9/10/2016 Karma

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Karma
ReducingKarmaandtheSourcesof
NegativeActions,Speech,andThoughts
bySwamiJnaneshvaraBharati

Thisarticleisavailableinprint:

ThewordKarmaliterallymeansaction.Itmayappearthat Karma
ishappeningtous,asifsomeoutsideforceiscausinggood things
or bad things to come to us. However, it is really our own inner
conditionings and processes that are leading us to experience
outereffectsorconsequencesinrelationtoourownactions.

OutlineoftheprocessofKarma:Theprocess
ofKarmaisoutlinedinthechartattheleft.

Asyouscrolldownthroughthisarticle,youwill
finddetaileddescriptionsofeachofthestages
onthechart.Theparticularsectionbeing
describedishighlightedinblueinthe
accompanyingchart.

Itisalsousefultoreadthesepagesabout
karma:

ThreeTypesofKarma Thepagecannotbedi
ReducingKarmaYogaSutras
KarmaandNonAttachment Thepageyouarelookingforiscur
KarmaarticlesIndex mightbeexperiencingtechnicaldif
yourbrowsersettings.

Law of Karma: The law of Karma is a universal process, whereby causes lead to Pleasetrythefollowing:
effects.Thisissomethingthatallofusarealreadyfamiliarwith,whetherornotweuse Ifyoutypedthepageaddre
thewordKarmatodescribeit.Newton'sthirdlawofmotion,thateveryactionleadstoa thatitisspelledcorrectly.
reaction,isanapplicationofthelawofKarma.Whetherwearetalkingaboutphysicsor Ifyouaretryingtoreacha
dailylifeintheworld,itisextremelyusefultounderstandthelawandprocessof Karma Securitysettingscansuppo
sothatwemayregulateordirecttheprocess.Wecansoftenthe impact of the playing ClicktheBack
outofourpastKarmas,andcanchooseourownfutureKarmaifwearewillingtoputin
theefforttolearnhowtodoit.

RemembertheBlissbeyondKarma: When journeying through the process of Karma,

itcanstarttofeelabitheavywithalltheexplanationsandinnerexplorations.Thebest
companion on this journey through Karma is to remember that we are trying to

experiencethatBliss,Joy,orAbsoluteTruth,whichisbeyond,behind,orunderneathall
of the Karma. By remembering that the goal is Joy, Bliss, or Absolute, we (and the
mind) will have a focal point and a context for all of the efforts put into sadhana
(spiritualpractices).Aboveallelse,seekthatJoyorBliss.

Seealsothearticle:
Bindu:PinnacleofYoga,VedantaandTantra

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VIDEO:SamSkara,TerminatorofKarma
(MoreYouTubevideosbySwamiJ)

TwoEssentialTerms
Twoessentialterms:Tounderstandthe
meaningofKarma,andtoreduceitscontrol
throughYoga,oneneedstounderstandanother
term,andthatisSamskara.Karmaliterally
meansactions,andthoseactionscomefrom
thedeepimpressionsofhabitthatarecalled
Samskaras.

Thesetwoacttogether:Ouractionsand
speechbringusexperiencesorconsequencesin
theworld.Those,inturn,leadtofurther
creationofdeepimpressions(Samskaras)in 18%
thebasementofthemind.Later,thoselatent off
impressionscometolifeandcreatestillfurther
experiences.

Wemustdealwithboth:Ifwewantthe
higherinsightsandfreedoms,weneedtodeal
withbothouractionsandthesehabits.

Samskara is the most important principle: The most important principle to
understandaboutKarmais the principle of the Samskara, those deep impressions. It is
those deep impressions or seed habit patterns, which are at the root of ALL of our
Karmas, whether we think of that Karma as good or bad. There are two general things
weneedtodoinrelationtothoseSamskaras:

External:AllowsomeSamskarastowiselyplayoutexternallyinourlife,inways
that allow us to become free from them recycling into more and more loops of
habitualactions.(SeeArcheryarticle)

Internal: Let go of other Samskaras internally by attenuating the colorings of

attractions,aversions,andfearsthroughtheprocessesmeditation, contemplation,
MILTON
andprayer. THERMOSTEEL
CARAFE,2L(EC
KarmaYoga: To purify or attenuate the Samskaras while one is doing actions in the TMSFIS
0041_STEEL)
world is the Yoga known as Karma Yoga. This involves being aware or mindful of our
actions and speech, and seeing their sources in emotions and the subtler processes of
the mind. Karma Yoga also involves doing our actions in ways, which are of benefit to
MRP:
others(serviceorseva),freeingourselvesfromthecyclesoffeedingegotism.
Rs.1,628.00
Rs.1,327.00
Subtler freedom through Meditation: The subtler, finer colorings of Samskaras are (details+delivery)
systematicallyencountered,weakened,reduced,eliminatedandtranscendedthroughthe
processofmeditation.ThisisoutlinedingreaterdetailintheYogaSutras, including the
first25SutrasofChapter2.

http://www.swamij.com/karma.htm 2/17
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Thepagecannotbedi

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mightbeexperiencingtechnicaldif
yourbrowsersettings.

