Supplement II : The Truth about Good Deeds

II.  KARMAS AS EXPLAINED IN THE VARIOUS WRITINGS AND SPEECHES OF REVERED LEADERS OF RADHASOAMI FAITH, RADHASOAMI SATSANG, DAYALBAGH.

(Compiled by DR. PREM SARAN SATSANGI)

THE TRUTH ABOUT GOOD DEEDS

(Discourse No. 32 from SATSANG KE UPDESA, Part I by Param Guru Sahabji Maharaj)

            People in India have believed in the Theory of Karma from very ancient times. Several learned Europeans have recently given some thought to this problem and obtained considerable peace of mind and, influenced by their example, quite a large number of Europeans have also begun to believe in the Karma philosophy. In India however every child believes in the theory of ‘Karma’ and feels no difficulty whatsoever regarding his belief in this theory. But it does not mean that everybody in India is acquainted with all the intricacies of this difficult theory. On the contrary Indians harbour many wrong notions about this theory due to their ignorance. For example, everyone says that good actions bring happiness, ensure God’s pleasure or lead to heaven, while evil actions bring pain and God’s displeasure or lead to hell. It should be noted that no action in itself is either good or bad. It is the motive of the doer that determines whether any particular action is good or bad. For example, if a doctor amputates your finger, it would be a good act because his motive in cutting off your finger is to give you relief but the same act by an enemy or a dacoit would be an evil act because his real motive is to give you pain or to injure you. It follows from the above that good deeds are those that are inspired by good motives and that it is the motive and not the action that counts. But it is not necessary that all actions inspired by good motives should result in happiness. For example, there is a story of a bear who with a view to give relief to his sleeping man-friend struck him hard on the face because a fly sat on his friend’s face again and again despite his best efforts to keep it off. The bear no doubt killed the fly but sorely wounded the friend’s face by his claws. Many more instances can be cited to show clearly that despite the best intentions, every action does not necessarily result in happiness. Thus the principle that actions inspired by good motives result in happiness, ensure the pleasure of the True Supreme Being or lead to heaven, is proved to be wrong. If however the principle is accepted as true, good deeds would have to be defined in some other way. Merely good intentions will not make actions really good. For this reason, it is said that good deeds are those which are performed in the discharge of duties laid down for man by Rishis, Sages, Sadhs, Saints and Prophets. Obviously, if these duties are performed merely by way of custom or under compulsion, they will bear no fruit. Thus the right principle for guidance would be that man can attain happiness and pleasure of the True Supreme Being and reach the Highest Abode if he performs his duties prescribed by the great Seers and Spiritual Adepts for man in a spirit of faith and devotion and in accordance with their instructions.

Supplement II : Eradication of Asa (The Adi Karma) is essential for escaping from the impulse of actions

II.  KARMAS AS EXPLAINED IN THE VARIOUS WRITINGS AND SPEECHES OF REVERED LEADERS OF RADHASOAMI FAITH, RADHASOAMI SATSANG, DAYALBAGH.

(Compiled by DR. PREM SARAN SATSANGI)

ERADICATION OF ASA¹ (THE ADI KARMA) IS ESSENTIAL FOR ESCAPING FROM THE IMPULSE OF ACTIONS.[1]

(Discourse No.31 from SATSANG KE UPDESA, Part I by Param Guru Sahabji Maharaj)

Although great importance is attached in this whole world to the theory of Karma², it should be understood that Karma (action) is subservient to Manasa³ and Manasa is subservient to Āsā⁴. It is easy to avoid Karma (action) and it is not impossible to check Manasa (desires) but as long as the seed of Āsā is there within us, our troubles do not come to an end. In fact, the root cause of all mischief is Āsā. It was Āsā⁵ that brought about our descent to this creation in the beginning and it is Āsā that leads to our birth again and again. It is Āsā that produces desires, the fulfilment of which causes so much trouble in the entire world and leads man to perform actions. It is therefore necessary for every person who seeks freedom from the cycle of births and deaths to eradicate all Āsās lying hidden in the innermost recesses of his mind. As soon as these Āsās are eradicated, Manasas will automatically lose their force and the impulse of Karmas will automatically cease. An example is given to explain the meaning of Āsā, Manasa and Karma and their mutual relationship.

Suppose you happen to go to the house of a friend. He receives you with great warmth and cordiality and offers you fine sweet mangoes⁶ to eat and you start eating them in ordinary course. As soon as a slice of the mango has passed down your throat, you quite naturally remark “O! what a fine mango!” When you utter these words, apparently no harm is done to you and your friend also is pleased to hear your appreciative remarks, yet in the innermost recesses of your mind, the seed of Āsā for enjoying the taste of mangoes has unknowingly been sown. The entertainment comes to an end and shortly thereafter you return to your place and apparently the matter has ended there. But it is not so, for the seed of Āsā which took root in your mind begins to sprout in the fullness of time. After some two or three weeks, the Manasa (desire) to obtain mangoes of the same quality arises in your mind repeatedly and you adopt various measures and make every effort to fulfil that desire. Ultimately you get the mangoes and satiate your desire by eating them and apparently the trouble seems now to be all over. It is however not so, for with the fulfilment of your desire, the Āsā for enjoying the taste of mangoes gets stronger and more firmly rooted. As Āsā gains in strength, desires become more powerful than before and it becomes much more difficult now to resist or suppress them. Impelled by these desires, you perform all sorts of karmas and suffer pain and pleasure as a result thereof. If you think over the matter properly, you will find that the whole world is firmly held in the chains of Āsā and the entire civilization, all inventions and discoveries, in short, the whole working of the world is motivated by Āsā. Hence, if any one wants deliverance from this illusive world, he should give greatest possible attention to the eradication of all traces of Āsā from his mind.

