EY Kriya Philosophy; Sacred Texts Overview

 

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Major Yogic Texts Overview

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In review of the yoga sutras, Upannishads, Pradika and Bhagavad Gita we will be offering this philosophy overview with the intention for the wisdom of these texts to assist you in building positive karma and deepening your connection to the Indweller, Atman, True Self, Authentic Soul vibration.

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In this lesson we will give an overview on the following:

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-Definition of yoga and timeline

-Four paths to yoga

-Yoga Sutras

-8 Fold Path

-Vedas

-Karma & dharma

-Upanishads

-Bhagava Gita

 

Definition of Yoga

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To “Yoke” to become one. A direct experience of union. Union of body, mind and Soul. Inclusive connection with others.

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Yoga is an ancient lineage beginning over 5,000 years ago in 2,000 BC. Below is a general timeline of the evolution of yoga and its roots.

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Vedas- source of yoga (Approx. 2,000 BC)

Upanishads- summary of vedas, 4 paths to yoga (1,000 BC)

Patanjali Yoga Sutras- 8 limbs of yoga (200 BC)

Tantra Yoga- Yoga of techniques (200 AD-1,000 AC)

Hatha Yoga- Yoga of physical effort (1,000 AD-1,700 AD)

Modern Yoga- Yoga of our present times (1893 AD-Present)

 

Four Paths to Yoga

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Jana Yoga- knowledge or intellect. Includes study of sacred texts.

Bhakti Yoga- Devotion, surrender, falling in love, emotional. Includes chanting, loving & devotional acts.

Raja Yoga- Kingly yoga, mastering the mind, includes asana, pranayama, meditation.

Karma Yoga- Selfless service, seva.

 

Yoga Sutras

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One of the most powerful intentions of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras is quieting the fluctuations of the mind so you can become closer to the Atman, more deeply connected to the Eternal Identity, your Soul Presence, for permanent inner peace and happiness. In the yoga sutras the aim is this permanent peace and happiness. Patanjali gives a promise that if you can still the diversions and thought disturbances of the mind you can attain permanent peace.

The fluctuations of the mind in the sutras are referred to as thought disturbances, distractions, ignorance, forgetfulness of our inner eternal being, losing a sense of what is real, living in the illusion or maya.

It takes into account a duality-based philosophy in order to attain a true sense of oneness.

 

Dualistic system of Samkhya or Darshan;

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Reality/Pudusha- Unchanging, permenant state of our being. The eternal, Authentic Spirit, Pure Consciousness.

Illusion/Maya- Changing nature of the world, appearances, creation.

Shitka of the Mind; Everything going on in the mind

Manas- Thoughts, stored impressions, mental conditioning, ego identity

Buddhi- Pure conscious awareness, alignment with the soul, True Self, Inner Navigator

Ahamkara- Ego, sense of separation from other’s, individuality, identifying with the separate body.

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The sutras help us out of duhkha or suffering due to forgetfulness of what we are, being lost in the illusion of feeling separate, and losing connection with our true identity as an eternal soul.

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Our egoic mind stuff or Shitka keeps us focused on the illusion, the outer disturbance’s which distract us looking within and allowing stillness of mind. The goal of yoga is to “Yoke” to become one with the inner being, reality, the eternal Self. To make this deep connection with the Self we need to go within. To go within we need to sit in stillness and allow the diversions of the mind, the ripples upon the consciousness to become still and silent so the Divine Self can reflect like a mirror onto our awareness. The intention of all our practices of yoga is to purify the mind, cleanse the consciousness, silence the ego, calm the distractions so we can go within and return to our natural state of pure consciousness.

A lake with white caps and choppy waves cannot reflect the surrounding natural beauty, yet a calm body of water, glass smooth and still is like a perfect mirror reflecting every detail of the natural world surrounding it with great love.

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The ultimate goal of  Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras is to still the mind for the soul to reflect in all it’s splendor. To live in alignment with our highest soul truths. Pure integration of mind and body and spirit as one. To transform stress into peace and rise above suffering and into pure conscious awareness, mindful and present, alive, happy and free.

 

Patanjali Raja Yoga, 8 Limbs of Yoga

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The eight limbs of yoga, also called the 8 fold path (Not to be confused with Buddha) is included in the yoga sutras of Patanjali and is also called Ashtanga and a part of raja yoga. It includes a code of conduct offering guidelines to living a meaningful and spiritually fulfilled life. They Include moral and ethical standards and a pathway to enlightenment.