Pleasetrythefollowing:

Ifyoutypedthepageaddre
thatitisspelledcorrectly.
Ifyouaretryingtoreacha
Cyclingprocessoftheinnerinstruments: To experience the Eternal Self beyond the Securitysettingscansuppo
many forms, one needs to experientially understand the cycling process of the inner ClicktheBack
instruments that drives Karma (actions). This cycling process between actions and the
deepimpressionsalsoisaffectedbytheinnerthinkingprocess,theemotions,primitive
urges,andtheignorancecalledAvidya.Alloftheseareinfusedwithoroperated by the Thepagecannotbedi
pure consciousness, which is at the core of our being. (These are described in the
article.) Thepageyouarelookingforiscur
mightbeexperiencingtechnicaldif
Attenuating the deep impressions: By observing this process in one's own inner yourbrowsersettings.
laboratory of Yoga Meditation, the effects of deep impressions (Samskaras) can be
reduced,andthus,Karma regulated. This process of attenuating Samskaras and Karma
Pleasetrythefollowing:
increasinglyallowsattentiontoshifttotheviewingpointofWitnessofitall.
Ifyoutypedthepageaddre
Thecycleofactions(Karma): thatitisspelledcorrectly.
Ifyouaretryingtoreacha
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...arisesfromamostlyunconsciousthoughtprocess,
ClicktheBack
...thatisinspiredbytheinnerpassionsof"Iamness"
...andspecificdesires("Iwant..."),
...thatisfilteredthroughlayersofdeepimpressions(Samskaras), Thepagecannotbedi
...thatareinspiredbyprimitiveurges
...thatfirstarisewiththeindividuationofthewavefromtheoceanofOneness. Thepageyouarelookingforiscur
mightbeexperiencingtechnicaldif
yourbrowsersettings.

ThreeFreedoms
Pleasetrythefollowing:
Threefreedomscome:Therearethree
generalstagesoffreedomthatcomefromthis Ifyoutypedthepageaddre
thatitisspelledcorrectly.
processofdealingwithKarma:
Ifyouaretryingtoreacha
Securitysettingscansuppo
1. FreedomfromActions:Freedomfrom ClicktheBack
thebondageofKarma(actions),meaning
thatonedoesnotnecessarilyhavetoact
outofhabit,butisfreetomakechoice. Thepagecannotbedi
2. FreedomfromThought:Freedomfrom Thepageyouarelookingforiscur
thebondageofThought,meaningthatone mightbeexperiencingtechnicaldif
hastheabilitytoregulatethoughtsand yourbrowsersettings.
emotionsinpositiveways,notbeing
merelydraggedaroundbythe
conditioningsofthemind. Pleasetrythefollowing:

Ifyoutypedthepageaddre
3. FreedomfromIgnorance:Freedom thatitisspelledcorrectly.
fromthebondageofIgnorance,meaning Ifyouaretryingtoreacha
thatonehasbecomefreefromtheprimal Securitysettingscansuppo
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forgettingofonesTruenature,andofthe
temporary,painfulnatureofthings.

Emergingfreedoms:Thesethreefreedomsemergeinstages.Thedirectexperienceof Thepagecannotbedi
theCenterofConsciousness,theSelf,leadstowardsallthreeofthesefreedoms.
Thepageyouarelookingforiscur
Observe and Regulate your actions and speech: One of the first things to do in mightbeexperiencingtechnicaldif
sadhana (spiritual practices) is to regulate actions and speech, promoting the positive yourbrowsersettings.
and useful, while setting aside the negative and not useful. This is the first part of
breakingthecyclesofactionsandreactions,orKarma.In Yoga, this includes practicing
Pleasetrythefollowing:
theYamas,whicharenotharming,truthfulness,notstealing,rememberinghighertruth,
and not being possessive (Yoga Sutras 2.302.34). Initially these practices might be Ifyoutypedthepageaddre
done on the more surface level, like behavioral psychology, but later are done on a thatitisspelledcorrectly.
subtler level through meditation (Yoga Sutras 2.102.11). Then the roots of those Ifyouaretryingtoreacha
negativeornotusefulactionsandspeecharedealtwiththroughmeditationatthelevel Securitysettingscansuppo
ClicktheBack
ofSamskaras(SeetheSamskaraslevelonthechart).

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Witness your Emotions and Thoughts: Observe your emotional reactions during the
day and you will easily notice that most, if not all of them are one of two types. The
emotions are either in getting what you want (or successfully avoiding what you don't
want), or not getting what you want (or failing to avoid what you don't want). These
emotional reactions will cluster around happiness or pride when we get our way, and
frustrationorjealousywhenwedonotgetourway.Thesereactionsmightbeintenseor
very mild. One of the most straightforward and useful practices in observing these
emotional reactions is to ask ourselves, "What desire is being fulfilled here?" or "What
desire is not being fulfilled here?" In either case, it is very useful to witness these
emotional reactions, as they give us clues about the underlying Deep Impressions
(Samskaras), and can help us see the way the Four Primitive Urges (see chart) set the
stageforthese.Thentheycanbesystematicallyattenuated,eventuallyrevealingthejoy
andTruthunderneath.

Remember and observe the basic forms of Ignorance: It is extremely useful to

notice from time to time the many ways in which we forget the subtler realities in our
busy daily lives. Avidya means ignorance, to not see clearly. Avidya literally means
withoutknowledge, as the a means without, and vidya means knowledge (See Yoga
Sutra 2.5). We may observe, for example, some frustration when something we own
breaks, is lost, or is stolen. The root of the frustration comes because of forgetting the
temporary nature of things. When somebody says something negative about us, we
mightfeelhurtorbecomedefensivebecauseoftherootforgettingofwhoIam, thinking
that I am my personality. Remembering the reality of things can help lead to freedom,
though we will also need to deal with these in subtler meditation. (See the
Avidya/Ignorancelevelonthechart)

Thepagecannotbedi

Thepageyouarelookingforiscur
mightbeexperiencingtechnicaldif
yourbrowsersettings.