---

[1]  In the beginning of the creation the spirit-entities came down to this material region because they had a tendency to associate with matter (i.e. with spirituality of lower order). This tendency has been spoken of in this Discourse as Āsā (vk”kk). Elsewhere it is spoken of as ‘Ādi Karma’ (vkfn deZ). This tendency or Āsā gave rise to many cravings or simple desires e.g. craving for food, for wealth, for fame etc. These cravings or simple desires have also been spoken in this discourse as Āsās, wherever the word ‘Āsā’ has been used in the plural. There is no exact equivalent in English for the Hindi word ‘Āsā’ in either of the above two senses, though the second meaning of Āsā has been expressed to some extent by the words ‘appetence’ or ‘appetency’ used by Sir William Hamilton, 19^th century Philosopher of Scotland. The word ‘Manasa’ (eulk) means ‘desires as springs of action’ as distinguished from simple desires or cravings or appetences. These ‘desires as springs of action’ directly lead to Karma or action.  2.  The theory of Karma briefly stated is that all Karmas or actions, good or bad, produce their result and one cannot get liberation or salvation as long as he has to enjoy or suffer the result of any action or actions of his. In order therefore to achieve salvation, one must exhaust all his karmas so that he may not have to be reborn to undergo the result of any karma. Hence either one should cease to perform karmas or perform them without any desire for their result.  3.  See Note 1 above. Mansa stands for ‘desires as springs of actions’.  4.  See Note 1 above. Āsā stands for simple desires and also for the original tendency of the spirit-entities to associate with matter.  5.  Here Āsā stands for original tendency of the spirit-entities to associate with matter. 6.  An Indian luscious juicy fruit.

Supplement II : Eradication of Karmas through association of Jiva with Saints

II.  KARMAS AS EXPLAINED IN THE VARIOUS WRITINGS AND SPEECHES OF REVERED LEADERS OF RADHASOAMI FAITH, RADHASOAMI SATSANG, DAYALBAGH.

(Compiled by DR. PREM SARAN SATSANGI)

ERADICATION OF KARMAS THROUGH ASSOCIATION OF JIVA WITH SAINTS.

(Bachan No. 18: SELECTED BACHANS of Param Guru Sarkar Sahab)

            A Bengali gentleman had come and asked for a few ordinary questions. Sarkar Sahab replied to those questions briefly and stated that he should first read the book of this Faith in English; only then would he be able to understand this Faith properly. Thereafter Sarkar Sahab graciously stated that it was mentioned yesterday that the Supreme Lord is the Reservoir of the Force of Attraction i.e. of Love. Thus, the Saints Who are the Incarnations of the Supreme Lord are also the Reservoir of Love. When the jiva comes before the Saints, an infinite number of his karmas are eradicated. For example, take the case of a big flame of fire. Anything which is taken near it – and everything e.g. a piece of wood etc. which has fire hidden within it  will have its  outer covers peeled and burnt step by step and completely burnt on coming into contact with it. Similarly, when the jiva comes in the presence of the Satguru, Who has powerful refulgence and light of love and spirituality, and as the jiva also has in him spirit which is intelligent, some of the upper covers of his karmas would be cut asunder. On a satsangi coming in the presence of Sant Satguru the spark of love which is already fired in him, would glow more and more and the covers of karmas would get burnt out. From the time the jiva is initiated, his contact with the spirit current coming from the Holy Feet of the Lord is established and he is granted a particle or spark of love. This spark i.e. the seed would continue to grow day by day and karmas would continue to be eradicated till the entire karmas are cleared in this life. As has been stated earlier, the Saints judge at the outset whether the karmas of a particular person are capable of being eradicated in this life and only then They grant him protection in their Holy Feet. This is the reason why it has been stated in the Holy Books-

      Kala se nātā tūtā, karam bharam sab chhuta,

      Mauj se Tumhari hōye sō hōye, dūsar karanhār nahin kōye

            (The connection with kala has been broken and all karmas i.e. activities pertaining to the body and bharmas i.e. the entanglements of the mind have been discarded. Whatever now happens, would happen according to the Lord’s Mauj and there is none else who could do anything.)

            When one surrenders himself to the Creator of Kala, the connection with Kala is automatically snapped and Kala can do no harm to that jiva. This is the reason why the cycle of Chaurasi ceases to exist for him. Some ignorant Satsangis misunderstand this Gracious statement and think that as they would no more be subject to the cycle of Chaurasi, for such is the statement of the Saints which is immutable, they should enjoy life and commit sin, because there is nothing to fear. In the past too there have been Satsangis with such thinking and there are such even now. They are however absolutely mistaken and they would undergo terrible suffering, for the Saints have also commanded that –

            Karam jō jō karegā tū, vahī phir bhognā bharnā

            That is, whatever karmas you do, you will have to suffer their consequences.

            If the demeanour and behaviour are kept correct, there is not so much suffering, otherwise if suffering due to some karma was to be for five minutes, you will have to suffer for ten minutes if you engage in further bad karmas. Of course, one may sin, but one should be prepared to suffer its consequences.

            As the Saints make the jiva suffer the consequences of the karmas of his several past lives, that is Sanchit karmas, and also of Prarabdh karmas of his last life and also Kriyaman karmas of this life during his present life itself, so, if full consequences of all these karmas have to be suffered, we may even leave this body before we are able to do so. But the statement of the Saints that they convert a karma resulting in death on the stake into just a prick of a thorn and reduce the load of karmas weighing a maund (Indian weight equal to 82.28 lb) into a chhatank (640^th part of a maund), is quite correct, otherwise all the karmas cannot be eradicated in one life. For example, if the consequence of a karma is to go to hell where one has to undergo terrible suffering, then at the time to suffer the consequences of that karma one experiences such pain during Abhyas that is very difficult to bear and some pain continues even thereafter but that karma is eradicated.

