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Soul of Light
23 December 2016, 01:18 AM
Namaste all!
I know the law of karma and after starting Learning astrology I came to the concept of karma again.. what we did in past life have so much impact on present life..

So my question is-
If any person is suffering, in childhood by any reason he doesn't get to involve in material world like other kids do, he didn't enjoy life much but this all incidences created vairagya or the emotion of virasa in him and he get so much involved in God, starting loving God selflessly..

So here this all happened because his bad karmas in past life as he suffered and didn't enjoyed or the fruits of good karma as he got highest gift of God and spirituality which is much more important..

Or simply he is completing sadhna he didn't able to complete in past birth..?
It's just my doubt.. hope doubt will be cleared from hdf

Pranam :)

c.smith
23 December 2016, 06:40 PM
Hari Om!

What a great query! It seems that you have a good understanding, but please let me add a bit if I may.

First, if one has Guru, then Guru can take on much of karmic debt. An evolved soul is fortunate enough in life to have been found by such a Satguru.

Please remember too that one evolves through karmas until a merging with the Divine, thus moksha. Sadhana unfinished in one life is taken up in another. There is no loss, one simply takes up where one left off.

Not all suffering is bad as often it can be a catalyst, an illuminating force, or a spiritual awakening. An example - when one feels physical or even mental pain, a remedy is sought. This would be the start of healing. An extreme, but perhaps a near death experience would lead one to a spiritual life.

Then there is the question of samskaras. Many believe that they too carry over from life to life until resolved, thus the "bad karma" that lead to a higher purpose - attaining love for god.

Would love more discussion on this as well as your additional thoughts.

Om

Soul of Light
24 December 2016, 02:16 PM
Hari Om!

What a great query! It seems that you have a good understanding, but please let me add a bit if I may.

First, if one has Guru, then Guru can take on much of karmic debt. An evolved soul is fortunate enough in life to have been found by such a Satguru.

Please remember too that one evolves through karmas until a merging with the Divine, thus moksha. Sadhana unfinished in one life is taken up in another. There is no loss, one simply takes up where one left off.

Not all suffering is bad as often it can be a catalyst, an illuminating force, or a spiritual awakening. An example - when one feels physical or even mental pain, a remedy is sought. This would be the start of healing. An extreme, but perhaps a near death experience would lead one to a spiritual life.

Then there is the question of samskaras. Many believe that they too carry over from life to life until resolved, thus the "bad karma" that lead to a higher purpose - attaining love for god.

Would love more discussion on this as well as your additional thoughts.

Om
Namaste ji,
Thank you so much for your reply, I agree with you..
Guru takes much of our karma if we are fortunate enough and we become fortunate by karma itself.

I also think there is no loss in sadhna if one rebirths and its relief to hear it..
It's strange sometimes peoples born in same environment and in same condition thinks differently.. sometimes there is so much spiritual environment but the person never attracts towards God and vise versa..
So there must be some connection of karmas and samskaras also..

I think when we left our sadhna in previous life due to death and in next life to stop ourself from being entangled in Maya God gives us some suffering to create vairagya. There are double benefits, one started attracting towards spiritual world after knowing illusion of this material world and his karmic debts also gets cleared.. and at one stage nothing remains and he merges.. but it's my personal thought..
I will like to hear more from you and others.

Pranam :)

c.smith
25 December 2016, 07:59 PM
Hari Om!

Exactly! Very delighted that you have shared such thoughts as they pretty much parallel mine.

Would anyone be so kind as to elaborate on the three types of karma and how each may be exhausted? If not, will try my best in a few days time when it permits but am limited to what have read by only one source. Perhaps you know of them Soul of Light? But only if this does not take away from your original intention. Please advise.

Om

Believer
26 December 2016, 10:17 AM
Namaste,


......... Guru can take on much of karmic debt......
Not sure where this comes from!
Guru can inspire/guide/lead/exhort/help you to do good so as to relieve you of the karmic debt. But how can one 'take on' somebody else's karmic debt. If you screw up, you fix it. Maybe it was just phrased in a different way.

Pranam.

markandeya 108 dasa
26 December 2016, 11:52 AM
Namaste,

I would agree too that guru does not take any karmic debt, what would he then do it with, would he then have to pay that debt by suffering due to his disciples acts.

What is karma anyway, the word itself just means action. So guru teaches one how to act in this world so one can then build up their own status fit for liberation and union.

In terms of Karmic debts, how can one understand karma and its fruition, who knows what will be our next experience, life can turn from good to bad and bad to good within any period of time. Karma is intricate and complex, one can only understand their own situation when we get full knowledge or liberation to a higher status of consciousness, when one can see more clearly into dependant causes and their release.

Krishna gives the remedy in Bhagavad Gita


Chapter 4: Transcendental Knowledge


TEXT 37
yathaidhamsi samiddho 'gnir
bhasma-sat kurute 'rjuna
jnanagnih sarva-karmani
bhasma-sat kurute tatha

SYNONYMS
yathā—just as; edhāṁsi—firewood; samiddhaḥ—blazing; agniḥ—fire; bhasmasāt—turns into ashes; kurute—so does; arjuna—O Arjuna; jñāna-agniḥ—the fire of knowledge; sarva-karmāṇi—all reactions to material activities; bhasmasāt—to ashes; kurute—it so does; tathā—similarly.