 

1 Yamas/morality

2 Niymamas/observances

3 Asana/postures

4 Pranayama/breathwork

5 Pratyahara/Withdrawal

6 Dharana/focus

7 Dhyana/meditation

8 Samadhi/union

 

1. Yamas

The yamas offer five universal principle or ethical standards and guidelines for living a life of integrity.

-Ahimsa; non-Violence

-Satya; truthfulness

-ASteya; non-Stealing

-Brahmacharya; continence

Aparigraha; non-covetousness

 

2. Niyamas

The niyama’s offer five spiritual observances or disciplines to living a spiritually fulfilled life. They vary from person to person, for example one person may enjoy a discipline of praying before meals while another may enjoy long walks in nature. Discover what aligns with your soul purpose.

-Saucha; Cleanliness of body, mind and soul

-Samtosa; Contentment

-Tapas; heat, spiritual austerities

-Svadhyaya; Study of sacred scriptures and of one’s self

-Isvara pranidhana; Surrender to God

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3. Asana, physical body awareness & postures

4. Pranayama, breath practices and awareness

5. Pratyahara, withdrawal of external distraction, awareness on inner sensation

6. Dharana, concentration/focus

7. Dhyana, meditation

8. Samadhi, blissful union with divine

 

Vedas

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The Vedas are four thousand year old sacred Hindu scriptures that were written in Sanskrit. They are the most ancient Hindu texts that include spiritual philosophy that included hymns and rituals for the priests of the Vedic religion.

 

The very core of the Vedic teachings we will cover in this lesson are the following:

 

-Four chief Vedic collections

-Four levels of consciousness/reality

-The Atman

-Brahman

-Karma

-Upanishads

-Dharma

 

The four chief Vedic collections include:

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-Rig Veda

-Sama Veda

-Yajur Veda

-Atharva Veda

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These four chief collections are believed to be direct revelations from Aryan seers from ancient India preserved by oral tradition.

 

The 4 levels of reality

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-Wakefulness, the 5 senses, also called Mia.

-Dream, sleep, the subconscious mind.

-Dreamless sleep, having no dreams, rest, the soul.

-Super Consciousness, awakened awareness, true nature, state of samadhi, aware of singularity in the background, simultaneously aware of the Oneness. Also called Tulia.

 

Atman- Inner Divine, Indwelling Presence, core, soul, inner spirit. Trusting Divine Self and the Divine Self of others. Where Brahman is the ocean, Atman is likened to the wave.

One of the intentions of yoga is to become one with the Atman, the inner self, our true eternal Identity. To merge back into our soul power, the depths of our being, the sacred sanctuary of our heart. To be in alignment with the inner most truth of our being.

 

Brahman- Universal Consciousness, Source of all, Creator of all, Universe, God, Infinite Mind. Where Atman is the wave, Brahman is the ocean.

Infinite Source, Creator, Sustainer of all that is, all life and all creation. The creative energy and life force of all that is without opposite. Universal Presence and life force that is omnipresent, omnipotent, the light and energy that dwells within and sustains all that is, all life everywhere. Brahman is pure love beyond comprehension, all loving power and grace beyond all understanding. Incomprehensible to a human mind, an incomprehensible mystery.

 

Atman & Brahman Described

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The Atman is sustained by Brahman, it’s very existence is sustained by the Creator, Source, Universe God of all that is. Atman is an extension of Brahman, an individual vibrational frequency, yet completely one in and as Brahman. Just as a wave is one with and in the likeness of the ocean, Atman is one in and in the likeness of Brahman. Just as a ray of sunshine is an extension of the sun, in the likeness of the sun, the Atman is an extension of Brahman in the likeness of Brahman.

The Atman is your true Identity, that which dwells within and animates the body, like a hand animates a puppet. The body is temporary and the Atman is eternal. The Atman has animated many bodies… bodies are like clothing, an organic vehicle, sensory equipment that the soul can animate through, express it’s soul power, its unique vibrational frequency through.

