Originally Posted by
reflections
Namaste,
I have some questions regarding Karma principle. I would be grateful if someone can answer those.
1. I know best prayers are those which are 'Nishkam' but some of us also pray for getting relief from wordly troubles. Many of us have seen prayers working. But, previous Karmas plays pevotal role in deciding what good or bad will happen to the person. So how the prayer works in this case?
2. Can bad karmas be mitigated by sincere Prayaschit, or once committed the doer has to bear the bad fruits of it anyway?
Jai Shri Krishna,
Regards,
reflections
Namaste Reflections
Hindu scriptures divide karma into three kinds: Sanchita (accumulated), Prarabdha (fruit-bearing) and Kriyamana (current) karma. All kriyamana karmas become sanchita karma upon completion. From this stock of sanchita karma, a handful is taken out to serve one lifetime and this handful of actions, which has begun to bear fruit and which will be exhausted only on their fruit being enjoyed and not otherwise, is known as prarabdha karma. In this way, so long as the stock of sanchita karma lasts, a part of it continues to be taken out as prarabdha karma for being enjoyed in one lifetime, leading to the cycle of birth and death. A Jiva cannot attain moksha until the accumulated sanchita karmas are completely exhausted.
The actions that originate from the three bodies, karana (causal, as you are in deep sleep wherein the desire-nescience hides the self), mental -- as in dream where you have a light body, and gross as in waking life, will have reactions to be experienced. Left to these bodies the karma is never exinguished as Kriyamana karma is eternal for the objects such as bodies. But the karmic reactions do not touch the real you, the unborn bodyless spirit. In many temples, you will see figures embedded on to pillars. These figures may have grotesque grimacing faces as if they are bearing the load of the pillar. This is not true.
There is a view that that God or Sadguru do mitigate the karma. God is fair and gives you exactly what you deserve or what you most need. Actions do not create karma (good or bad) when performed by an individual in the state of Moksha or liberation. Such a person is called "Stithaprajna". Sankara taught that all actions performed by one in the state of Moksha are Dharmic. This echoes the teaching of Shri Krishna as below:
Chapter 18 Bhagavat Gita"'The Lord stands in the heart region
of all creatures, Arjuna,
causing to move all creatures mounted mechanically by magic.
Go to that shelter with your whole essence, Bharata.
From that grace you will attain supreme peace
and the eternal state.
Thus knowledge more secret than the secret
has been explained to you by me.
Reflecting on this completely, do whatever you wish.
"'Hear from me again the most secret supreme word.
You are surely loved by me;
therefore I shall speak for your benefit.
Become mentally me, devoted to me, sacrificing to me;
revere me, and you will come to me truly;
I promise you; you are my beloved.
Giving up all duties, take shelter in me alone.
I shall liberate you from all evils; do not grieve.
Hindus believe that everything in the Universe is in a state of creation, maintenance, or destruction. The mind creates a thought, maintains or follows it for some time, and the thought ultimately dies down (to be replaced by another thought). In addition to the three states of consciousness, Hinduism puts forward a fourth state of being called Turiya or pure consciousness, where the mind is not engaged in thinking but is simply the Seer and totally awake and aware. Actions in the Turiya state do not create karma, as actions are not volitional from the ego but are mere natural happenings taking place in presence of the Self -the Turiya. Meditation is a practice aimed at giving individuals the experience of being in this state.
An individual who is constantly in the Turiya state is said to have attained moksha where their actions happen as natural response to events (and not because of thought process); such actions do not result in accumulation of karma as they have no karmic effect.
Once, the ego is absolutely killed, as in Turiyatita, all three types of karmas are said to drop, similar as expiry of a man causes all his wives to become widows instantaneouly and simultaneously. The karma belongs to Ego and not to the Self.
In summary, karma for the three bodies are mitigated by the grace of God/sadguru. And karmas drop altogether on demise of Ego, which is same as absolute surrender to Lord.
Om Namah Shivaya
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