TRANSLATION
As the blazing fire turns firewood to ashes, O Arjuna, so does the fire of knowledge burn to ashes all reactions to material activities.

The words I find most interesting are jñāna-agniḥ, which destroy avidya or burn up klesha, the root cause of bondage karma. Lately I am seeing some of the key words more deeply like jñāna-agniḥ, tejas, tapas for example in a more conscious way, or how they relate and are only of the nature of consciousness. Jnana as natural awareness, innate , agni as the supreme heat or light that shows us things more clearly, tapas as purifying heat that give rise to more psychic properties and tejas that balances nama and rupa body mind dynamic. These are just very brief and simple translations.

I think what is also important as a personal reflection is that one should only be the judge, witness of ones own karma, it seems a great injustice to look at another sufferings as their karma.

Pranam

Eastern Mind
26 December 2016, 05:12 PM
Vannakkam: I third it, after Believer, and markandeya 108. Not sure where it comes from either, but I do have my suspicions.

Aum Namasivaya

Mystical Soul
26 December 2016, 05:47 PM
Hari Om!

Would anyone be so kind as to elaborate on the three types of karma and how each may be exhausted? If not, will try my best in a few days time when it permits but am limited to what have read by only one source. Perhaps you know of them Soul of Light? But only if this does not take away from your original intention. Please advise.

Om

Namaste
I was taught that there are several kinds of karma, to include Prarabdha, matured, Karma which are actions we put into motion and are registered in the universe and will eventually come to fruition in due course. Sanchita or stored karma, the storehouse of every action you have ever done, in all the lifetimes you have ever lived. Āgāmī karma is a mandatory karma, you have little choice, if any ie your race, sex or geographical location during childhood, then kriyamāṇa, actionable, present karma, the one that is being done now. I realize these are 4 not 3 but maybe one falls into two catagories. Hope this helps

Soul of Light
27 December 2016, 02:26 AM
Namaste all!
Thanks for beautiful conversation.. I wasn't here for few days,
I will like to know the way to exhausted karma as c. Smith ji said,
Markendya 108 dasa ji told the verse of geeta about fire of knowledge, what are the different more ways? Tapas also? If yes then which kind of tapas?

Also about Guru taking karmic debts.. I am not fortunate enough as I don't have Guru.. but until I get Guru God is my Guru.. I heard many times Guru can take karmic debts.. but believer ji also present valid point. Will like to read the fruitful discussion
Pranam

devotee
27 December 2016, 08:09 AM
Namaste SOL,



If any person is suffering, in childhood by any reason he doesn't get to involve in material world like other kids do, he didn't enjoy life much but this all incidences created vairagya or the emotion of virasa in him and he get so much involved in God, starting loving God selflessly..

So here this all happened because his bad karmas in past life as he suffered and didn't enjoyed or the fruits of good karma as he got highest gift of God and spirituality which is much more important..

Or simply he is completing sadhna he didn't able to complete in past birth..?
It's just my doubt.. hope doubt will be cleared from hdf



The highest goal is getting feeling of detachment from this MAyic world and its fatal attractions and going to God. The highest prayer is : "Asato Maa sad gamaya, Tamaso maa Jyotirgamaya, Mritoyr maa amritam gamaya".

So, if MAyA acts in a little harsh way to drive us from worldly pleasure to God, it is not due to Bad Karma but due to Good Karma. Getting Worldly Pleasure due to Good Karma occurs when the Seeker does good Karma and still longs for worldly pleasures. The situation that you have mentioned comes when Seeker has done good Karma and wanted to detach from the worldly pleasures and go towards God but was not successful in previous life for any reason whatsoever. So, such situations are created so that he progresses on the Path to God continuing his feeling of detachment from MAyic creations for sensual pleasures.

OM

yajvan
27 December 2016, 11:01 AM
hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~
namasté


Namaste all
So my question is-
If any person is suffering

Note that one need not go further than this part of the sentence to offer some insights. I look to rāmaṇa mahaṛṣi¹ for clarity on this matter...

Q: _____If God is all, why does the individual suffer for his actions? Are not actions prompted by Him?
mahaṛṣi: this logic is applied only when one suffers but not when one rejoices ( or when happy, content, and the same) ?

Q: _____but when will suffering cease ?
mahaṛṣi: not until individuality is lost. He who thinks he/she is the doer ( of actions) will also be the sufferer.
If both good actions and 'bad' actions are His, why should you think that enjoyment is yours alone? Or suffering is yours alone ?

इतिशिवं
iti śivaṁ

1. 'Talks with rāmaṇa mahaṛṣi' - 1937, June 14th. ISBN 1-878019-00-7

Soul of Light
27 December 2016, 12:53 PM
Namaste Devotee ji and Yajvan ji..
You both cleared my doubt.. Thanx for conversation of Maharshi Yajvan ji..
My all doubts are cleared now regarding this topic..