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The Atman was created by Brahman in perfect unending love as perfect unending love. This permanent state can never be threatened, is unchanging, permanent and eternal. The Atman never dies, the true Self never dies it is both infinite and eternal as it was created and is eternally sustained by Brahman in the image of Brahman… in It’s likeness.

Nothing the body does can alter what Brahman has created the Atman to be, what Brahman sustains the soul to be. Just as a hand can animate through a puppet and assist the puppet to do things, say things or experience things, when the puppet show is over, nothing the hand animated with the puppet has changed the hand.  Just as a ray of sunshine can assist to grow food, shine through every kind of form, no matter what it creates on Earth, it’s true nature as a ray of sunshine in the image of the sun has not changed. It has a permanent nature, yet can experience and animate through temporary forms.

However, actions taken while the Atman animates through a physical form can cause karma, good or bad karma.

 

The Law of Karma 

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Karma: Karma is derived from the Sanskrit word karman, meaning  “Act”. Karma is the law of cause and effect due to actions within the physical universe.

The term karma was first introduced in the ancient Vedic texts 1000-700 bce and at that time it carried no ethical significance, karma referred solely to ritual and sacrificial action.

It took on it’s first ethical meanings in the Upanishads, the later genre of the Vedas and was concerned with ontology, the philosophy of being. It became a more common concept and took a more present day meaning in the middle of the 1st millennium BCE. A Vedic theologian Yajnavalkya established what was a very new concept at the time with his quote “A man turns into something good by good action and into something bad by bad action.” The idea of karma became moral and ethical in nature and it became a popular subject within theological discourses with Brahman priests and other emerging religions.

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Karma became popularly known as a causal law and known by many theologians as the “Law of karma.” There was a difference in opinion between the traditions of India (Vedic and Brahman priests) and other religions at the time about the source of the causal law. Traditions of India believed karma to be autonomous causal law, while traditions of the Middle East (Judaism, Islam, Christianity) believed a Divine power judged and decided upon punishment for human actions.  

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Traditions of India coming from the Upanishads and newer Vedic texts  provided varying philosophies as how and why karma can produce effects over time and even across lifetimes. One thing all the philosophies agreed upon, Indian and otherwise was that actions could leave a karmic residue from actions. Indian theology believed this karmic residue was made of fine particles that settle on the soul (Iva) of the one who took the immoral action could carry it into another birth, taking the karma of their actions into future lives. Yogic and Buddhist philosophies believed karma caused tendensies they call samskaras and psychological traces called vasanas that would determine personality traits and fates in future reincarnations.

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An interesting concept that Indian theology believes is that good karma can be shared. The doctrine of karma states that an individual souls karma is their own and specific to individual the individual soul, yet Vedic texts of the Upannishads state that good karma can be shared or transferred. One soul can transfer her good karma to another. Ancestral karma can be passed down to the living or passed on to the deceased soul.

 

The law of karma from the Upanishads Vedic texts is a simple concept of what you put out to other’s and the Universe, whether good or bad, will come back to you. It carries over from lifetime to lifetime, unlike material wealth or worldly possessions. You carry within your soul an ethical net worth that maintains it’s value from lifetime to lifetime. We live in a mysterious Universe, No one can know how karma will come back, yet the law of karma believes what you put out will come back in a form your soul chooses. It can be very different from soul to soul and lifetime to lifetime.

 

Good and Bad Karma;  In general karma can be described as good or bad karma, however, it can take much deeper intricacies’ than that.

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Good karma; Positive or good karma is when you make positive contributions to other’s, life, humanity, community. When you extend love, good energy, vibrations, actions and intentions. When you help another, encourage another, smile at a child, care for a pet, feed the poor. Good works takes many forms yet is always endowed with love and positive kind energy. This good energy returns to you, often believed multiplied, however it may come back in a different form than what you shared. A fortunate opporuntunity, you get the position, money comes unexpectedly, you meet kind friends, you receive a lucky break.

 

Bad Karma; Negative or bad karma is when you extend hurtful, harmful or negative energy toward others, community and the Universe. When you extend hate, jealousy, anger and harm to others and even yourself. When you extend negative contributions to humanity and the world. That negative energy will come back to you at some time and in some form, maybe very different from what you put out, but a similar negative vibration. Or maybe it will come back very similar and someone will hurt you in a similar way you hurt another. No one knows how the negative karma will come back or even when, maybe unkindness, challenges, hurt or difficulties in this life or a future life. Maybe in another life you face a karmic relationship that provides your soul the opportunity to heal the soul connection and replace love and kindness into your hearts.

