Secrets of Karma

Summary:
– Karma means action. There are 3 actions:
1) Latent action. That which is going to become an action. The desire to act is alread karma, it’s the seed of action.
2) The action itself. The seed has sprouted and become a tree.
3) The impression of action. The tree has spread more seed. It leads to more action.

– So karma is the strongest impression in the mind, the action that it has propelled and the impression it is going to produce.
– The whole universe is filled with action.
– What we really want to get rid of is the impressions. You can do this by relaxing, meditating, pranayam.
– Your positive impressions can’t be erased because it is your very nature. But the attachment to the positive impressions needs to be erased.
– So first you get rid of the negative impressions by positive impressions. You put on the soap to wash off the dirt but then you have to wash off the soap too.
– This cycle is karma. To live in this cycle and not be affected by it is called Yoga.

Those who see action in inaction and inaction in action are truly wise amongst humans.
Bhagwad Geeta 4.18

– The stillness in all action is our self. The silent witness. This recognition is called freedom.
– Keep acting but don’t get attached to the action. Everyday you brush your teeth but it doesn’t influence you. Everyday you’re used to having a coffee in the morning and don’t get it, what happens? Coffee karma ;o)
– All habits and addictions are induced karma.
– When you meditate you are releasing all these impressions and get back in touch with your intuition.

3 Types of Karma (Which are hard to differentiate)
– Prarabhdha Karma: This is karma that you have to experience. There is no escaping this karma which is already yielding fruit.
– Sanchita Karma: Impressions which we have stored from the past. These can be gotten rid of.
– Agami Karma: Impressions which will have consequences in the future. These can be gotten rid of.

A final note is not to worry about the types, just do your duty, do what you need to do not to be affected by it. Some are in your genes. If you do pranayama and meditation it suppresses these bad genes.

Action comes out of conscious decision.
Reaction comes out of impulsiveness. Impulsiveness creates a chain of karma.
Reaction and non-action both create karma, but conscious action transcends karma. Although conscious action does not create new karma, non-action can. A soldier shooting in war and a policeman using tear gas do not create karma, but a doctor who fails to give medicine to a patient in need incurs karma.