Pranam

Simplyhindu
29 December 2016, 12:33 AM
NAMASTE,

In Vedanta, the following analogy is used to explain Karma.Vedanta says that you are the bowman in every birth. The quiver of arrows represents Sanchita Karma.A bowman stands aiming at a distant target. He takes out an arrow from the quiver and releases it. While the arrow is floating through the air, the bowman takes another arrow from the bundle of arrows in the quiver and fits it in the bow. He is ready to shoot another arrow even as the other arrow is going towards its target in one direction.

Sanchita Karma is the sum total of the good and bad deeds of all your past lives.
The arrows in the quiver are all the good and bad actions from your past life. All the good and bad actions from your past life reside in the quiver as residual effects for your future life.
Vedanta further explains that the arrow that you have shot is that portion of the sanchita or past karma that is responsible for your present body and destiny. This is called Prarabhdha karma.

Ash2440
19 March 2017, 05:52 AM
Namaste to all,
Thanks for beautiful conversation. I am very happy to read all conversation. I am new comer to this forum. I am 33 year old.
I had suffered so much mental pain in young age of my life and in childhood I was shy and full of fear always. And suddenly One day my life has been changed by god(rebirth). All mental suffering gone. It's like someone has given me gift of knowledge. I realized I have done good karma in past life and God has given me gift in this life to continue God's path.

Jai shree Ram.

SuryaVedanta754
23 March 2019, 12:28 PM
Karma is quite complex and is affected by many, many factors.

It is affected by our good actions and by our actions. And it is affected, greatly, by prayers, by prayers of repentance and by meditations.

Generally, most karma is returned within about 100 years. If you did a murder in a past life, it will be paid back within 100 years or so. But it can also be paid back immediately...in 5 years or in 20. It varies widely.

But no one escapes, not ever.

Now, if you give up all your selfish actions and devote your entire life to God, the weight of your punishment can be greatly reduced.

Paramahansa Yogananda tells a story of a great Yogi sitting around with some disciples, around a campfire. The Yogi takes a piece of wood out of the fire and burns one of the disciples. The disciple screams in pain. The Yogi looks at him and says that karma decreed that he had to die in a fire, but the grace of the Yogi allowed this one burn to fulfill the needs of karma.

If we see children suffering greatly, it is often simply because, in a past life, they abandoned a child to suffering or directly harmed a child. Or there can be a wide range of other reasons. Children (and adults) can suffer greatly, without having done anything wrong.

Suffering is also purification that brings the soul to God.

So, a greatly suffering soul, is always close to God.

Namaste.

SAIBALAJI
26 March 2019, 02:03 AM
My two penny worth.

So long you think you are the doer, the karmic debt keeps accumulating in you. So long you train to believe that you are not the doer and you are a mere executor of the divine will, all debts are not to your account.

My prayer in the morning to my Guru is this. "I surrender my body, mind and Atma at your feet. My each word, deed and feelings are surrendered at your feet. Let your will be done."

With this I start my day.

Namaste

Namaste,

I would agree too that guru does not take any karmic debt, what would he then do it with, would he then have to pay that debt by suffering due to his disciples acts.

What is karma anyway, the word itself just means action. So guru teaches one how to act in this world so one can then build up their own status fit for liberation and union.

In terms of Karmic debts, how can one understand karma and its fruition, who knows what will be our next experience, life can turn from good to bad and bad to good within any period of time. Karma is intricate and complex, one can only understand their own situation when we get full knowledge or liberation to a higher status of consciousness, when one can see more clearly into dependant causes and their release.

Krishna gives the remedy in Bhagavad Gita


Chapter 4: Transcendental Knowledge


TEXT 37
yathaidhamsi samiddho 'gnir
bhasma-sat kurute 'rjuna
jnanagnih sarva-karmani
bhasma-sat kurute tatha

SYNONYMS
yathā—just as; edhāṁsi—firewood; samiddhaḥ—blazing; agniḥ—fire; bhasmasāt—turns into ashes; kurute—so does; arjuna—O Arjuna; jñāna-agniḥ—the fire of knowledge; sarva-karmāṇi—all reactions to material activities; bhasmasāt—to ashes; kurute—it so does; tathā—similarly.

TRANSLATION
As the blazing fire turns firewood to ashes, O Arjuna, so does the fire of knowledge burn to ashes all reactions to material activities.

The words I find most interesting are jñāna-agniḥ, which destroy avidya or burn up klesha, the root cause of bondage karma. Lately I am seeing some of the key words more deeply like jñāna-agniḥ, tejas, tapas for example in a more conscious way, or how they relate and are only of the nature of consciousness. Jnana as natural awareness, innate , agni as the supreme heat or light that shows us things more clearly, tapas as purifying heat that give rise to more psychic properties and tejas that balances nama and rupa body mind dynamic. These are just very brief and simple translations.

I think what is also important as a personal reflection is that one should only be the judge, witness of ones own karma, it seems a great injustice to look at another sufferings as their karma.

Pranam[/QUOTE]