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Karma means action, and the law of karma can help us to manage our actions to positively affect ourselves, others, and the universe so we can accumulate positive benefits of our actions.

 

The 12 laws of karma

If you want to create good karma within your soul, live in accordance with the 12 laws of karma and you can accumulate a positive asset of karma within your soul. The 12 laws of karma are a part of Indian theology from the Upanishads of the sacred texts of Veda’s. When followed we can accumulate good karma in this present lifetime that can positively affect the future of this lifetime and future lifetimes.

 

1 Cause & Effect

What you put out in deeds, thoughts, actions, energy and vibration you will get back. What you sow, you will reap. This law has also been called the Great Law in some Veda’s, aligning with Universal law of return and alignment. When you share, exude, and vibrate in the energy of loving kindness the fruit and vibrations of loving kindness is attracted back to you naturally.

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2. The Law of Creation

You are fully empowered to create all your heart desires in your life. This power dwells within you and takes effort by aligning with the law of cause and effect… aligning your thoughts, actions, emotions and energetic vibrations with that which you desire as well as practicing Divine Action. Our Spirit is playing in a material world and in order to gain material results there are times we need to take guided actions to bring forth what we desire. We are exponentially empowered when we desire good for not only ourselves but others as well.

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3. The Law of Humility

Being fully present to what is arising now, current circumstances and your humble beginnings. Understanding you are neither better than or less than any other being that exists, we all share one unified field and are equally loved by Creator Source. Knowing all power and strength come from our Divine Creator and we cannot succeed or even survive without Source, others and community. When you are present and humble knowing you are not in control, you are able to surrender to a power far greater than your separate identity allowing that power to move through your temporary form by following Divine guidance and taking Divine action in creating miracles in your life.

 

4. The Law of Growth

Being dedicated to inner growth as a life long journey. As we grow and transform within, our outer circumstances will also transform. As within so without. Personal growth aligned with your soul purpose is important in the evolution of your soul. If you belong to a certain religion or feel spiritually drawn to embodiment, studying philosophy or therapy that is what you can pursue. Listen to your heart rather than what other’s or the majority are following. Your heart will pop books off the shelf, bring courses to your awareness and opportunities for your soul development and growth. Use this life’s opportunities and your inner guidance to grow ongoingly.

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5. The Law of Responsibility

Taking responsibility is a powerful way to move through life and can supercharge your growth and transformation. Giving up victim completely and operating in an empowered way by taking responsibility for how you respond to everything that occurs in your life. The law of cause and effect tells us that the frequency we vibrate at will attract like frequencies. When we take ownership of all the circumstances of our lives good and bad, we get the opportunity to shift our frequencies when we notice we have attracted negative circumstances or people and increase the frequencies that are attracting positive and loving circumstances and people. The outer world is a reflection of the inner world always. The world you experience and how  you perceive it is a projection of your own mind and consciousness. Use this to avoid being trapped in victim mentality that is toxic and low vibrational and powerfully choose to take responsibility. Give up all blame and look within and change.

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6. The Law of Connection

Yogic philosophy and theology believes in the theory of oneness, that we are all connected on a deeper level. That there is one unified field or One Mind that unites all individual souls and physical beings. On this level of oneness we all exist in everything is transparent, everything is one with Source and shares all that is. That we are connected to all aspects of ourself on all dimensions and all aspects of our self past, present and future and one with all beings and Creator Source. That to love ourselves enables us to have love for others, when we give and share love to others we give and share love for ourselves.

 

7. The Law of Force

This law could also be called the law of focus as it invites us to be present and single focused in directing your energy and attention rather than scattered and multi-tasking. This law believes that when you are single pointed in your focus you are more effective and create better results. It is difficult to access the indweller when our mind is distracted and going in many different directions. When we can quiet the mind and bring it into single pointed focus we can be in touch with our intuition and our Divine guidance.

 

8. The Law of Giving

The law of karma is about selflessness, giving to others and serving humanity and the world in your unique way. To serve another, help another not for self-gain or approval from others, but for the mere joy of giving to and helping another. When an opportunity to give and be hospitable and kind presents itself and your heart is aligned you seize the opportunity.