            In this way, many of the karmas are eradicated during Abhyas. This is why the devotees always remain unhappy, for infinite karmas are condensed and eradicated in the present life. Therefore the devotee always remains unhappy and sad, but he does not feel perturbed. He feels very happy within himself and, infact, when there is no suffering, he feels that the Grace of the Lord has been withdrawn and desires that some suffering should come to him. He prays all the time for such suffering. When he has to undergo suffering, he feels that the Supreme Lord’s Gracious Hand is supporting him. Every jiva should therefore on coming before the Lord feel repentant for the karmas that he had done in the past and in future lead his life very cautiously. The Ocean of Mercy of the Supreme Lord is overflowing. The jiva has now come into that Ocean and cannot under any circumstances come out of it, for it is stated in Sar Bachan that –

            Radhasoami chhōren na jise gahen ri, etc.

            (Radhasoami does not forsake anyone whom He takes in His protection.)

            Hence, if the jiva flows with the current in a straightforward manner, his object would be accomplished soon and he would not have to undergo any suffering. Otherwise if he goes against the flow of the current, since the current is very powerful, his nose, ears etc. would be reduced to pieces, that is subtle tendencies of the mind would be broken and he will have to undergo terrible suffering.

Supplement II : How is it that the Saints are called the Incarnation of Sat-Purush?

II.  KARMAS AS EXPLAINED IN THE VARIOUS WRITINGS AND SPEECHES OF REVERED LEADERS OF RADHASOAMI FAITH, RADHASOAMI SATSANG, DAYALBAGH.

(Compiled by DR. PREM SARAN SATSANGI)

HOW IS IT THAT THE SAINTS ARE CALLED THE INCARNATION OF SAT-PURUSH?

(CATECHISM of Param Guru Huzur Maharaj: Answer to Question No. 36)

            The Lord is supreme wisdom, supreme knowledge and the storehouse and treasure of all the virtues and good attributes and these attributes (comparatively to a very small extent) are present in the jiva also. On this account it has been said in the religion of saints that the Lord is like the ocean and the jiva like a drop of that ocean. All the jivas are like drops of the wave which after coming out of the ocean has got mixed in mud and earth or is surrounded by them but the spirit of the saints is like that wave which at the time of the ebb and flow of tide proceeds from the ocean along the river to a distance of miles and miles but comes back into the ocean. Therefore, every such wave can be described as the ocean itself and every such wave so far as it reaches brings back to the ocean such other waves also that are intermingled or surrounded with mud or earth. In other words, the spirit of the saints is in communication with the Holy Feet of the Lord. When His spirit comes down into the Human body It behaves like a jiva, but when It ascends and reaches Sat Loka, then there remains no difference between It and the Lord. [The saints are themselves karma-less. Their actions are not binding on them, for their spirits work from the purely spiritual region beyond Brahmand, above Dasham Dwar. However, they come to the material plane in human form with an allocation of karmas which they take upon themselves on behalf of their devotees]

Supplement II : How do Saints get Sanchit Karmas eradicated

II.  KARMAS AS EXPLAINED IN THE VARIOUS WRITINGS AND SPEECHES OF REVERED LEADERS OF RADHASOAMI FAITH, RADHASOAMI SATSANG, DAYALBAGH.

(Compiled by DR. PREM SARAN SATSANGI)

HOW DO SAINTS GET SANCHIT KARMAS ERADICATED?

(CATECHISM of Param Guru Huzur Maharaj: Answer to Question No. 30)

            There are three types of karmas on account of which jiva takes birth and undergoes pleasure and pain. They are these – Kriyaman, Prarabdh, Sanchit. Kriyaman are those karmas which are performed in this body and the fruit or consequence of a greater part of these is borne there and then. Prarabdh is the type of karma as a result of which one takes birth and is born in a good or bad situation. Sanchit karmas are accumulated separately in every birth and they form part of Prarabdh karmas. When a jiva comes under the protection of a saint then under the influence of love and devotion, Kriyaman karmas specially their branch, the bad karmas are not performed of themselves thereafter and as to the good karmas that are performed, he does not raise any wish for their fruit. On the other hand he does not consider himself to be their doer nor does he take pride in having performed them. And he endured Prarabdh karmas in this very life while Sanchit karmas are endured during meditation and abhyas. Sanchit karmas have a circle which goes round like the Persian wheel of a well. When the time comes for enjoying a karma, desire arises for enjoying it and if the desire be strong that karma is necessarily enjoyed. An abhyasi of Surat Shabda Yoga, however, enjoys it before the time during abhyas itself in meditation; and as during meditation one does not deal with gross body those karmas are enjoyed in the sukshma body itself. There is another principle also, namely, that all karmas are enjoyed according to desire and when the abhyasi by doing regular internal and external Satsang, has gradually given up all the desires of the world and through the strength of devotion and love reaches Trikuti after getting out of the net of Maya, he realizes extreme bliss there. He then gets out of the limits of Maya and all his desires towards this side are completely broken and the circle of Sanchit karmas  stops from going round and is destroyed. In fact, the idea of both the principles is the same. [The Sanchit Karmas Saints partly take upon themselves and are partly undergone by the devotees, as the Saints think proper].

Supplement II : Description of Karma - Reduction and Obliteration of their Effects

II.  KARMAS AS EXPLAINED IN THE VARIOUS WRITINGS AND SPEECHES OF REVERED LEADERS OF RADHASOAMI FAITH, RADHASOAMI SATSANG, DAYALBAGH.

(Compiled by DR. PREM SARAN SATSANGI)

DESCRIPTION OF KARMA – REDUCTION AND OBLITERATION OF THEIR EFFECTS

(Radhasoami Mat Prakash of Param Guru Huzur Maharaj: Articles 134 -138)

            There are three kinds of actions or Karma, viz, first Kriyaman or the acts performed by a person in his present life, second Pralabdh (or prarabdh) or the acts performed in the past or present life, the fruit of which is to be reaped in the present life, third Sanchit or the unripe acts done in the past and present lives, the result of which is to be experienced in future lives.

