One may be able to give up some things totally - including one’s wealth, luxuries, travel, holidays, smoking, drinking etc. But one thing that one cannot give up totally is action (Karma); total cessation of activity is not possible for any living being (Jeeva). Total inactivity is the characteristic of insentient and inert matter (Jada).
For instance, you have to breathe, if you have to live. Breathing is a continuous process and cannot be stopped. Breathing, digesting and similar involuntary functions continue to take place even in deep sleep. Thus, there is no time, when a person is not involved in some activity or the other. Krishna Paramaatma says in the Bhagavad Gita (3.5), “a person can never live in this world even for a moment without performing action”
Hindu Saastras have recognized that there only two subtle movements in the body of a living being (Jeeva) – and they are the Praanas (the five vital airs or the Pancha Praanas) and the mind (Antahkarana). Subtle means that which is not perceptible to the five senses (Jnaanendriyas) – which means that you cannot sense them with any of the equipments that you are endowed with presently. Praanas and mind have power or energy (Sakti) inherent in them. This Sakti enables you to perform various tasks. For instance, the body moves – and what makes the body move is the Praana Sakti or the Kriyaa Sakti inherent in the Praanas.
The Sakti associated with the Praanas is the Praana Sakti or the Kriya Sakti (Sakti that enables you to perform Karma or work). The Sakti associated with the the mind is the Iccha Sakti (Sakti that enables you to “will”) and also the Jnaanan Sakti (Sakti which enables you to gain knowledge). These subtle Praanas and subtle mind are always (24X7) moving – which means that they are always (24X7) doing Karma. Human beings also have additionally, “Chit Sakti” – which is the Sakti associated with the Chit or consciousness in you.
Isvara also has these three Saktis (which are the constituents of his Mayaa Sakti). The Iccha Sakti associated with the Isvara is the Cosmic will. The Kriya Sakti associated with the Paramaatma is his Omnipotence. The Jnaana Sakti associated with the Paramaatma is his Omniscience. Chit (Consciousness) is the very Svaruupa (nature) of the Paramaatma and the Sakti associated with the Chit, is the very Svaruupa (nature) of his Maayaa Sakti (“Chit Sakti Chetanaa Ruupaa” – Lalitaa Sahasra Naamam).
When you associate yourself with the Karmas being performed by Praanas and mind, they become your Karmas. Man associates himself with those Karmas because he thinks (on account of Rajas) that he is a Karta who performs various Karmas (which is called Kartrittva); he does so only because he thinks (on account of Tamas) that he is a Bhokta; the Bhokta is one who enjoys the results of his Karmas (which is called Bhoktrittva). The Paramaatma is neither a Karta nor a Bhokta.
Kartrittva and Bhoktrittva invariably give rise to selfishness in man. For instance, while doing any action (as a result of Kartrittva), it is natural for every person to look for his advantage only (Bhoktrittva); he thinks that he is there for himself – and others have to take care of themselves. He believes that he is not responsible for what happens to others; consequently, he tries to gain the maximum advantage for himself - even if his actions were to cause harm to others. Man always tries to get watever he wants, no matter how much suffering he causes to others in the process. This selfishness in man is the one that gives rise to frequent and widespread conflicts in the society; selfishness is the root cause of all wars in the world.
The reason why religions recommend righteous living (Dhaarmic life) (Continued)
Every mind has some evil in it. This evil makes the mind unstable – and the unstable mind performs evil Karmas. That is how a Duryodhana, who is full of jealousy, greed, hatred and selfishness, caused instability in the society by his cruel and senseless ways. Evil minds perform evil Karmas and evil Karmas cause disorder and mayhem in the society - and the society ultimately collapses.
Seeing that all the evil there is in the world is only in the mind of man, the ancient Maharshis of India, who were pious and highly enlightened persons, and who were interested in doing good to the mankind and the world in general, could visualize that if man, with his evil mind, were to be allowed to do what he liked, he would destroy this world - and destroy himself also in the process; they knew that left to himself, man was more likely to become a selfish and evil Durydhana (who did not hesitate to destroy the society) than a Vidur (a wise person in the court of Dhritaraashtra). We are able to see the truth of their vision and wisdom - in the modern times also. Selfishness and other impurities in the mind are causing too many conflicts, terrorism and wars all over the world. Instead of using the science and technology exclusively for improving the comfort of man, the modern day scientists are developing weapons of mass destruction – which, if they were to fall into the hands of evil persons, would result in the destruction of this world.
Hence, these Seers took the trouble of developing a whole body of religious literature - and tried to organize man into a religious discipline. They felt that even if a small percentage of humans were to become disciplined in this way, it was still worth their while. Even then, they could see (they were seers who could project themselves into the future) that God will have to come down periodically in Avataaras and save the world from the grip of these evil forces. Krishna Paramaatma says in the Bhagavad Gita (4.7) “Yadaa Yadaa Hi Dharmasya Glaanir Bhavati Bhaarata Abhyutthaana Madharmasya Tadaatmaanaam Srijaa Myaham” = Whenever the declining of Dharma and the rising of Adharma happens, then, I manifest myself in Avataaras, And (BG 4.8) “Paritraanaaya Saadhuunaam Vinaasaaya Cha Dushkritaam Dharma Samstaapa-naarthaaya Sambhavaami Yuge Yuge” = I take an Avataaraa in every Yuga to protect the Saadhus (gentle and good devotees), to destroy the evil-minded persons and to establish Dharma).
In this body of Hindu religious literature (called Saastras or scriptures), these seers classified certain Karmas as Niyatam or enjoined Karmas, which should be perfomed by every person and certain other Karmas as Nishiddha or prohibited Karmas, which should not be performed by anyone. These are actually the do’s and don’ts that all religions stipulate. The do’s are called Sat Karmas (good actions) in Sanskrit and the don’ts are called Dush Karmas (evil actions) in Sanskrit
These Seers recognized that death does not put a full stop to life; it only signifies a comma. If one dies, he is reborn again. The Saastras which these seers developed mention incentives for good Karmas – which give a better life (good health, wealth, good progeny) in the next birth and also certain disincentives for bad Karmas - which give a miserable life in the next birth (such as poverty, disease and many more such miseries). Saastras say that “Puurva Janma Kritam Paapam Vyaadhi Ruupena Peeditah (the sins or Paapam committed in the earlier births will always make you suffer from some disease or the other in this birth)
Fear is the greatest controller - and these Maharshis hoped that the fear of poverty, disease and other miseries in the next birth would keep people away from bad Karmas. They also hoped that the religious discipline in people and in societies would make people perform more Sat Karmas and less Dush or Nishiddha Karmas. They also assumed that even those who do not believe in rebirth will be enticed by the prospect of heaven and frightened by the prospect of hell - after their death.
Hinduism preaches Dharmas (duties as enjoined in the Saastras) and the essence of these Dharmas is that you should not do unto others those things that you would not like others do to you. This is the bench mark for all Dharma and this principle is ingrained in the philosophy embodied in the Hindu Saastras. You are asked to think and conduct yourself on the lines recommended in the Hindu Saastras. This is civilized behavior. This is righteous living.
When you live a life of Dharma, there are no conflicts. A life of Dharma, apart from involving righteousness, is also associated with all Hindu religious Karmas (and Upaasanas).
The next thought is about “Religious Karmas in Hinduism”
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