To be ok with giving when no one see’s, no one knows, pure giving for the sake of the kindness in your heart. God knows all the kindness you give and every act of service according to the law of karma is known and credited in your soul.

 

9. The Law of Here and Now

This law is all about being present, open hearted and mindful. Giving up the distractions of regrets from the past and worries about the future. When we are fully present with another, we are attentive and our love flows generously to them. When we are present we embrace the moment with clarity as it arises, our interactions with others is engaging and alive. We are living life, sharing our love and open to

 

10. The Law of Change

This could also be the law of evolution, as we grow in life we evolve and become higher and higher versions of our Self. If we are stuck in a pain cycle, repeating the same painful experiences, same pain different forms, faces and places, yet same underlying suffering. Same types of victim stories, same unfulfilling relationships… we are not growing. We need to upgrade and transform our thoughts, vibrational frequencies, behaviors and patterns constantly to grow into new higher versions of ourselves. If we have the same thoughts, the same grudges, the same patterns we will most certainly have the same outcomes.

 

11. The Law of Patience and Reward

All great things come with hard work and not giving up even when you don’t see progress. All great leaders faced challenges and had many opportunities to give up, but what made them great, what had them succeed in the end was tenacity to continue on, to have patience and faith as they traveled through the droughts and deserts of their path. To continue when there was no evidence of harvest, trusting the seeds they planted emotionally, physically, mentally through good works would come to fruition in Divine timing. This isn’t about forcing doors open, this is about following Divine guidance and keeping faith and being patient throughout the process, in the journey, before you see the evidence of your good works. The reward will come to those who persist through the ups and downs of life. We do our very best and let go of all attachment to the outcomes having faith that the reward is being deposited within our soul, that a power greater than us will bring reward, even if that is in another lifetime.

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12. The Law of Significance and Inspiration

This law states our inherent worthiness as children of the Universe, that we are all equally loved and valuable. We all have cherished gifts to give that make a difference in our own unique way. That in sharing our love and our gifts we make a powerful positive impact for good in the world and universe even if we cannot see it. Sometimes the small acts of kindness, what may seem little charitable gifts of the heart make a difference. As we give in our unique and individual way we will receive back multiplied. Always know your life matters greatly and you are important to the world and any good you put out into the world, a smile to a child or elderly person, opening a door for someone, a compliment or act of service is a gift to the world and yourself. We will always get back what you give out. Maintain alignment with your truth and give truly and generously from your heart contributing positively to others and the rewards will overflow.

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Upanishad Scriptures

“This vast universe is a wheel. Upon it are all creatures that are subject to birth, death, and rebirth. Round and round it turns, and never stops. It is the wheel of cosmic consciousness. As long as the individual  thinks it is separate from cosmic consciousness, it revolves upon the wheel in bondage to the laws of birth, death, and rebirth. But when through the grace of cosmic consciousness it realizes its identity with him, it revolves upon the wheel no longer. It achieves immortality.” – Svetasvatara Upanishad.

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Basic Karma Theory:

In the ancient book Brihadaranyaka Upanishads, the sage Yajnavalkya, one of the earliest philosophers in history, introduced the theory of karma. He affirmed that all our actions, thoughts, deeds and desires are never lost and every action is recorded and responded by the Universe. That karma is accumulatd and can be used from lifetime to lifetime, it is beyond time and is stored within our eternal soul.

Yajnavalkya said to king Janaka,

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“Now a person is like this or like that. As it does, so it becomes; by doing good it becomes good, and by doing evil it becomes evil, it becomes pure by pure acts and bad by bad acts. And others, however, say that a person consists of desires. And as is his desire, so is his will; and as is his will, so is his deed; and whatever deed he does, that he will reap.” – Brihadaranyaka Upanishad – 4.4.5

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“And here there is this verse: “To whatever object a man’s own mind is attached, to that he goes strenuously together with his deed; and having obtained the end (the last results) of whatever deed he does here on earth, he returns again from that world (which is the temporary reward of his deed) to this world of action. So much for the man who desires.” – Brihadaranyaka Upanishad – 4.4.6

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“Karmas are not part of your soul. They are inert material  like dust or subtle energies. Therefore, you can clean it, clear it or transform it with proper techniques.” – Amit Ray

 

Karma Cycle

The concept of karma or “law of karma” is a philosophy that all beings within the universe and all life is governed by a fair and just system based on cause and effect or action and reaction. We discussed earlier 3 types of karma from the Vedas, below is another description of the types of karma described.