            A follower of Radhasoami faith by practicing devotion and observing the rules prescribed by it can easily, though gradually, overcome or reduce the effect of all these Karmas and then get rid of the body or breakthrough shackles of matter in the material spheres.

The rules to be observed are as follows:

            (1)  That a sincere devotee should resign himself wholly to the Mauj or Will and pleasure of his Beloved Father, the Supreme Being, and thus leave the effect of all action or Karma done by him in the present life (according to the moral principles laid down in paragraphs 38 and 39) to be produced by Mauj so as to suit his spiritual and temporal interests or, in other words, give up his own personal desires and hopes and make them subservient to the Will of the Supreme Being. He will thus be freed from the effects of one sort of Karma called Kriyaman.

            (2)  As regards the second sort or Pralabdh Karma, their effects must of course be experienced during the present life, but there would be a vast difference in the result (or the amount of pain and pleasure to be experienced) according to the progress made by the devotee in the spiritual practice and the degree of his love for and trust in the Mercy of the Supreme Father; because a devotee who is capable of withdrawing his spirit current inward and upward to a certain extent, will be less liable to bodily pains than worldly or unpractised man whose spirit cannot move from its seat in the pupil of the eye except under the influence of sleep.

            (3) Sanchit Karmas can be easily disposed of by a devotee during his practice. There are two sorts of impressions made on the mind’s atmosphere viz, (1) those produced by external objects when they come into contact with the senses, and (2) those produced by desires and various thoughts and ideas springing up from time to time in mind. These impressions are strong or feeble according to the intensity or weakness of desire and thought, or the force or indifference with which the senses grasp the external objects.

            When a devotee is traversing the mental sphere on his journey homeward, these impressions are vivified by the power of spirit and appear to him as real objects; they engage or attract his attention and detain him for some time, but as the devotee is forewarned not to busy himself with these impressions, he sooner or later breaks his connections with them and proceeds onwards whereby the spirit current is withdrawn from the above sphere and the said impressions rendered lifeless and incapable of producing any effect on the devotee when he returns to his seat in the body, viz, the pupil of the eye, after completing his devotional practice for the day.

            It will thus be observed that the effect of Sanchit Karma is nearly obliterated after engaging the actor or devotee’s attention for a few minutes only, instead of occupying days and months and perhaps years in some cases, during the actor or devotee’s next life, had he not been initiated in the practice prescribed by Radhasoami faith.

Supplement II : What is called Karma?

II.  KARMAS AS EXPLAINED IN THE VARIOUS WRITINGS AND SPEECHES OF REVERED LEADERS OF RADHASOAMI FAITH, RADHASOAMI SATSANG, DAYALBAGH.

(Compiled by DR. PREM SARAN SATSANGI)

WHAT IS CALLED KARMA?

(CATECHISM of Param Guru Huzur Maharaj, Answer to Question No.27)

            The doing of anything is called Karma. Nishkam Karma (a deed done free from any wish) or a deed which is done only for the purpose of meeting the Lord, has been recognized by the saints as very good for parmartha. And prohibited karma is to be completely abandoned and a deed done with some desire and which is done for the purpose of worldly good, has been directed to be avoided as far as possible for the sake of parmartha. Putting it otherwise, the quality of a deed (karma) by which one gets nearer and nearer to the Feet of the Lord, that is, the seva of Satguru and Satsang is the best and the one which takes one away from the Lord, which means attachment for the world and desire is a very bad deed, also the deed from which at the time it is done or as a result thereof, some living being gets comfort is good and that which gives pain is bad.

Supplement II : How to get over the effect of the Adi Karma?

II.  KARMAS AS EXPLAINED IN THE VARIOUS WRITINGS AND SPEECHES OF REVERED LEADERS OF RADHASOAMI FAITH, RADHASOAMI SATSANG, DAYALBAGH.

(Compiled by DR. PREM SARAN SATSANGI)

HOW TO GET OVER THE EFFECT OF THE ADI KARMA?

(Excerpt of the Bachan (Discourse) delivered at Courtallam on 14.6.1934 by Param Guru Sahabji Maharaj on ‘How to get over the effects of  Adi Karma’)

            It is this last method of killing by starvation which is employed in the Radhasoami religion for destroying the root of the Adi Karma. For it is the desire to associate with mind and matter which is responsible for all your subsequent desires. The tree has taken root in your Jiva Atma. In that very soil sow another seed – the seed of the desire to reach the purely spiritual regions.

            Now there are thousands of persons who want Moksha. They have the desire for Moksha, and it is under the influence of that desire that they become seekers and study our religion. The seed is there but it requires watering. It is the business of the Satguru to give proper nourishment to the seed.

            Here I would like to explain the rationale of the method of our abhyas, so that it may be clear how the latter is efficient for getting over the effects of the Adi Karma, Our ordinary desires spring from the heart. But the seed of the Adi Karma, which is responsible for our downfall, is located higher up. Hence a Satsangi is required to direct and concentrate his attention over and over again at that centre. This is the method of dhyana by which the attention is engrossed at that centre; and when concentration takes place there, feelings of intense love for the Satguru and the Supreme Being arise. In other words, biraha is born and proper soil is found for the seed, so that when the devotee performs the abhyas of sumirana and dhyana under the stress of biraha, the Satguru projects into Him His spirituality. Just as each solar ray carries at its head the form of the sun, which form is reproduced by the concentrated passage of the ray through a magnifying glass, in a like manner does the Satguru project His spirituality which becomes concentrated by sumirana and dhyana at the sixth chakra. By this process of intensification or concentration, does the Satguru’s form become manifest within the devotee. Thus does he get the darshana of the Satguru, after which the desire to reach the Eternal Home becomes dominant, and ultimately the desire becomes all powerful. The result is that all the other desires get dried up. At the same time the Satguru gives the devotee an opportunity to attend the Satsang. This is the tree watering. The sapling grows and grows and becomes a mighty tree. The growth of the tree depends on the shrivelling up of the other plants on the soil – the plants of other desires.

