Episode Transcript
Understanding karma. The philosophy of karma is very profound, and it's really widely discussed idea in Indian philosophy. That actually means action. And the premise is that it is a law of cause and effect. It has like a ripple effect that affects our experiences in life. And also it actually can be, if understood properly and practice properly, it can actually enable an evolution in our consciousness. My name is Ken Hanuman and I've been practicing Raja Yoga meditation for over 40 years. In these episodes, I will share the experiences and insights I've gained from meditation and how I've integrated them into my everyday life and all my relationships. Welcome to the Spiritual Relationship Podcast. Welcome to everyone. This is a Spiritual Relationship podcast. My name is Ken Hannaman, and today's topic is Understanding Karma. It's a very, very deep topic. Why is it really deep? Is because when you go into it, you realize at every moment, as long as we're in this body, we're doing action. We are doing action, whether it's physical, it's verbal, it is mental it produces consequences. That shapes our present experience and also our future experience. So this law of cause and effect. Um, it really does help to understand how our past can affect our present and how whatever we do in this present. The present actually is the most important, the part of karma. It is the only part of our experience that we have a chance to change something. Anytime you change or you begin a new habit or a new skill, a new way of thinking, you, you are creating a new, perspective or understanding of something. When you have that realization and that clarity and you've choose, you've chosen a new way of doing something or or thinking, you are actually doing two things. One, you are changing the past, meaning that you're not repeating something that you've done for maybe many years, but now you're choosing not to continue that. And then you are starting something new. So you are actually creating the present based on the transformation in the now. So you are creating your future. Even though we don't like to say that karma doesn't actually mean fate or destiny, like people tend to see that's all what that is. That, oh, karma meaning like you're suffering because you did something in the past. That's really not it alone. It shouldn't be seen as that. It should be saying that we have the ability to take responsibility for whatever we are feeling and whatever our behavior and our choices are in the present. Take the responsibility and know that you have the ability to change that. And if you change, you are becoming creative. People have a difficulty with their, like they're not satisfied with their life, basically. Especially as you get older, you know, you wish, you probably didn't do that, you didn't develop this bad habit. Or you might find in your older years that you might feel lonely. You feel that relationships are changing and, uh, you probably wish you, that you create a better relationship. Maybe you invested a little bit more in, in creating good relationship. It doesn't mean that you're stuck there. It means that you can still change. We always have that no matter what the age of the body, we do have the ability to create something new. So every action, every action, it has a reaction. Positive action can lead to some beneficial results. While harmful action can lead to suffering, like we have a saying in Raja Yoga meditation; don't give sorrow, nor should you take sorrow. When I say take sorrow, I mean it's like things are happening. People are saying things to you. Maybe people are mean. People can blame you for things. Things can happen in your childhood and you blame yourself. Children tend to do that if, if they're growing up in a home that is, there's a lot of problems and fighting and so on, they can feel like they are responsible for it. So it's like they have taken that sorrow and they carry that wound. They carry that trauma into the future. And it can affect them in their, relationship with human beings, and in their marriage and so on. The other thing about. Karma is that, intention, the intention with which you do an action really, really matters. The, depending on the intention behind the action, it can determine the karmic weight of the action. And a simple example would be, let's say if somebody gives you a gift. Let's say money, flowers, something like that. Or they're kind to you. They're giving you something, but the intention is not selflessness. It could be that they're looking for something back in return. They're looking for you to agree with them or to, or to, um. Maybe give them something, their desire or to be their friend, whatever they're looking for something. In that case, if they don't get what they desire, when they give you that give, then the happiness that they probably had when they gave you it will be short lived. Meaning that it'll, they'll feel disappointed if they don't get what they want, and that's the problem with selfish action. It can cause sorrow if you don't get what you want. The kind of action that continues to give is the one where you give selflessly, and this doesn't mean that you give away your wealth and stuff like that. Or you're trying so hard to place people that you're doing, doing, doing, and then after a while you feel exhausted and, and, uh, burnt out or, or whatever. That's not what you want, right? You should be able to know your limit or maybe know what you're good at. That you're happy to give without expecting anything. What that does is that it builds your self-esteem. You feel as if you are in control of your energy, let's say your time and your physical energies and whatever you might have that you, the abilities you have to help others and that kind of thing. It, that kind of happiness. And think about it. Let's say for instance, if you, you have children and you help them selflessly and you, you're so happy when they, when they achieve, you know, they get their degree. Good job. They're independent and strong and so on, and you don't expect anything back that you made someone great greater, you know, you made somebody feel, they would always remember that kindness. And, whether they help you or not, you feel you'll feel much better about yourself and that happiness will continue to serve you. Like I said before, this philosophy of karma. It teaches us self-responsibility. And to remember that we are co-creators in our