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.