            The long and short of it is that the desire to associate with mind and matter brought us down; and when in the course of our spiritual progress that desire gets more and more subordinated to the desire to reach the purely spiritual regions, are the effects of the Adi Karma rendered more and more nugatory. The Adi Karma pulls us down with a certain amount of force and if the love for the Supreme Being pulls up with a stronger contrary force, it will overcome the resistance of the Adi Karma.

Supplement II : What was the Adi Karma?

II.  KARMAS AS EXPLAINED IN THE VARIOUS WRITINGS AND SPEECHES OF REVERED LEADERS OF RADHASOAMI FAITH, RADHASOAMI SATSANG, DAYALBAGH.

(Compiled by DR. PREM SARAN SATSANGI)

WHAT WAS THE ADI KARMA ?

(Excerpt of the Bachan (Discourse) delivered at Courtallam on 14.6.1934 by Param Guru Sahabji Maharaj on the Adi Karma)

The Adi Karma does not imply any activity. It refers to the pre-creational condition. In that condition there were certain spirit entities which had a tendency – though that tendency differed in quality and extent – to associate with mind and matter. It was this primeval downward tendency to associate with mind and matter which we call the Adi Karma and which hurled down those spirit entities from the high mansions of pure spirituality to the lower planes where they had to assume bodies, peculiar to those planes – with the result that they were enabled to associate with mind and matter on those planes in virtue of the bodies they had assumed. Now the result of certain of their activities and of their association with mind and matter was pleasure. The result of a pleasurable experience was that a desire was produced for the repetition of that experience over and over again. In the end result, the spirit entities associated with mind and matter over and over again. Thus the downward tendency in them has become more and more pronounced. Their association with mind and matter has become firmer and firmer. That is the root cause of our weal and woe, and we are now paying dearly for our association with mind and matter and for the enjoyment which that association brings.

            Our troubles do not unfortunately stop here. For when our desires are exhausted, a fresh impulse comes from the Adi Karma, and we are hurled down again. It would thus be seen that so long as the original seed, the Adi Karma, is not destroyed, subsequent desires do not matter much. Hence the emphasis in the teaching of the Satsang on the destruction of the original desire. If that is not destroyed, the destruction of subsequent or intermediary desires is useless. The Adi Karma is like the root and the subsequent karmas like branches and leaves. It is the root that must be destroyed.

Supplement II : The Adi Karma

II.  KARMAS AS EXPLAINED IN THE VARIOUS WRITINGS AND SPEECHES OF REVERED LEADERS OF RADHASOAMI FAITH, RADHASOAMI SATSANG, DAYALBAGH.

(Compiled by DR. PREM SARAN SATSANGI)

THE ADI KARMA

            In the beginning of creation the Supreme Being assigned the Adi Karma to all spirit-forces, which were cast off because of insufficient spirituality from the Nirmal Chetan Desh, in inverse proportion to the degree of their spirituality to form denizens of Brahmanda and Pind such that by eradicating these karmas, subject to the universal law of karma of dispensing justice by making spirit-forces experience the results of all thoughts, words, deeds and desires, the spirit-forces could be sufficiently purified according to the PENAL LAW OF CREATION (as described in the first section of Part IV on KARMAS OF THE DISCOURSES ON RADHASOAMI FAITH) and thereby emancipated for returning to the Nirmal Chetan Desh as their permanent abode.

Supplement II to Discourses on Radhasoami Faith : Karmas as explained in the various Writings and Speeches of Revered Leaders of Radhasoami Faith, Dayalbagh

II.  KARMAS AS EXPLAINED IN THE VARIOUS WRITINGS AND SPEECHES OF REVERED LEADERS OF RADHASOAMI FAITH, RADHASOAMI SATSANG, DAYALBAGH.

(Compiled by DR. PREM SARAN SATSANGI)

KARMA

            In the specific context of the relatively incomplete   Part IV on KARMAS of THE DISCOURSES ON RADHASOAMI FAITH By Param Guru Maharaj Sahab, the third Revered Leader of the Radhasoami Faith, Karma refers to the actions and reactions which arise from past thoughts, words, deeds and desires.

GRACIOUS OBJECT OF CREATION

            With reference to the last section on the GRACIOUS OBJECT OF CREATION of Part III on EVOLUTION OF CREATION of the above mentioned Discourses on Radhasoami Faith and the preceding Supplement I on REALITY AND TRUTH VIS-À-VIS WISDOM, it may be recalled that in the pre-creational condition, the Supreme Being, the infinite positive pole of full spirituality, was in a state of “shunya Samadhi”, absolute self-absorption; and there was lower order of spirituality in the nether pole or lower pole or negative pole, with different degrees of spirituality ranging from the highest grades in spirit-forces sheathed in the subtlest and purest covers nearest to the positive pole to the lowest grades in spirit-forces sheathed in the coarsest and densest covers farthest from the positive pole. Impelled by the Gracious Object of Creation, the Supreme Being willed that these spirit-forces of the nether pole with lower order of spirituality, which were in comatose condition unaware of the existence of Supreme Being, should have the bliss of full communion or correspondence with the Supreme Being. And, therefore, there occurred a huge commotion or upheaval in the Supreme Being accompanied with the issue of Adi-Chetan Dhar, transporting of the spirit forces of lower spirituality from the nether pole into the region of the Supreme Being, and accepting of as many of them as possible within His own region directly under His purview in Nirmal Chetan Desh through the process of spiritualization. But then it was not possible to galvanise (spiritualize) all others sufficiently for the purpose. Thus He had no choice but to cast off these spirit-forces from the first grand division of creation of pure spiritual region and create Brahmanda (the region of Universal Mind) as the second grand division and Pind (the region of mind and matter) as the third grand division inhabited by the spirit-forces which possessed progressively decreasing order of spirituality as they were embodied in covers of mind and matter with progressively increasing coarseness and denseness.