Pleasetrythefollowing:

Ifyoutypedthepageaddre
thatitisspelledcorrectly.
Ifyouaretryingtoreacha
Securitysettingscansuppo
ClicktheBack

Thepagecannotbedi

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mightbeexperiencingtechnicaldif
yourbrowsersettings.

Aboutthedescriptionsbelow... Pleasetrythefollowing:
Descriptionsfrominnertoouter:ThedescriptionsbelowexplaintheprocessofKarma Ifyoutypedthepageaddre
by starting at the subtlest level and then progressively moving outward. One after the thatitisspelledcorrectly.
other, the process emerges through these levels until there is finally a playing out of Ifyouaretryingtoreacha
actions (Karmas) in the external world. The particular section being described is Securitysettingscansuppo
highlightedinblueintheaccompanyingchart. ClicktheBack

CenterofConsciousness
Center:Underneathallofthelevelsandlayers
ofinnerprocessaffectingKarmaistheCenter
ofConsciousness(orwhatevernameone
choosestocallit).Understandingtheprocessof
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Karmaanditssourcesdoesnotrequireoneto
useorbelieveinanyparticulartermorconcept Thepagecannotbedi
forthisultimatelevelthatweareherecalling
CenterofConsciousness.Theprinciplesand Thepageyouarelookingforiscur
processesofKarmaapplytoallpeople, mightbeexperiencingtechnicaldif
regardlessofhowwemightconceivethiscore yourbrowsersettings.
ofconsciousness.
Pleasetrythefollowing:
Conditioning:Itistheconditioningofthis
otherwisepureconsciousnessthatrelatesto Ifyoutypedthepageaddre
Karmaandthesourcesofactions,speech,and thatitisspelledcorrectly.
thoughts.TheCenterofConsciousnesshasbeen Ifyouaretryingtoreacha
placedonthischartsothatwecanseetheway Securitysettingscansuppo
ClicktheBack
inwhichthisconditioningprocesshappens.

Thepagecannotbedi
Thepageyouarelookingforiscur
mightbeexperiencingtechnicaldif
BeevermindfulofyourCenter:Cultivateanattitudeofconstantawarenessofthecore yourbrowsersettings.
of your being, or center of consciousness. It doesn't matter whether you use these
terms, or refer to that center as Self, Soul, Atman, or some other name. It is very
usefultobe mindful of that center while doing your actions in the world. Attention may Pleasetrythefollowing:
not be there continuously, but can pop into awareness from time to time. This allows Ifyoutypedthepageaddre
youtoseethewayinwhichthe center is, as the name says, the center from which all thatitisspelledcorrectly.
oftheotherdeephabits,emotions,thoughts,actionsandspeechemerge. Ifyouaretryingtoreacha
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Pleasetrythefollowing:

Ifyoutypedthepageaddre
thatitisspelledcorrectly.
Ifyouaretryingtoreacha
Securitysettingscansuppo
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Thepagecannotbedi
Rememberingoften:Torecallthiscenterofconsciousnessisafrequentreminderthat
who I am is independent of these habits or Samskaras (though we are responsible for Thepageyouarelookingforiscur
them), much as if we were to see ourselves as being electricity, independent of the mightbeexperiencingtechnicaldif
machinesorinstrumentswemightoperate.Thispracticeisarealkeytointernalizingor yourbrowsersettings.
rememberingthewholeofthisprocessofKarma,andlearninghowtodealwithit.This
isoftencalledMeditationinActionorMindfulness.
Pleasetrythefollowing:

Ifyoutypedthepageaddre
thatitisspelledcorrectly.
Ifyouaretryingtoreacha
Securitysettingscansuppo
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Thepageyouarelookingforiscur
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yourbrowsersettings.

Pleasetrythefollowing:

Ifyoutypedthepageaddre
thatitisspelledcorrectly.
Ifyouaretryingtoreacha
Securitysettingscansuppo
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http://www.swamij.com/karma.htm 5/17
9/10/2016 Karma

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Avidya/Ignorance
Thepagecannotbedi
Avidya/Ignorance:Avidyameansignorance,
ortonotseeclearly.Ignorancedoesnotmean Thepageyouarelookingforiscur
stupidorlackinginintelligence,butrefersto mightbeexperiencingtechnicaldif
therootabilitytoignore. yourbrowsersettings.

Waveforgetsitisocean:Imagineanocean,
whichisanoceanofconsciousness,andthat Pleasetrythefollowing:
thewaveforgetsthatitsessentialnatureisthat Ifyoutypedthepageaddre
oftheoceanitself.Thatforgetting,orignoring, thatitisspelledcorrectly.
allowsthewavetothinkthatitisanindividual, Ifyouaretryingtoreacha
independentoftheocean.Wehumansdothis Securitysettingscansuppo
tooweforgetwearepartofthewhole,and ClicktheBack
declare,"Iamsoandso."

SeealsoYogaSutrasonAvidyaorIgnorance: Thepagecannotbedi

Sutras2.32.4onfivecolorings Thepageyouarelookingforiscur
Sutra2.5onfourkindsofAvidya mightbeexperiencingtechnicaldif
yourbrowsersettings.

