Dr.Venkat | rangalakshmii netralaya
KARMA - A relaxing Thought By Gurumoorthy Iyer
08 Feb, 2023
KARMA
(A relaxing Thought)
By Gurumoorthy Iyer
Addicted to betrayal, but you're relevant
You're terrified to look down
'Cause if you dare, you'll see the glare
Of everyone, you burned just to get there
It's coming back around””
The above stanza is part of a song by an American popular Pop and country music singer, and songwriter, Taylor Alison Swift. It says something about a daunting subject without mentioning its name. She had made it an ‘easy peasy lemon squeezy’ of an abstruse philosophy- Karma, as any indagation into which will only lead you into a quandary!
But what do our Hindu scriptures say about the Karma theory? It says that your life is but what you have designed for yourself. In other words, whatever happens in your life is the reflection of your past actions (results of your deeds in your previous birth -good or bad). This process has been vividly explained in the fourth Brahmana of Brhadaranyaka Upanishad, Chapter IV-(1 to 6).
“When this self gets too weak and confused, his breaths gather around him. He takes the light from these particles and departs in a formless state. All his organs become one and unite in his body. In the light of hearts, his self departs through his head, eyes, or other apertures (openings) of the body. Following that, life departs. Then all the vital breaths depart. Thereafter it becomes one with intelligence, that is, consisting of the knowledge he gained in his past life, (his work and his experience of his past life, known as his past deeds, consisting of good or bad). Thus the life departs carrying with it his past karma.
What happens next?
Having lost its abode,(having vacated its house on the expiry of the life term), it looks for another fresh abode, suitable as per his expectations. In the Brahadaranyaka Upanishad, this has been explicitly explained, with an analogy:
“As a leech (caterpillar), after having reached the end of a blade of grass, having made another approach (to another blade), draws itself together towards it, thus does this Self, after having thrown off this body, draw himself together towards a new body”.
This self, indeed, consists of all the good, bad, evil, virtuous and non-virtuous actions, etc., (of whatever carried over from his previous birth).
Thus, it becomes, ’as his desire so is his will; as his will, is the deed he does.’ in his new avatar, (Plato: ‘Such as are the trend of our desires and the nature of our soul, just such each of us becomes.’)
However, Taylor Swift, with a mordant sense of humor has, logically illustrated the above principles in a neo-impressionist idiom, in the following lines:
“You're terrified to look down
'Cause if you dare, you'll see the glare
Of everyone, you burned just to get there
It's coming back around”
Thus we visualize karma, as a looming threat encircling us and how to come out of that complex phobia. How to extinguish that fear complex of karma from our mind? One way is to bow down to the harsh diktats of karma by undergoing the runam (pain). That means accepting our past deeds (good or bad), and coming back around. But Karma is not coming alone. It comes always with an accomplice, known as rebirth. Because, karma relates to your previous birth, for which you have to pay in your present life.
From where does this idea of karma emanates? The following text is the root cause: “The Self, after having thrown off this body, draw himself together towards a new body This self, indeed, consists of all the good, bad, evil, virtuous and non-virtuous actions, etc., (of whatever carried over from his previous birth).. ’ ----- Brahadaranyaka Upanishad.
This statement has to be understood in the light of a verse, in Chandogya Upanishad, chapter-VI-14-2: In this verse, it is explained, that even if a well-known teacher, leads a blindfolded man to his destination, the latter cannot reach his destination, insofar as his karma(Prarabtha karma)remains unfinished.
Then what is the Prarabtha karma?
As per the Karma theory, there are three types of karma. They are Sanchita, Agama and Prarabtha karma. Sanchita karma means our accumulated Karma from all our previous births to this birth. Agama karma means further karmas, incurred every new life added to Sanchita karma. That is, while exhausting your Prarabtha karma, you may simultaneously add new karmas that you commit, to your stock of Sanchita karma. Prarabtha karma means, that part of Sanchita karma allocated (matured), to bear fruit during the current birth. Thus, it appears that only after you exhaust your obligations against your Prarabtha karma, you will become a liberated man. Thus the above stanza describes the period of Prarabtha karma of her earlier days when she shed tears and faded.
In the following stanza, she highlights, her jubilation of having come out of the bad patch of her Prarabtha karma and entering the good part of it.
You wouldn't know what I mean”
She concludes that: “Karma is a relaxing thought”.
Well, you accept it or not, surprisingly Sage Vasistha endorses her view. He says the power of the mind is manifold! The mind alone is the creator of the world, and the mind alone is the supreme person.”
Here are Vasistha’s radical description of Karma,
“Karma ( which is believed to be an impression of an action), is created only by thoughts, not through any actions of the body.”
Sage Vasistha further adds, “In this world whatever is gained is gained only by self-effort; where failure is encountered, it is seen that there has been slackness in the effort. This is obvious, but what is called fate (Karma) is fictitious, and it is not seen visibly anywhere!
There is no power greater than self-effort and one should overcome evil (fate) by his good efforts. One who says “Fate is directing me to do this” is brainless. Fate or divine dispensation is merely a convention, a fallacious thought, which has come to be regarded as truth by being repeatedly declared as true. Renounce fatalism and apply yourself to self-effort.” ---(from The Yoga Vasistha ).
In Brahmopanishad, Shaunaka Mahashala – a wealthy householder, asks Vedic sage Pippala, why the human body is said to be the "divine abode of Brahman (the Supreme One)?” Sage Pippala answers: Brahman indeed is the Prana (breath, life force) and is the Atma (soul). The self's form is the shining Brahman that resides in one’s body giving it a glow, and which controls everything.
The above philosophy is also emphasized in many other Upanishads as follows:
- Aham Brahmāsmi (अहम् ब्रह्मास्मि) - "I am Brahman", ( Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 1.4.10)
- Tat Tvam Asi (तत् त्वम् असि) - traditionally rendered as "That Thou Art" (that you are), (Chandogya Upanishad 6.8.7
- Prajnanam Brahma (प्रज्ञानम् ब्रह्म) - "Brahman is Prajñāna" (Aitareya Upanishad 3.3)
- Ayam Atma Brahma (अयम् आत्मा ब्रह्म) - "This Self (Atman) is Brahman" (Mandukya Upanishad 1.2)
Thus, so long HE (Brahman) resides in our souls, where is the scope for committing bad karma as there would be no bad thoughts? Let us be confident that HE guides us towards a good path and prevents us from committing any bad deeds.
Finally, a word to warm the cockles of your heart: Be jubilant like Taylor Swift, singing: “Karma's a relaxing thought!”
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Publisher: Dr.Venkat | rangalakshmii netralaya