Supplement I : Reality and Truth vis-a-vis Wisdom (via Aparavidya and Paravidya)

SUPPLEMENT TO DISCOURSES ON RADHASOAMI FAITH

I.          REALITY AND TRUTH VIS-À-VIS WISDOM

(VIA APARAVIDYA AND PARAVIDYA)

(An Invited Talk at the International Conference of the Association of Asia-Pacific Operational Research Societies

on 8.12.03 at Hotel Grand International, New Delhi)

by

DR. PREM SARAN SATSANGI

I think I need to begin by explaining some of these key words which appear in the title of the talk. Absolute truth occurs in the Supreme Creational plane and is the cause of the creation. Reality is perceived truth. It is a subjective impression or realization, that is, the effect produced by the truth as the cause in the creational plane, that we perceive by sentient entities. So reality is not absolute truth unless we can have access to the Supreme Creational plane where the cause took place for the creation. As a result the knowledge of creation arising from perceived reality, that we possess is a knowledge of sentient entities which receive or perceive subjective impressions, that is, effects of the cause in the Supreme Creational plane.

In the Supreme Creational plane, absolute truth, ultimate reality, ultimate wisdom become one and the same.

Now let me try to address wisdom also. Such knowledge which we gain from sentient entities by way of perceived reality has therefore various degrees of inherent truth in it and hence the one that is closest to the truth is designated as sentient wisdom. So, as I mentioned, once we reach the Supreme Creational plane where the cause, the prime cause of creation exists, then we have realized absolute truth, ultimate wisdom and ultimate reality.

            In the context of information science we can measure the information content of any knowledge by formulating information entropy or fuzzy information entropy, I submit that if we try to maximize the information entropy of the knowledge base about the universe of discourse then we might be able to transform this knowledge base into a wisdom base. However, I do not propose to go into mathematics that will be required for the purpose nor the algorithms which have not yet been fully investigated.

Now a word about aparavidya and paravidya. The body of knowledge derived from physical senses is called aparavidya, what pertains to this world and not beyond it, that is, what pertains to the material plane, the physical world in which we live. All modern science speaks about this physical world and this includes informatics, OR and systems science among others. On the other hand there is a distinct body of knowledge derived from esoteric experimentations and research of the Rishis and Saints particularly in the oriental world, (paravidya, which pertains to the regions beyond our physical world), by making use of hidden or latent senses which exist in the human head and which can be rendered kinetic through meditation, sadhana or to be more precise Surat Shabda Yoga, that is yogic practice of uniting the Atman or Surat with the sound current which accompanies all emanations of spirit current.

The apertures exist in the human head for making communion or correspondence with the regions beyond the physical world, i.e., with Brahmanda, which literally means the egg shaped region of Brahma, Universal Mind and beyond Brahmanda, the purely spiritual region. Through meditational practices described in the Religion of Saints, one can render these apertures or nerve centres in our brain kinetic and get revelations of the higher reality and one can progress gradually in stages to the ultimate reality.

Let me speak very briefly about this creation and in this context present certain axioms to you. The spirit force is the one which possesses prime energy and that all other forces of nature have been evolved by the association of this energy with media of different kinds.

The second axiom which is by far the most important is that the Supreme Creator or Being is an infinite spiritual source or reservoir. Just as we have sources of electricity, sources of mechanical power, we have sources of hydraulic power or energy, we have sources of economic power if you wish, so we have source of spiritual power and that Fountainhead of spirituality, which is the infinite spiritual source or reservoir is known as Supreme Creator or Being and it has the features of Supreme intelligence, bliss and energy and also luminosity. It does not have any form. It does not have any shape. It is all energy, intelligence, bliss and luminosity.

In the pre-creational condition, the Supreme Being was in a state of shunya samadhi, absolute self-absorption. And even in this pre-creational state there existed an eternal polarization in the Supreme Being, that is, there existed a positive pole of spirituality and a negative pole of spirituality and the Supreme Being possessed three distinct regions, namely, the infinite positive pole which was the infinite region of full spirituality which could be likened with the head of the Supreme Being, and then the region of the neutral zone which we could consider His body, and finally the region of the nether or lower pole or negative pole, which had lowest  spirituality which we could liken as His feet. But It does not have any form, It does not have any shape, It does not have any boundaries, It is infinite.

So this Supreme Being was in a state of absolute self-absorption and these spirit forces in the region of the lower pole were in comatose condition and they were not even aware of the existence of the Supreme Being. The Supreme Being, of course, knew about His feet or the nether pole, with lower degree of spirituality.

Even that nether pole in the pre-creational condition had high degree of spirituality but the potential difference, as it were, in spirituality between the positive pole, i.e., infinite positive pole, and the nether pole was extremely large. Because of this large potential difference between positive pole and negative pole, spirit forces were attracted towards positive pole and individual spirit forces did make this transition and because of this transition, the potential difference got further accentuated and the positive became more positive and the negative became more negative. In the fullness of time, there was such a vast potential difference in spirituality that there was a huge commotion or upheaval, something that we refer to as the Big Bang in the physical world. But the Big Bang in the physical world as the beginning of creation came much later. What came first was the so called Big Bang in the Supreme Being Itself. This was a manifestation of the lower order spirit forces making a rush from the region nearest to the lower pole towards the infinite positive pole. There was a big rush and this was a form of spiritualization similar to what takes place in magnetic field as magnetization. It is very similar to that.