KindsofAvidya: The aspect of Avidya that has to do with our fundamental forgetting
that we are part of the whole is an extremely subtle part of our being. However, this Pleasetrythefollowing:
process also manifests in more surface ways as well. For example, Avidya (ignorance)
sets the stage for us to confuse pain for pleasure, impure thoughts for pure thoughts, Ifyoutypedthepageaddre
temporaryforlonglasting,andouractionsasbeingouridentity.Youmightwanttoread thatitisspelledcorrectly.
Ifyouaretryingtoreacha
throughYogaSutra2.5ontypesofAvidya.
Securitysettingscansuppo
ClicktheBack
OpensthedoortoKarma:ThisprimalforgettingorignoranceofAvidyaallows for the
possibility of the chains of Karma, or cause and effect. Imagine for a moment that you
were a totally enlightened sage, and that you never, ever, lost touch with your eternal
Self.Ifyouwereinthatstate,youwouldbefree,atalltimes,evenwhenactionswere
playing out! However, those who are not free, who do have Karma, are influenced by
this foundation of Ignorance or Avidya. In forgetting our True Nature and falsely
identifying ourselves with the objects of the world that are stored in the mind, we are
subjectto the playing out of the seemingly endless cycles of desires and actions, cause

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9/10/2016 Karma
and effect. The whole process of Karma begins with, or rests on the foundation of
AvidyaorIgnorance. Thepagecannotbedi

Avidya/IgnoranceislikeForgetting... Thepageyouarelookingforiscur
mightbeexperiencingtechnicaldif
yourbrowsersettings.

Pleasetrythefollowing:
Thewaveforgetsthetruththatitisocean,thinkingitself
tobethegrandshape,whichithastemporarilytaken. Ifyoutypedthepageaddre
Forawhile,ittakesontherupa(form)ofwave. thatitisspelledcorrectly.
Finally,itremembersitstruerupa(form)ofocean. Ifyouaretryingtoreacha
Thetwocoexist,thoughoneistrue,andthe Securitysettingscansuppo
ClicktheBack
other,thoughbeautiful,isonlyrelativelytrue.
Sotoo,wehumansforgetourtruenature,
but,throughYoga,canremember.
Thepagecannotbedi
Avidyaisanability: This Avidya or Ignorance is actually an ability or skill, in addition
tobeingthemostsubtleobstacleitisnotallbad.WhileitistruethatAvidyamasksour Thepageyouarelookingforiscur
TrueNature,italsoallowsustofunctionintheworld.Imaginethatyoudidnothavethe mightbeexperiencingtechnicaldif
ability to ignore all of the thoughts going on in your unconscious mind at a given yourbrowsersettings.
moment. This could be a state of what psychologists call flooding of unconscious
material, which might be called psychosis. If we were masters of nonattachment (See
Pleasetrythefollowing:
YogaSutras1.151.16),thenwecouldbecompletelyopen,withnoAvidyaorIgnorance,
andwewouldbeunaffectedbythatfloodofthoughts.Thatwouldbeastateofcomplete Ifyoutypedthepageaddre
freedom from the bondage of Karma, the bondage of thought, and the bondage of thatitisspelledcorrectly.
Avidya. However, in the meantime, it is good to see how Avidya sets the stage for the Ifyouaretryingtoreacha
playofKarma,sowecandothepracticalworkinourdailylivesasspiritualaspirants. Securitysettingscansuppo
ClicktheBack

FourPrimitiveFountains Thepagecannotbedi
FourPrimitiveFountains:Allcreaturesshare
somecommondrives,whichformtherootof Thepageyouarelookingforiscur
mightbeexperiencingtechnicaldif
allotherdrives,wants,wishes,ormotives,
yourbrowsersettings.
whichmightbemorespecificinnature.While
youmightseeothernuanceswithinthese,there
arefourbasicurgesforfood,sleep,sex,and Pleasetrythefollowing:
selfpreservation.
Ifyoutypedthepageaddre
thatitisspelledcorrectly.
Food Ifyouaretryingtoreacha
Sleep Securitysettingscansuppo
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Sex
Selfpreservation
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Otherscomefromthese:Thesearecalled
fountainsbecauseotherdrivesspringfrom
thesefour,combiningandrecombininginmany
complexcombinations.

Seealsothearticles:
LifestyleandtheFourBasicUrges
FourPrimitiveFountains

Generalizedurges:Thesefourprimitiveurgesareverygeneralized, while the ensuing

experiencesoflifeleadtomoreparticularizeddrives,habits, or conditionings. Thus, for
example,allcreatureshaveadrivetowardsustenance,whichwecanbroadlycallfood.
However, humans have a narrower range of appropriate food compared to others. For
example, the food of an algae growing in a pond might be different than what people
eat. As our food drive becomes more particularized, we might develop a predisposition
forhealthyfoodortastyfood,forapplesorchocolate.

Also open the door to Karma: As was mentioned above in relation to Avidya or
Ignorance, these very broad Primitive Urges also allow for the next level of
conditionings to occur, where we start to get a real feel for the nature of Karma and
howweactuallydealwithitinourspirituallivesandmeditationpractices.

