Karma – how not to get entangled

Many people claim that God does not listen to them. There are so many others who believe that God punishes them. And there are the third kind who believe that their karma is against them.

Why does man suffer so much?

Man is a conscious being. He lives in three planes of existence at one time. They are conscious thinking, conscious speaking and conscious action. When there is integrity, which means, what you think is what you speak and you act out what you think and speak, then there is no dilution anywhere. This is called integrity. So, when man follows a path of integrity, there is no karma.

But reality is different. Man thinks something, speaks something else and his actions are nowhere connected to his thinking and his action. This causes Karma.

What is Karma?

Karma means consequence. Every thought, every word spoken and every action taken has a consequence. This consequence is what you are living now. Consequence is nether good nor bad. It simply is the result of your thought, word and deed.

For example; The life you are living right now is the consequence of a thought or a string of thoughts you created in the past. And the life that you will live in the future depends on what thoughts you create now.

Imagine a quiver full of arrows. The arrows that are in the quiver are the future. The arrow that is struck on the bow is the present. And the arrows that have already been fired and are travelling towards the target is your past.

All your diseases and illnesses are a result of your Karma.

At all times, we are living as per our Karma. There is no escape from Karma. However, there is a way to reduce the effects of Karma.

That is surrender. When you will surrender to God, you can give up your suffering to HIm.

What does surrender mean?

God is your indweller. When you introspect, you will realise that your aches and pains and your diseases and illnesses are separate from your awareness.

Then, you will gain knowledge about the Atman and the body. Once you have this knowledge, your pains will dissipate. This takes practice.

When you are in pain, tell yourself, The body is experiencing pain, I am okay. You will see how your pain dissipates instantly. With constant practice, your pain will become of the body and you will be free.

There is yet another technique. This technique is to silence the mind’s constant ranting that my hand is broken, my head is aching, my legs are aching and so on.

This technique to free yourself of your pain is called forgiveness. When you are able to release the emotions that have formed during the experience, your pains will reduce instantly.

Swami Paramahansa Yogananda said, Man suffers from his ability to multiply his suffering.

When a dog breaks its leg, it whines alright, may be for 1 day, 2 days or 4 days. Then it becomes silent and goes about its job limping.

When a man breaks his leg, he cries for help. He says; my leg is broken. He identifies with his pain. So, his pain becomes more real for him. He wants everyone to come and sympathise with him. He wants everyone around him to understand his pain and help him. His suffering does not end for weeks.

Man has fallen to such a pitiable state.

Today, hospitals are making money out of other’s suffering. This is not correct. Hospitals must serve mankind and bring an end to their suffering so that there is no more suffering on this planet. However, their initiative is different. They want people to be suffering so that the hospital can constantly keep making more and more money.

Ayurveda has promising remedies that help reduce suffering. The diagnosis through Nadi Pariksha or pulse diagnosis helps the doctor understand the cause of suffering. Then, the physical, emotional and psychological remedies help in releasing the emotions so that suffering is reduced to a bare minimum. In many cases suffering ends and the person is cured of the symptom.

The new year is round the corner. All the Karma you have created will play itself out in due course. Of course, Karma doesn\’t wait for the new year! What you can do is to make amends to your ways so that you stop creating new Karma. Begin now.

There are a few meditations such as Maypole Meditation that helps you stay in your awareness so that you can stop creating new Karma.

God does not punish anyone, nor does God stay aloof of people who pray for Him and His Grace.

God is always present in you, with you and all around you. But, if you choose to worry about your fears, your anxieties, your past and your future, God will not come. Do not trust in God comes only when you are in deep trouble. Make God your trusted friend. Connect with Him everyday. God listens to you. God will help you in any situation only if your prayer is genuine and focussed.

Usher in the New Year with God in your heart, your friend forever.

— Mahesh Krishnamurthy