          The magnetic field has a positive pole, a negative pole. There is a field of magnetic action or force, so also this created a field of spiritual action or force and this resulted in the first great spiritual current or what is known as Adi-Chetan Dhar issuing forth from the Supreme Being from the region nearest to the negative pole and proceeding towards the positive pole and then returning to the negative pole. This Adi-Chetan Dhar or the first great spiritual current at the commencement of the creation was accompanied by a sound because there were vibrations in this spirit emanation. There was a sound which accompanied it and this sound was an imitation in articulate speech of Radha and this word does not have any meaning. It is a Dhunyatmak name. It’s only the sound which matters, it’s nothing to do with Radha-Krishna but the sound which emanated there with the first great spiritual current that flowed out of or flowed towards and then out of the Supreme Being, positive Infinite pole was Radha. And the sound which emanated from the great upheaval which took place within the Supreme Being was accompanied by Soami. So Radhasoami, in fact, became the first manifestation of the Supreme Being at the time of creation and ever since then, this name is reverberating, resounding everywhere in all directions. It is only that our faculties are not sufficiently developed, but can be developed through meditational practice, to hear it loud and clear by reaching these higher regions of spirituality.

          There are other mystic names which are there too. We are all aware about Om. There is Rarang, there is Soham, there is Sat, and then there is Radhasoami. These are all mystic names; inherent name or original name being Radhasoami, the one which first manifested itself when this creation was launched by the Supreme Being.

       

Now let me present a kind of diagram which would explain some of these things a little better and this is where I invoke my physical system theory which I have been practising for all my life. This is the Supreme Being, the super positive pole (Label a). This is the negative pole or nether pole (Label b). This is the spiritual sound current (Label c's) accompanied by the sound Radha which emanated from the lower region and flowed to the highest region of spirituality and then had a return path, the outward-going path which is the outward focus or centre-forming spirit currents (Label d's). So what happened soon after the creation was launched was that spirits with higher order of spirituality were grouped together in a sub-centre of power or spiritual potential source or presiding deity (Label e₅) next to the infinite positive pole (Label a or e₆) and then so on (Labels e₄ – e₁). This (e.g. e₁) is somewhat of lower spirituality and six such sub-divisions of the first grand division of creation, namely, purely spiritual region came directly under the purview of the Supreme Being. So these were created in the first phase. The first grand division to come into existence was the purely spiritual region. The spirits were covered by such fine, intelligent and blissful frames that they presented no opposition to the realization of the Supreme Being by all these six sub-divisions of the first grand division. They were constantly in communion with the Supreme Being. This circuit was complete and the spirit currents, the outward flowing spirit currents (d's) forming foci or centres of spirits with various degrees of power and resounding with their own characteristic sounds were all formed. For instance, the sound I have referred to as Soham is at this particular region (e₁). The sound I have referred to Sat is here (e₂), similarly there are others (e₃ – e₅), but they do not correspond with anything that we would understand very clearly in the languages we are familiar with (Radhasoami is at e₆ or a).

Lower, we have Om. Om occurs here (Label f₅) and Rarang appears here (Label f₆), in the Brahmanda region. So after the first phase, the spirituality had become somewhat weak in the last sub-division that was created (e₁) and therefore it became necessary for the Supreme Being to make a blend of the pure spiritual substance with the substance of mind. So now there was a subtle body, astral body that we speak of, that was created and here also, this creation was highly intelligent but then not as intelligent as in the purely spiritual region. And this is the region of Brahmanda. And here also after the image of the Supreme Being, six sub-divisions were created and those are here from six to one (f₆ – f₁). Then by the time it reached this lowest sub-division (f₁), it had further weakened in spirituality and it became necessary to give it a blend of another substance, which is physical matter. So this was the material plane or Pind in which we live and in which we are created, and of which we possess considerable knowledge, but not all the knowledge even about Pind, leave aside Brahmanda and pure spiritual region.

So that’s where man was created. Man happens to be a perfect microcosm of the macrocosm, that is the universe, and just as one says that man has been created after the image of God, so was it. Just as Brahmanda is a reflex (image) of the purely spiritual region and Pind is a reflex image of Brahmanda, so is man possessing apertures in one’s brain which would give it access to Brahmanda (f₁' – f₆') and to purely spiritual regions (e₁' – e₆'). There are twelve such apertures corresponding to the six sub-divisions of Brahmanda (f₁' – f₆') and six sub-divisions of the purely spiritual region (e₁' – e₆').

The apertures for making communion with the Brahmanda exist in the grey matter of the brain and the ones corresponding to the purely spiritual region exist in the white matter of the brain. And it’s at the apex of the head at the top that there is a nerve centre (e₆' or a') which if rendered kinetic will reveal the Ultimate Reality or Absolute Truth or Absolute Wisdom or Ultimate Wisdom and that is where one comes at one with the Supreme Being Himself. So, one can realize in human form the Supreme Being within one’s own self. One doesn’t have to go out and worship anywhere. One can practice meditation.

In the human form there are six ganglia or nerve centres (g₁' – g₆') just as Brahmanda has six ganglia (f₁' – f₆') and pure spiritual region has six sub-divisions (e₁' – e₆') so also man has these six ganglia which are all kinetic. Ganglion at the rectum is at the lowest level (g₁'). Ganglion at the organ of reproduction is next (g₂'). Ganglion at the navel is the third one (g₃'). Ganglion at the solar plexus (g₄'), ganglion at the throat (g₅') and ganglion at the seat of the spirit which is the third til, in the middle of the line joining the pupils of the two eyes (g₆'), so that is where resides the spirit and it is this spirit which jointly with the mind has given all the energy and vitality. It has produced the human frame and given all the energy and vitality to it. The subjective functions are also assigned in terms of intelligence and other things to the human being by the spirit through the mental plane (because it’s a blend of matter, mind and spirit). But spirit is the one which is the prime source of all energy.

So in the Religion of the Saints, one begins one’s meditation at the seat of the spirit (g₆') in the human frame which is between the two eyes and what this practice consists in is by concentrating attention at this particular seat of the spirit, that is, making your body and mind come to a standstill and then repeating one of these mystic names, Om, Rarang, Soham, Sat or Radhasoami.