DeepImpressions/Samskaras
DeepimpressionsdriveKarma:Thereare
manylayersandlevelsofSamskaras,the

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storedimpressionsresultingfromactionsand
desires,asleepintheunconscious. Thepagecannotbedi

Latent,butwithpotential:Intheirlatent Thepageyouarelookingforiscur
form,theseSamskarashavenoimmediate mightbeexperiencingtechnicaldif
impellingforcetoaction,butonlythepotential yourbrowsersettings.
forsuchaction.Thesearethedrivingforceof
ourKarma.SometimestheSamskarasbecome
Pleasetrythefollowing:
active,andthentheymotivateandcontrolthe
mindandtheemotions,whichinturnleadsto Ifyoutypedthepageaddre
thepossibilityofactions(Karma). thatitisspelledcorrectly.
Ifyouaretryingtoreacha
Sleepingdesires:Justasapersonmaysleep, Securitysettingscansuppo
ClicktheBack
theselatentimpressionsareusuallyasleep,so
tospeak.Itisonlywhentheybecomeactive
thattheystirintoactivedesires.
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Twoessentialterms: To understand the meaning of Karma, and
to reduce it's control, one needs to understand another term, and
thatisSamskara.Karmaliterallymeansactions,andthoseactions
come from the deep impressions of habit that are called
Samskaras.

Thesetwoacttogether:Ouractionsandspeechbringusexperiencesorconsequences
intheworld.Those,inturn,leadtofurthercreationofdeepimpressions(Samskaras) in
the basement of the mind. Later, those latent impressions come to life and create still
furtherexperiences.

Thepagecannotbedi

Thepageyouarelookingforiscur
mightbeexperiencingtechnicaldif
Wemustdealwithboth: If we want the higher spiritual freedoms and insights, it is yourbrowsersettings.
necessarynotonlytodealwiththeexternalactionsorbehavior,butalsowiththedeep,
internal impressions or Samskaras. These must be systematically encountered,
Pleasetrythefollowing:
weakened,eliminated,andtranscended.
Ifyoutypedthepageaddre
KarmaYoga: To purify or attenuate the Samskaras while one is doing actions in the thatitisspelledcorrectly.
world is the Yoga known as Karma Yoga. This involves being aware or mindful of our Ifyouaretryingtoreacha
actions and speech, and seeing their sources in emotions and the subtler processes of Securitysettingscansuppo
ClicktheBack
the mind. Karma Yoga also involves doing our actions in ways, which are of benefit to
others,freeingourselvesfromthecyclesoffeedingegotism.
(FourPathsofYoga:Jnana,Bhakti,Karma,Raja) DNSFail

Subtler freedom through Meditation: The subtler, finer colorings of Samskaras are
systematicallyencountered,weakened,reduced,eliminatedandtranscendedthroughthe
processofmeditation(SeeYogaSutras,includingthefirst25SutrasofChapter2).

Cyclingprocessoftheinnerinstruments: To experience the Eternal Self beyond the

many forms, one needs to experientially understand the cycling process of the inner
instruments that drives Karma (actions). This cycling process between actions and the
deepimpressionsalsoisaffectedbytheinnerthinkingprocess,theemotions,primitive
urges, and the ignorance called Avidya (See Yoga Sutra 2.5 for more info about
Ignorance or Avidya). All of these are infused with or operated by the pure
consciousness,whichisatthecoreofourbeing.

Attenuating the deep impressions: By observing this process in one's own inner
laboratory of Yoga Meditation, the effects of deep impressions (Samskaras) can be
reduced,andthus,Karma regulated. This process of attenuating Samskaras and Karma
increasinglyallowsattentiontoshifttotheviewingpointofWitnessofitall.

Samskarasmustbeexaminedandpurified: To make progress in regulating Karma,

the Samskaras need to be examined and purified, which means to gradually attenuate
their intensity, until they can finally be completely purified in the inner fire of pure

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consciousness. This is an important part of the process of Yoga Meditation and Yoga
NidraastoolstodealwithKarma. Thepagecannotbedi

UncoloringYourColoredThoughts Thepageyouarelookingforiscur
mightbeexperiencingtechnicaldif
yourbrowsersettings.

Pleasetrythefollowing:

Ifyoutypedthepageaddre
thatitisspelledcorrectly.
Ifyouaretryingtoreacha
Securitysettingscansuppo
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YogaSutras: BreakingtheallianceofKarma:Thekeytobreakingthecycleofkarma
is that the connection between seer and that which is seen is set aside
(2.17).Thisallowsonetoavoideventhefuturekarmas that have not yet
manifested(2.16).Ignorance,oravidya(2.5),isthecauseofthisalliance
(2.24), and eliminating this ignorance is the means of ending the alliance
(2.25).This,inturn,breaksthecycleofkarma.
(See Yoga Sutras 2.122.25 for deeper explanations on the process of
breakingtheallianceofKarma.)

Seethebeginningofthisarticle:TherelationshipofSamskarastothewholeofthe
processofkarma,andthisrelationshipisalsoexplainedatthebeginningofthisarticle.

Seealsothesearticles:

ThreeTypesofKarma
ReducingKarmaYogaSutras
UncoloringyourColoredThoughts Thepagecannotbedi
FourFunctionsofMind(particularlychitta,thestorageofSamskaras)
Thepageyouarelookingforiscur
mightbeexperiencingtechnicaldif
yourbrowsersettings.