 

4 Types of Karma

 

1. Sanchita Karma, Accumulated actions. The sum of your past karmas from all your past lifetimes.

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Sanchita Karma is all karma accumulated in this life and in all other previous lives, both good and bad.  At this level good karma does not cancel the effect of bad karma, they are simply in a storehouse and are yet to be resolved.

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2. Aagami Karma, Current present day decisions you are making and actions taken.

 

3. Praarabdha Karma, The karma you have accumulated in this present lifetime

 

4. Kriyamana Karma, Current Active Karma

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Ways to Clean Up Your Karma

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Sanchita Karma can be dissolved and burned away by meditation techniques. There are many types of meditation techniques especially for burning off karma like the 114 chakra meditation. 

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Aagami Karma can also be burned off by many different meditation techniques. With aagami karma taking positive actions in the present helps dissolve this karma. Dream awareness and therapy healing deep wounds within the subconscious mind can be helpful as well because aagami karma is stored in the subconscious mind. Most important is being present to life moment to moment because our present life circumstances offers us multitudes of opportunities to clear negative karma and build positive karma. Being kind and helpful to others, serving humanity, maintaining a peace and putting forth peaceful actions, being the non-reactive presence of unbounded love. Thinking positive and inspiring thoughts and feeling positive and inspiring emotions can help greatly.

 

Praarabdha karma one of the best meditations for praarabdha karma is mindfulness meditation, the Om meditation repeating the sound of the Universe. Letting go of attachments, disempowered ways of being like victim and blame, letting go of grudges and forgiving others continuously, letting go of low vibrational behaviours, addictions and habits. Being kind to all beings and the Self. Spiritual study and ethical and moral behavior and actions. Most of all knowing the Self and sinking deeper into relationship with the authentic Self, the Indwelling Presence and becoming one with all aspects of self and the God of your

understanding.

 

General ways to build good karma:

Hindu texts suggest many ways to build good karma, such as serving animals, the elderly, and service to humanity, honoring mother Earth and the environment, protecting all her natural species.  Donating to good charities,  serving the poor, donating foods and clothes to people in need, feeding the animals. Taking pilgrimages to holy places that call to your heart and serving in temples or church’s, performing acts of devotion to God. All positive actions, extending love and kindness through your heart to others, listening to others, being attentive. Taking time for others rather than just yourself, helping others in need. Also, meditation, fasting, yoga, pranayama, chanting, exercise, time in nature, clean diet.

Karma knots:

Brahma-granthi: Physical connection, physical body and it’s survival and physical pleasures.

Vishnu-granthi: Astral connection, related to emotions and emotional attachments and bondage.

Rudra-ganthi: Causal connection, intuition, ideas, visions, mental attachments.

Granthi means knots, networks or obstacles. Karmic knots are based both in soul and physical form and the more knots in a soul, the more ego we can experience in form. The knots can be reflected in our present actions and habits both thought habits and actions. The more karmic knots we have within, the more ignorance and disconnection to our spiritual nature when living a physical life. We release karmic knots by knowing the Self, being aligned with our true nature and reality, practicing presence, yoga; asana, pranayama and meditation.

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“O, Maitreyi, it is the Self that is to be beheld; it is the Self that is to be known; it is the Self that is to be searched for; it is the Self which is to be heard about; it is the Self which is to be thought in the mind; it is the Self which is to be meditated upon. There is nothing else worthwhile thinking, nothing else worthwhile possessing, because nothing worthwhile exists, other than This.” – Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 4.5.6

 

Theory of Karma in Bhagavad-Gita

Bhagava Gita defines karma as the Universal causal law where good and bad actions will determine future possibilities of an individual souls experiences. Karma represents the ethical or unethical actions that can effect future circumstances in a present life or a future life. 

 

The theory of karma in the Bhagavad-Gita is very similar to the Upanishads portion of the Vedas. Karma is the Sanskrit word meaning actions or deeds. We have free will to choose our karma. Good karma brings good results and bad karma brings bad results. The Bhagavad-Gita believes that karma is a spiritual law that everything you think, do, experience and feel, and every deed or action toward another is recorded in your soul and the spiritual cosmos. The fruit of your thoughts, feelings, deeds and actions are deposited into this spiritual cosmic bank and can be withdrawn at different time lines.