Radhasoami (e₆' or a') is like a master key which would open all the locks. The other mystic names will open locks only at the regions up to that point where these sounds emanate. So if one tries this master key it will work everywhere and if you repeat one of these mystic names at the seat of the spirit, then it gets kinetic. What it means is that there are vibrations which are produced, which emanate sound that is in resonance with the sound of the spirit current of the higher region. For instance, if we are here at the top of Pind (g₆ / g₆') and we want to make communion with Brahmanda, the lowest region of Brahmanda (f₁ / f₁'), which is the region of one of the Gods, Sahasdal-Kamal being at (f₄ / f₄'). So if you want to make the communion there (f₁ / f₁') or (f₄ / f₄'), then if you repeat this mystic word, not by your external tongue of the body, not by your tongue of the mind but by the tongue of the spirit, that is, concentrating everything at the seat of the spirit, then you will begin to hear this sound more and more clearly. It will work out in a form of a crescendo and this musical sound will attract you and take you to the higher region (f₄ / f₄', for instance). And once you reach that point (f₄ / f₄' or f₅ / f₅' or f₆ / f₆') here in Brahmanda, you begin to share all the powers and intuition of Brahmanda correspondingly. And this way one can – the pilgrim spirit can make its journey upwards in stages, till it finally reaches the Supreme Being (e₆ / e₆' or a / a').

It is believed that the spirits which make this transition to the purely spiritual region (e₁ – e₆ / e₁' – e₆'), never come back again (after death) because they have become sufficiently pure to become part of the Supreme Being and they don’t return to these worlds again, the region of Universal Mind of Brahmanda or the Region of the physical body or matter of this world.

Now, here I have invoked system theory. One might say how does aparavidya begin to explain paravidya. My own hypothesis is, just as the human body is a perfect microcosm of the macrocosm of the Universe and it’s possible to establish communion or correspondence with it, so is this aparavidya having these communication channels for understanding paravidya, that is, learning of the world beyond ours, i.e. the physical world.

Let me now revert to the physical systems for a little while. A physical system is one in which the entities of interest can be measured whether quantitatively or qualitatively. At first when physical system theory evolved, it used to be just quantitative measurements. Lord Kelvin was so fond of quantitative measurements and dismissed everything that was qualitative as being a lot of rubbish but then we have all seen that qualitative measurements, fuzzy set theory, rough set theory, all play their great part in the science. So the key to the physical system theory lies not in the notions of analogies but in the concept of linear graph. But just as I have said it is a sort of analogue; because man is made after the image of God, so man is an analogue of God. So is physical system theory an analogue of paravidya and by properly interpreting it and endowing it with generalizations, we can understand even paravidya through this aparavidya.

          So all the things of science that we are learning are not going to waste. All these will generalize in due course of time to give us the science of paravidya. And I can only offer this proof that, at the time of death, one experiences these realities but unfortunately people don’t return to tell the story. But by carrying out these practices of Surat Shabda Yoga in your lifetime you can experience with full consciousness, all the processes, all the stages which precede and which accompany the phenomenon of death, without dying, and these offer ample evidence of the truth and the correctness of the teachings of the Religion of the Saints. So those who have made this journey have experienced this (through meditational practice).

I may only give you the classic example from Bhagwat Gita where Lord Krishna has preached to Arjuna. We are all aware that Arjuna represented Pandavas as their leading warrior and the battle was between Pandavas and Kauravas in Mahabharata, the epic that is well known in Hindu mythology. However, when Arjuna was driven to the battle field, his charioteer was no less a person than the very incarnation or representative of higher region of spirituality, that is, Lord Krishna; and Lord Krishna tried all his reasoning and arguments to persuade Arjuna to take up arms, to take up his bow and arrow and begin the battle with the forces of evil. He wanted Arjuna, who represented forces of good, to conquer over the forces of evil. But when Arjuna looked all around, he saw people who were next of his kith and kin and the blood relations proved too strong. And even the commandments of the Saviour proved weak and Arjuna would not budge. He would not take up the bow and arrow and begin the battle. Then Lord Krishna had no other alternative left except to open the inner eye of Arjuna. What this meant was that he closed one of the switches (say s₀) which would transport Arjuna’s spirit to the Brahmanda and there he had the Darshan of the Virat Swarup of Lord Krishna, the astral form of Lord Krishna, and was then overpowered by that image. He was a totally transformed person and that Arjuna, who a moment ago was impervious to all reasoning was soft as wax in the hands of Lord Krishna and he girded up his loins literally, took up bow and arrow, and was ready to shoot his nearest and dearest. All bonds of blood relationships were broken in a moment.

So, I offer you as proof, experiencing of these higher spiritual regions (through meditation) and seeing the scientific basis from which the whole creation has evolved.

Thank you very much.

Q.        Sir, initially the creation was only the spiritual creation and what you have said just now is that once a person returned back, he will not come down. Then why did this downward journey happen?

A.        As you might have noticed that I also mentioned that in the pre-creational condition, the Supreme Being was in a state of shunya samadhi, absolute self-absorption and there was lower order of spirituality in the nether pole or lower pole or negative pole and He wanted these spirit forces, which were in comatose condition unaware of the existence of Supreme Being, to have the bliss of full communion or correspondence with the Supreme Being. And, therefore, it became necessary to create this great commotion, transport the spirit forces of lower spirituality into the region of Supreme Being, accept as many of them as possible within His own region, directly under His purview but, then it was not possible to galvanize (spiritualize) the others (sufficiently). He had no choice but to create Brahmanda and then the material plane; and then He found that these spirit forces have been denied the bliss and permanence and radiance of the realization of Supreme Being, then as we all know incarnations started coming to this world and they tried to raise them to a higher spiritual plane and this is the reason why Supreme Being did that. It was for ultimate good so that these spirit forces, which were in comatose condition, would become fully conscious of His presence and partake of the full bliss, intelligence and energy of the Supreme Being.