WHAT ARE THE TYPES OF KARMA ?WHAT IS THE RELATION BETWEEN KARMA & REBIRTH ? PART 01

KARMA ;THE NATURAL LAW---------- 1-Karma is a spiritual law. It is equivalent to Newton’s Third Law of Physics, “For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.”

2-In Sanskrit the word karma means “actions” or “deeds.” Good karma brings good result and bad karma brings bad result. That is the basic karma theory. Everything that you think, feel and do is recorded in the cosmic hard-drive. As time progress the data are retrieved and result of those data are calculated and gradually manifested in life. 3-Scripture says “This vast universe is a wheel. Upon it are all creatures that are subject to birth, death, and rebirth. Round and round it turns, and never stops. It is the wheel of cosmic consciousness.

As long as the individual self thinks it is separate from cosmic consciousness, it revolves upon the wheel in bondage to the laws of birth, death, and rebirth. But when through the grace of cosmic consciousness it realizes its identity with him, it revolves upon the wheel no longer. It achieves immortality.” – ACCORDING TO Svetasvatara Upanishad 4-ACCORDING TO BHAGWATGEETA----The self-controlled person, moving among objects, with his senses free from attachment and malevolence(wish to do evil to others) and brought under his own control, attains tranquility... 5-WHAT IS BASIC KARMA THEORY------- The sage Yajnavalkya, was one the first philosophers of human history. He first introduced the concept of karma theory in the ancient book Brihadaranyaka Upanishads. The karma principle affirms that the universe will respond to your actions, thoughts and desires, in this life and or the next.

5-1-IN Brihadaranyaka Upanishad Yajnavalkya said to king Janaka----- “Now a person is like this or like that. As it does, so it becomes; by doing good it becomes good, and by doing evil it becomes evil, it becomes pure by pure acts and bad by bad acts. And others, however, say that a person consists of desires. And as is his desire, so is his will; and as is his will, so is his deed; and whatever deed he does, that he will reap.” –– 5-2-And here there is this verse: “To whatever object a man’s own mind is attached, to that he goes strenuously together with his deed; and having obtained the end (the last results) of whatever deed he does here on earth, he returns again from that world (which is the temporary reward of his deed) to this world of action. So much for the man who desires.” NAME FOUR TYPES OF KARMA ;------- Karma Cycle The concept of karma or “law of karma” is the philosophy that all of life is governed by a system of cause and effect, action and reaction. In Hinduism there are primarily of four kinds of karma. 1----SANCHITA KARMA (Accumulated actions – Arrows in quiver): Sanchita Karma is the result of all karma accumulated in this life and in all other previous lives. It is the accumulation of bad karma and good karma. At this level good karma does not cancel the effect of bad karma. These karmas are yet to be resolved. This is like arrows in quiver. 2--- AAGAMI KARMA (Future Karma – Arrow is about to discharge OR arrow in Bow ) Aagami Karma is the portion of sanchita karma that are just taken for sprouting. It is like an arrow that is ready for discharging. Gradually, if the conditions and the environment is suitable aagami karma will be converted into prarabdha Karmas. These karmas are like arrow in the bow. 3- PRARABDHA KARMA (Karma is about to act – Arrow is discharged and on the fly) Prarabdha Karma are the part of sanchita karma, that are in the process of manifestationarrow-on-sky and to be experienced through this life. Prarabdha Karmas is like an arrow which has already left the bow. Which are on the sky and about to hit the target. 4. KRIYAMANA KARMA (Current Active Karma – Arrows hit the target) Kriyamana Karma is the current active karma. Arrows just hit the target. Target is feeling the pain or pleasure. The degree of doership is the degree of experience. The reaction to these experience creates new karma. WHAT ARE THE WAYS TO CLEAN UP OUR KARMA?------

05 FACTS;- 1-Sanchita Karma can be burnout by proper meditation techniques. Hindu saints have developed many meditation techniques to kill or dissolve the effect of Aagami Karma. A good meditator can know the details of aagami karma and can take appropriate action to dissolve it or use it for some other purpose.

2-Through dream awareness one can know the subconscious mind. Subconscious mind is the store house of the aagami karma. Life provides hundreds of opportunities and challenges. It is up to us how we react to them. If our response is peaceful, and humble, the burden of aagami karma reduces.