reality. It's not like somebody above that is doing everything for you or whatever. That being that high power of God, he has a role, he's there available to us, but his part to inspire and to guide and, but he's not here to make choices for you. That is still your part. You, he never takes that away from you. I think one thing too about soul consciousness or spiritual knowledge. God exists, he's a being that he's very independent and he's a constant source of that which is pure and, peaceful and the ocean of love and so on. And he is always available, but he does not, what I would say He doesn't really control your life. You have that space and you can, and, uh, he can teach or knowledge will be available to you. And if you do remember Him. You will feel as if like you, you have an intuition, uh, a knowing and an understanding, and inner wisdom that guides you and that is possible. Through meditation where you are remembering him as he is. The problem people have today is that they think that he does everything. Therefore, when things go bad, he did it. If things go good, he did it. If somebody dies, he did it. So when you look at that, it is, it takes away your responsibility. It takes away your choice. So there's something wrong with that understanding. Is it not better to feel responsible for your choices and to know that He is available to help you to make good decisions. So build a relationship, develop your power of intuition. And learn how to know yourself. See what is in your mind and in your memory. Maybe take a good look at your desires and, and see. Are you overextending yourself? Are you opening yourself to disappointment? Can you simplify, can you make better use of your energy? So these are consideration that will help you. To use your available time and opportunities to create something good, good action always benefit you and, and those around you. A good personality, a good correcter, a simple life, a good vision to others, it benefits you and it benefit others. The good thing with added, added it benefit others without taking anything from you. Both. If you're in a family, in a relationship, if you have a good connection with yourself and a good understanding, you'll find that you'll be able to cooperate with others. You'll be able to help, but you'll grow at the same time. You never sacrifice one for the other. Sacrificing one for the other is bad karma. Also, if one person is trying to make the other person dependent on them. Like something happens between husband and wife, or between children and and parent and so on. You know, we have so much expectations and it tends to cause sorrow, uh, because another human being cannot really fulfill you totally. And some people are never satisfied. So, good karma. You can know when it is good karma. You, you're, um, you'll feel good. You are growing, you are getting deeper understanding, and the other person is also, you give them space and you are able to cooperate as needed. It's really important in our morality or an ethical conduct that we have compassion, honesty, genera, generosity, those things are really important. Sometimes I spoke of a past, present, and future and the, and the importance of the present. And in meditation, we try not to live in the past because if you are still following the same habits, the same negative, behavioral pattern or you have things like hate, dishonesty or you're never happy, you're living in fear, anxiety. You want to change those things because those things only cause you in the present to feel unhappy and therefore you will do things that are not helpful to yourself or to others. So be careful being in the present. And we've heard that before, right? Be self-aware, be in the present. That is what is soul consciousness. And the other thing is that sometimes we do karma that benefit many people. You don't get all of it now, but it's not gone. It actually, you'll get the return of it later on. It's like when you're very good feeding someone, giving someone education, health, taking care, they might not be in a position to help you back right now. It wouldn't come back right away, but later on you do find good things come to you in life. People can call that good fortune. Good luck. It's actually your karma coming back. But at a late to date. When we do negative things and if we are always in a state of, discontent, confused, feeling, not love, low self-esteem, feeling hurt, feeling like life has no purpose. This is a negative state, and in that state you might be doing things, you are suffering in a, in a moment and you are not really creating anything positive. So that's like a debit, you know, like there's no happiness or little happiness or whatever, and that's, you're not really saving anything. The part that is, where you might cause harm to many people, some people do that, right? You see people doing things that cause a lot of problems to a country to a group of people, life of crime or whatever, and these things, you might not get the return right away, but it does catch up with you. So these are different aspects of the laws of karma, and this is a quick look at it be because at the mental level, karma still applies. When you have negative thoughts it does have a consequence, immediate consequence. And then when you follow those, uh, thoughts, put 'em into action verbally or physically, then, you can also probably feel, and that has nothing to do with religion. That's just like a law. There are consequences, right? Their reaction. It's not God punishing you. It's just Allah, like the law of gravity. So with that, I will close and, I hope it in maybe you feel a more curious about it and you'll probably try to learn more about it. We have free online classes and and also free meditation commentary. Commentaries are very good in the beginning, especially. You can listen to one, two, or three. You can choose a couple and just repeat them and go deeper and deeper into what they're saying and learn how to focus and to develop this by getting lost in the game. Like I mentioned before, being lost in love, getting lost in peace, getting lost in a conversation with God, with the supreme being. Getting lost in this feeling of compassion for all. All of this is elevated karma. So with that, I thank you for listening and I hope, you'll join me for the next episode, which will be settling the past and creating the future. So thanks again and goodbye. When you walk into a room, life gets little, you. You.