Pleasetrythefollowing:
Emotions
Ifyoutypedthepageaddre
Emotions:Thesethreelinesinthechartrelate thatitisspelledcorrectly.
toEmotions,andarefurtherexplainedintheir Ifyouaretryingtoreacha
individualsections. Securitysettingscansuppo
ClicktheBack
Whichcomesfirst?Itisaverycommonto
ask,"Whichcomesfirst,thoughtsoremotions?"
Theansweris,"both!"Byunderstandingthelaw DNSFail
andprocessofKarma,thisiseasytosee.

WhentheDeepImpressionsor
Samskarasaretriggeredorawakened,
theyalignwiththeprimaryEmotionof
Desireitself.
Theemotionalprocessthenleadstoa
thoughtprocessthatistypicallyonly
partiallyconscious.
Thisleadstothesurfacemental
awarenessofthethoughtsandthe
ensuingactionsandspeech.

Latentthoughts>Emotions>Activethoughts:Thus,weseethatthelatent thought
impressions (stored from our countless experiences) lead to an emotional process,
which then lead to an active thought process, which, in turn, leads to actions and
speech. This Active thought process occurs through an aspect of mind called manas in

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Yogascienceandsensorymotormindinpsychology.
(Seemanasinthearticle,FourFunctionsofMind) Thepagecannotbedi

Witness the Emotions often during daily life: It is extremely useful to become a Thepageyouarelookingforiscur
witnesstoourownemotionalprocessesduringouractionsintheworld.Isn'tittruethat mightbeexperiencingtechnicaldif
we often, and easily observe the gestures, body language, and emotional reactions of yourbrowsersettings.
others? If we can so easily see it in others, we can also see it in ourselves. By clearly
seeingourownpositiveandnegativeemotions(thosearetheculprits),wecanpromote
Pleasetrythefollowing:
or strengthen the positive, useful emotions like love, compassion, benevolence, and
acceptance(SeeYogaSutra1.33formeditationonthesepositiveemotions).Witnessing Ifyoutypedthepageaddre
our own body language, speech, actions, and our emotional reactions will give us a thatitisspelledcorrectly.
mirror reflection of our Deep Impressions or Samskaras. It also allows us to see the Ifyouaretryingtoreacha
predictable ways in which the Four Primitive Fountains (food, sleep, sex, self Securitysettingscansuppo
ClicktheBack
preservation) play out. Thus, we not only learn to regulate our emotions in positive
ways,butalsocometoseetherootsfromwhichtheyarise.Thisselfwitnessingindaily
life is a major part of Karma Yoga, going along with doing our actions selflessly for
DNSFail
others.

EmotionofDesire/Kama
Desireasit'sownentity:Kamaisdesireitself
(adifferentwordthanKarma,whichmeans
actionsstemmingfromdesire),andisoneof
thetwoprimaryemotions(alongwith
ahamkara).Kamaisthemotherofallother
desires.Itgivesrisetoboththedesireto
satisfythesenses,andthebeneficialdesireto
helpothersselflessly.

Desireisasingleprocess:Regardlessofthe
particularobjectbeingdesired,theprocessof
Desireitselfisthesame.Thesamewanting,
wishing,orlonging,etc.,isthere.Thinkof
examplesinyourownlifeandyouwillseethis
clearly,thatthereisafundamentalwaveof
Desire,whichthenassociateswithparticular
objects.

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Kama,notKarma: Note the the word for desire is kama (without the letter "r"), and
that the word for actions is karma (with the letter "r"), which are two different words
andconcepts.

Think of your favorite desires: Whether the desire is for your favorite food, the
comfortoffamilylife,successonyourjob,moneyinthebank,oranewcar,thedesire
itself is the same. With some reflection, it becomes easy to see the way in which the
prime desire allies itself with the particular objects. This is not bad, and is not to
suggestthatoneshouldsuddenlyattempttoabandonalldesiresintheworld. Rather, it
means being aware of how the unconscious process of karma works so that those
desiresdonotmakeyouaslavetotheirintensity.

Kama is the prime desire: Kama is the prime desire, and from this impelling force
arisealloftheother,specific desires. It is this prime force of kama which motivates a
persontodoanythingandeverything.Kamaisblinddesirethathasnotyetbeenrelated
withanyparticularobjects or thoughts. It is the nature of kama that it has no sense of
discrimination, judgment or understanding. Kama then associates itself with deep
impressions (Samskaras), and that combination then motivates one to do something
simplytofulfillthatdesiresolelybecauseitexists.

Desirepullsoneoutward: All of these desires draw one outward, into the domains of
mind and the physical world, so as to seek to fulfill the desires, either in Dreaming or
Wakingstates.ThefulfillingofthesedesiresisKarma,stimulatedbykama.

Onedesirestandsalone: There is one desire that stands alone as different. That is,
the desire for Truth, Reality, Self, or God, and this desire alone draws the attention
inward, past all of the other desires, conditionings of Samskaras, Karma, and Primitive
Fountains.(Seethepaperonthekoshas.)

AssociationofDesireandobjectsiskey: By seeing the way this uniform process of

Desireassociateswithnumerousobjects,wecometoseeauniversalneedtogainsome
degree of mastery over the process of Desire itself. If we can do that, even to a small
degree,wecanstarttoregulateouractionsandspeech,whichaltersourconsequences
inbeneficialways.ThischangestheDeepImpressionsorSamskarasinthebasementof
themind.

