word because the way you think,feel,and understand life—–even the way you sit,stand,and move—-is conditions by your past impressionns.From the moment you were born,your parents,your family,your education,your friends,where you lived,and where you travelled—-all this decided everything about you.Karma is encrypted on every aspect of life.It is imprinted on your mental memory,the fundamentals of your body ,your chemistry,your very energy.These are all backup systems.Even if you lose your body or your mind,you still do  not lose your karma! The backup systems are so efficient.

          What you consider to be your personality—-the bundle of traits and tendencies that you are—-is because of information you have gathered unconsciously.These tendencies have been traditionally described as vasanas. The word “vasana” literally means “smell”.Depending upon what type of garbage is in the bin today,that is the kind of smell that will emanate from it.Depending upon what type of smell you emit,you attract certain kinds of life situations to yourself.

          Suppose today there is rotten fish in the garbage bin.It may stink for you ,but many other creatures are drawn to it.Tomorrow,if there are flowers in the garbage bin,it smells different and still other creatures are drawn to it.

         At this point Sadhguru tells us a story in which a mother and a daughter crash headlong into each other because mother runs out of kitchen because she could not  stand there due to odour of a particular fish being fried by her maid in the kitchen whereas her daughter being attracted by the same scent rushed to the kitchen.Then Sadhguru comments”I mention this incident not as an illustration of reward and punishment but as an illustration of the possible consequences of strong attachment and aversion.When these dominate your life ,some kind of smashup is inevitable.” Here Sadhguru has given us a hint that we should not have strong attachment and aversion so that our vasanas do not become so strong.After this short story he continues his karma theory as deailed below.

           “Vasanas or tendencies,are generated by a vast accumulation of impressions caused by your physical,mental,and energy actions.What you call your personality is just an expression of these tendencies.

             Now,today  if you are doing something in a particular way and someone asks you why you can’t do it differently,you often declare,”This is my nature.Can’t I do what I want?”This is not your nature.You are not doing what you want.These tendencies have become compulsive.This is  your bondage,a kind of software you are writing for yourself unconsciously.Once your software is fixed,it looks as if there is only one path you can walk in your life.It  looks as if your destiny is predetermined.A spiritual process ,however,means we have made up our  minds to rewrite our software,consciously.

        In India “Karma” is a common word. If people exhibit any kind of compulsive behaviour,others will immediately say ,”oh,that  is their karma.”This means that it is of their making.The bitterness or sweetness of any experience is not in the event itself,but in how you perceive and respond to it.What  is a very bitter experience for one person could be a blessing for the other.”

After telling a short story he continues”The quality of your life is always decided by how you experience life, not by what life offers you.

              It is important to remember that karma is not a negative word.Karma is what gives stability and structure to your life.Every moment ,impressions are flooding in torrents into your system through five sense organs and each of them is being recorded.There is nothing wrong with this stored information.It is very useful for your survival.If you deleted all of it,you would not know how to handle even  the simplest aspect of life.The spiritual process does not seek to demolish this storehouse of karmic  impressions,but helps you to become more conscious of it, and establish a little space,which allows  you to stand out of it.

             So ,your software is not in itself the problem.It turns  into a problem only if it becomes the ruling factor in  your life.To talk of good karma and bad karma is like talking of good bondage and bad bondage.There is no such thing. Karma is just your own creation. It is neither good  nor bad.It is software that can be useful if you have some freedm from it.This is all the spiritual process aims to do:loosen the grip of karma upon you.Whatever be the nature of your  past karma ,there is enough awareness in a  human being to take complete charge of the karma of the present moment.

            If you want any kind of transformation,any kind of forward movements in your life,it can only happen if you break the cyclic patterns of karma. Anything that is cyclical suggests constant motion,but it does not really go anywhere.If you are sensitive to  life ,you realize this early.If you are less sensitive ,you realize this as you grow older.Everything may seem to be going your way:your professinal life may be flourishing,your capital may be increasing,your family may be thriving,but you are not really getting anywhere.The faster you achieve your success,the faster you realize this.When you are in a certain state of insufficiency,you keep thinking that everything will be okay once your dreams are realized.But all the things you dreamt of happen very quickly,you suddenly realize that,although everything is happening as you thought it should ,life still remains unfulfilled and longings persist.

             Until you break this cycle ,there is no real choice in your life.Sometimes,you may have felt you have experienced a breakthrough.Things seem to have changed,and everything seems great for the next three days,but on the fourth day ,you fall back in the same rut.Has not it happened to you any number of times? That is because there is no freedom of thought,emotion,action,and,above all, no freedom of experience as long as you are in the karmic grip.

        At the same time,avoiding karma is not the answer either.Avoidance may give you some balance and stability in day-to-day life,but slowly it saps you of life and joy.This is very negative karma in itself.Denying, suppressing or avoiding life brings more  bondage than freedom.The desire,”I do not want karma ,” is itself a big karma.

            The very process of living is itself a dissolution of karma.If you live every moment of life totally,you dissolve enormous amounts of karma.When you experience everything that comes your way absolutely, when you experience every life breath with utmost intensity, without the distractions of thought and emotion,devoid of any psychological  drama,you are liberated from the very process of life and breath.You are not only more alive;you are life itself.

        Yoga offers a way to distance yourself not just from your karma,but from the very source of karma,which is the discriminatory intellect.It offers you the choice every moment of your existance to be either a victim or a spectator or the very master of your life.With a certain amount of effort and practice we all can write a software of joy and wellbeing for ourselves.” 

Whether we are destined to liquidate each of our karma or we can rewrite our destiny is an eternal debate.No one can reply this question categorically. Ashtakvakra in his talks with King Janaka also declares that one can passover his karma through a process of witnessing(Osho calls it Sakshi Bhava- साक्षी भाव ).The best way perhaps is to continue to lead a truly spiritual life and to do spiritual practices daily which can definitely help us in improving not only  our past karmas but also the quality of our present life.

           

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

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