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Indian soteriologies (theories of salvation) state that future births and life situations will be conditioned by actions performed during one’s present life—which itself has been conditioned by the accumulated effects of actions performed in previous lives. The Indian doctrine of karma directs students and devotees of religions toward their common goal: release or moksha from the cycle of birth and death. Karma thus serves two main functions within Indian philosophy: it provides the major motivation to live an ethical life, and it serves as the primary explanation of the existence of evil.

 

Karma and Bhagavad-Gita Quotes

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In Bhagavad-Gita Lord Krishna said “Perform work that will give benefit of all (divine sacrifice), otherwise work causes bondage in this material world. Therefore, O son of Kunti, perform your prescribed duties for the happiness of all, and in that way you will always remain free from bondage.” – Bhagavad-Gita (3.9)

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All men are forced to act helplessly according to their impulses; therefore no one can refrain from doing something,  not even for a moment. — Bhagavad-Gita (3.5)

Established in yoga ( harmony and tranquility)  and perform action (karma) –Bhagavad-Gita (2.48)

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The subject of karma is very complex and very hard to understand.  — Bhagavad-Gita (4.17)

One who is, however, taking pleasure in the self, who is illuminated in the self, who rejoices in and is satisfied with the self only, fully satiated–for him there is no karma or duty. — Bhagavad-Gita (3.17)

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Even if one is the most sinful of all sinners, yet one shall cross over the ocean of sin by the raft of  Self knowledge alone. –Bhagavad-Gita  (4.36)

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The enlightened person sees inaction in action, action in inaction –Bhagavad-Gita  (4.18)

“Karmas are not part of your soul. They are inert material  like dust or subtle energies. Therefore, you can clean it, clear it or transform it with proper techniques.” – Amit Ray

 

Bhagavad Gita Teaching on the Self

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Unchanging permanent Self; the Eternal Self or Soul

Temporal Self; Changing, impermanent self within the material world. 3 Attributes of self called Gunas

Tamas Gunas; dense, solid stagnant, limited and stuck

Rajas Gunas; more liquid, flowing, haphazard, irregular

Sattva Gunas; light, aware, movement, consistent, kind, loving, evololving

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Purusha- Non-dual, interconnected, wholly open being.

 

 

Dharma

Dharma is the calling of your soul, your inner purpose. The word dharma comes from the Sanskrit word dhri, meaning to maintain, preserve or hold. When you are living your dharma you are living in alignment with your soul purpose, you are doing what you were born to do. Activating your spiritual DNA.

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All things have a purpose, an inner purpose and an outer purpose.

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Inner Purpose; most important calling of your soul. Who and what you are. Coming home to the Self. The realization that we all come from Creator Source, your soul is sustained by Source.

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Outer Purpose; What you create in a physical life. Your career, your service work, your relationships and creativity. Being a parent, a teacher, a doctor, lawyer, gardener, veterinarian. This changes overtime during your lifetime. You may be a parent and a doctor while you raise your children, but in your later years you may be a yoga teacher or a writer.

 

The term and concept of dharma was introduced in the ancient Vedic texts based on cosmic law and order throughout the universe. It became more personalized to individual human beings as a moral compass and way to maintain your souls path in each life.

It refers to an individuals purpose and highest spiritual destiny in each life. It is believed that according to a souls karma their dharma is chosen and even pre-determined. It is believed that we only progress as we move forward living our dharma, our souls personal mission, path and purpose for our life.

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Following the heart, the call and pull of our innermost truth and passions leads us to our dharma; our truest calling. When we accept our highest role, path and purpose in our life we are serving all life and all beings within the Universe in the highest way.

When all beings live their dharma harmony and peace pervade the Universe and all beings. In yoga it is believed that not only do humans have a dharma, but animals, insects, micro organisms, rocks, the sun, flowers… all life everywhere. By claiming and living deeply your dharma you serve not only your soul, but all souls within the Universe.

When we realize our highest purpose in our life and we live aligned with our dharma, it can lead to self-realization, deep inner peace, fulfillment and joy.