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UnfulfilledDesires/FulfilledDesires
DesirecombineswithSamskaras:Inthe
previoussectionontheEmotionofDesireitself
(Kama),desireisseentobeitsownmotivating
force.Itisacoloring,sotospeak,whichthen
associateswiththelatentimpressions
(Samskaras)inthebedofthelakeofthemind.
Thereisoneessenceofdesireandmany
objectstowhichitmightassociate.Thus,there
maybecountlesspossibilitiesof"desired
objects,"whilethereremainsonlyonecoloring
ofdesireitself.

Desireworksin1of2ways:Oncethereisa
particulardesire(oraversion,whichisalsoa
desireofsorts),thereareonlytwo
possibilities:

1. Youdogetwhatyouwant.
2. Youdonotgetwhatyouwant.

WhendesireisNOTfulfilled:Ifone's WhendesireISfulfilled:Ifone'sdesire
desire(kama)isnotachievedorfulfilled, (kama)isachievedorfulfilled,thenthere
thenthereistheemotionoffrustrationor istheemotionofpride,ormuda,having
anger,whichiscalledkrodha.Anger whatothersdonot.Whenoneattainswhat
resultsfromunfulfilleddesiresthatonehas islongedfor,thenattachmentcomesthis

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notlearnedhowtoarrange,topacify,orto attachmentiscalledmoha.Mohaisthe
understand.Itmeansthatthereisadesire incorrectsensethat,Thisismine!When
thatneedstobeunderstoodandresolved. oneisattachedtosomething,onebecomes
Jealousy,matsarya,comeswhenone greedy,whichiscalledlobha.Oncethereis
doesnthavesomethingthathewantsand attachmenttosomething,itisasifonecan
someoneelsedoes. neverhaveenough.

Therearemanyotherwordsthatdescribe Therearemanyotherwordsthatdescribe
thesubtletiesofemotionalresistancewhen thesubtletiesofemotionalattractionwhen
desiresarenotfulfilled.However,theyall desiresarefulfilled.However,theyall
involveasortof"pushingagainst,"similar involvea"drawingtowards,"similartothat
tothatwithanger. whichcomeswithprideorgreed.

SeealsothisarticleonEmotions:
TwoFacesofEmotionsinYogaPsychology

Four Meditations on Positive Emotions: Yoga suggests meditation on four positive

emotionsasameansofstabilizingandclearingthemind.Thesefouraremeditationson
love,compassion,benevolence,andacceptance(SeeYoga Sutra 1.33 for meditation on
these positive emotions). Meditation on these positive emotions is done both by being
mindful of them during the day, and also consciously, intentionally practicing them at
yourregularmeditationtime.Meditationontheseattitudesbringsatremendousamount
of freedom from difficult relationships with the people in our personal lives, and our
fellow humans in general. To feel an ever increasing sense of love, compassion,
benevolence,andacceptanceisabeautifulexperience.

Preparingforadvancedmeditations:Inrelationtothewholeoftheprocessofdealing
with Karma and enlightenment, these meditations on attitudes or emotions are
preliminary,andsetthestage for the more advanced meditations to come later. In the
later meditations, the aspirant is seeking out the roots, which are beyond, or deeper
than the emotions, however beautiful and alluring those might be. The seeker of
enlightenment is seeking all of the levels of freedom (described above), so as to
eventuallyexperiencethehighestBlissandTruthbeyond.

EmotionofAhamkara/Ego
Eitherway,Egomayincrease:Whether
desiresarefulfilledornotfulfilled,Egocan
increase.

Ifdesiresarefulfilled,Egocanincrease
becauseoftheprideandotheremotions
associatedwithattainingonesgoals.Egoeven
furthertakesontheidentitiesrelatedtothose
objectsofdesire.

Ifdesiresarenotfulfilled,Egocanincrease
becauseofthefrustrationandotheremotions
associatedwithnotattainingonesgoals.Ego
seekstodefenditsstance,andthusincreases.

Eitherway,onecanendupfacingthe
challengeofanincreasedsenseofEgo.

Egoanddesirearetwoprimaryemotions: Egoism, or ahamkara, is one of the two
primaryemotions(alongwiththeprimedesire,kama).Noticecarefullyhowthisworks.

Twomeaningsof"Ego" It is extremely important to understand that the word Ego is

used in two different ways. One is the psychological use of the word and the other is
according to Yoga. Both are equally valid and the terms can properly be used in both
ways. However, it is necessary to know the two concepts so that it is easy to discern
whichwaythewordisbeingusedinagivensentence.

SeethesectiononTwoEgosintheFourFunctionsofMindarticle.

Egogivesindividualityandseparation:Becauseofahamkara, we are individuals, but

then ahamkara also separates us from the whole. This I refers to ourselves as
separatefromothers,andbecomesthecenterofourlives.

Four functions of mind: To understand the origin of ahamkara (the "I"), it is very
important to understand the Four Functions of Mind. We are like a wheel, which needs
both spokes and a hub to rotate. The hub is the still Center of Consciousness and the

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four spokes are the four functions of mind, one of which is ahamkara. The Four
FunctionsofMindare:

Ahamkara,theegoor"Imaker"
Manas,thesensorymotormindthatdirectsthetensenses
orindriyas
Buddhi,whichknows,decides,judges,anddiscriminates
Chitta,thestorehouseofallofthese,alongwiththe
countlessdeepimpressions).

Emotion is stronger than intelligence: Intelligence has no power before bhava, the
powerofemotion.Butintelligence,ifproperlyhandled,canchannelemotionalpowerso
that we can use it positively. Learning to use bhava properly is essential to successful
livingandworkingwithKarma.Ifonecanusethatemotionalpower,thehigheststateof
ecstasycanbeattainedinasecondstime.