3-Our aware choices play an important role to guide the aagami karmas. Positive thoughts, determination and will-power can overcome many aagami karmas. 4-However, stopping the effect of prarabdha karma requires real understanding of subtler aspects of yoga, spiritual power and will power. Effect of all karma can be eliminated only by Self knowledge and Om meditation.

5-The Svetasvatara Upanishad said “The fearful currents are the currents of attachment, likes, dislikes, desires, subtle desires and craving which hurl down (to throw) people into the ocean of births and deaths. The raft (floating platform) of Brahman is Om. Silent Japa of Om with meditation on its meaning will help one to cross the ocean of Samsara, i.e., to free oneself from the rounds of births, deaths and karmas.” WHAT IS THE MEANING OF GOOD KARMA?------

03 POINTS;- 1-Hindu texts prescribed a number of activities, such as service to cow, service to wise person, service to the humanity, service for environment protection

( particularly rivers and trees), giving donation, giving foods and clothes to people, giving foods to animals, pilgrimages to holy places, taking bath at river Ganges, doing charity, and acts of devotion to God, that can reduce the effects of bad karma.

2-Such positive actions are sometimes referred to as “good karma.” Radiating positive vibration and thinking good about others are the acts of good karma. Doing good karma not necessarily immediately erase the effect of old bad karmas. However, good karma will help you in long run to erase the effect of bad karma. Good karma always act as a protection and do not allow bad-vibration to enter. 3-Meditation, fasting, caloric restriction, yoga postures, yoga breathing, om chanting, regular exercise, diet control, keeping clean environment, helping others are the normal practice for karma clearing. WHAT ARE THE KNOTS OF KARMA?------

05 POINTS;- 1-Karmas develop three knots in the body and mind they are known as---- 1-1- BRAHMA GRANTHI;-

Brahma Granthi is related to the physical body, to the world of survival, and physical pleasures. 1-2-VISHNU GRANTHI;-

Vishnu Granthi is related to the astral body and to the world of attachment and emotional bondage. 1-3-RUDRA GRANTHI;-

Rudra Granthi is related to the causal body and to the world of pride, ideas, visions and intuition. 2-Here, granthi means knots, networks or obstacles. These knots, are the link between matter and spirit. Knots enhances the sense of ego.

3-The knots are directly related to our habits, desires and thoughts. Three knots together constitute the ignorance, and act as an wall for spiritual progress. 4-Yajnavalkya said;-These knots can be released by daily meditation and by the knowledge of Self... Regarding Self knowledge. 5-According to Brihadaranyaka Upanishad “O, Maitreyi, it is the Self that is to be beheld; it is the Self that is to be known; it is the Self that is to be searched for; it is the Self which is to be heard about; it is the Self which is to be thought in the mind; it is the Self which is to be meditated upon. There is nothing else worthwhile thinking, nothing else worthwhile possessing, because nothing worthwhile exists, other than This.” – WHAT IS THE DISCIPLINE OF UNATTACHED ACTION? -- 09 FACTS;--- 1-According to the scriptures, the discipline of unattached action (Nishkâma Karma) can lead to the salvation of the soul. So they recommend that one should remain detached while carrying out his duties in life. 2-As Lord Krishna said in the Bhagavad Gita: "To the man thinking about the objects (of the senses) arises attachment towards them; from attachment, arises longing; and from longing arises anger. From anger comes delusion; and from delusion loss of memory; from loss of memory, the ruin of discrimination; and on the ruin of discrimination, he perishes". 3-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.

3-1-This however negates the whole basis of Yoga which claims that one can change the Sanskars (memories) and hence ones life. All the four systems of Yoga - Jnana, Astang, Bhakti and Karma teach us to live positively in thought, words and deeds. This helps us in producing positive memories and hence good Karma. 4-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 Sanskars through Yogic process and cultivation of deep thought. This can subsequently change our Karma. 5- Deep thought on any subject for a long time is the essence of Yoga and is referred to as Sanyam in Patanjali Yoga. Sanyam ; meaning Self-control. ..Allows memory removal or sublimation of existing memories into new ones.

5-1-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 Sanskars. 6-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.

6-1-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.

6-2-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. 7-Why are we interested in getting rid of our memories ? The answer is that 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. 8-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 or sometimes completely dissolves the unhappy memories. Initially it is difficult to do so but with practice and patience it can be achieved.

9-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.CONTD. ...........SHIVOHAM.........