Spiritual bliss is not an emotion: It is important to note that the emotions of

personality that interact with mental process are at a different level of reality or
consciousnessthanthebliss,oranandathatisdeeperinourbeing.Thisisexplainedin
an article on the Koshas (sheaths), paying particular attention to the descriptions of
manamayakoshaandanandamayakosha.

Thoughts
Actionscomefromthoughts:Noaction
(Karma)caneverbeperformedunlesswethink
of,orwantittohappenatsomelevelofmind.

Habitpatternsdefinepersonality:Our
personalitieshavebeenwovenbyourhabit
patterns(SamskarasandKarma),andourhabit
patternsaretheresultofourrepetitiveactions.
Ifwelookatourselvesclosely,wewillrealize
thatourhabitsreallyareourpersonality.Ina
sense,webecomeourKarma,whileatthe
sametimethetrueSelfresidesthere,
underneath,allalong.

Emotionscontrolthoughts,whichcontrol
actions:Therealmotivationforactions
(Karma)isourthoughts.Allofouractionsare
controlledbyourthoughts,andallourthoughts
arecontrolledbyouremotions.Comparedwith
ouremotions,thoughthaslittlepower.

ActionsandSpeech
Mindfunctionsthroughtensenses:Actions
andspeechinvolvetheuseofthefiveactive
senses(karmendriyas)ofeliminating,
reproducing,moving,grasping,andspeaking,
andthefivecognitivesenses(jnanendriyas)of
smelling,tasting,seeing,touching,andhearing.
Themindfunctionsthroughthesetensenses
(indriyas).(Eachoftheseoperatessequentially
fromthefirstfivechakras.)

Consciousiscontrolledbyunconscious:
Wheneveraneventoccursthatrelatestoan
impressioninthedeepbedofthemind,then
thedeepimpressionorSamskarabecomes
activeandstartstheprocessofmanifestingthe
Karma.Theconsciousmindisactually
controlledbytheunconscious,whichiswhywe
canhavesomedifficultymakingprogressinour
growthandspirituallife.

Consequences control our lives: All of our actions bring responses that leave an
impressionintheunconsciousmind.TheseimpressionsbecomeourSamskarasandthen
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controlourlives.Thus,acyclingprocesscontinues,dayafterday,lifeafterlife,andthis
processisknownasKarma.

Trainingthesensesandactions:Thetrainingofoursensesandactions(indriyas)isa
most important part of breaking the cycles of Karma. See the article Training the Ten
SensesorIndriyas,whichdescribesthefollowinggraphic:

TrainingSpeechwithmantraoraffirmations: It is common knowledge that the self

talk or chatter we do internally has an effect on our mind. Negative inner talk creates
negative impressions in the basement of the mind (the level of Samskaras), which, in
turn, play out through the levels described in this article, once again leading to actions
and speech, and more karma. One of the finest tools for dealing with the chattering,
negativeselftalkismantra.Byrepeatingmantraoverandoverandover,thecyclecan
beweakened,ifnotbroken(notmeaningthesuppressionorrepressionofthoughtsand
emotions that need to be examined). One might use a single syllable seed mantra, a
longermantra,ashortprayer,orasimpleaffirmation.Whicheverisused,itbecomesa
constantcompanion,repeatingitself,overandover,likeasongthatbecomesamental
habit,thousandsoftimesaday. This extremely useful practice can only be appreciated
byexperimentingwithitforsometime.

Actions/Speech&Samskaras
Thesetwoacttogether:Ouractionsand
speechbringusexperiencesorconsequencesin
theworld.Those,inturn,leadtofurther
creationofdeepimpressions(Samskaras)in
thebasementofthemind.Later,thoselatent
impressionscometolifeandcreatestillfurther
experiences.

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TheGoal:Thegoalofmeditationand
contemplationistoknowthepureCenterof
Consciousness.Totodothisweneedto
regulateouractionsandspeechandreducethe
DeepImpressionsorSamskaras.Thisprocess
eventuallyallowsthelightoftheTrueSelfto
comeshiningthrough.

Gooddecisionsandpractice:Twomajorkeys
inthisprocessaretomakegooddecisions
aboutourdailylifeandspiritualactivitiesand
tothenfollowthroughontheactualpractices.
Together,theseareliketheleftandrightfeet
walkingthejourneyofSelfRealization.

ArcheryandtheArtofReducingKarma

ThissiteisdevotedtopresentingtheancientSelfRealizationpathoftheTraditionofthe
Himalayan masters in simple, understandable and beneficial ways, while not
compromising quality or depth. The goal of our sadhana or practices is the highest Joy
thatcomesfromtheRealizationindirectexperienceofthecenter of consciousness, the
Self, the Atman or Purusha, which is one and the same with the Absolute Reality. This
SelfRealization comes through Yoga meditation of the Yoga Sutras, the contemplative
insight of Advaita Vedanta, and the intense devotion of Samaya Sri Vidya Tantra, the
three of which complement one another like fingers on a hand. We employ the classical
approachesofRaja,Jnana,Karma,andBhaktiYoga,aswellasHatha,Kriya,Kundalini,
Laya, Mantra, Nada, Siddha, and Tantra Yoga. Meditation, contemplation, mantra and
prayer finally converge into a unified force directed towards the final stage, piercing the
pearlofwisdomcalledbindu,leadingtotheAbsolute.

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