Acharya Mahapragya Blog
This post is a translated part of Acharya Mahapragya’s book Ateet Ko Pado, Bhavishya Ko Dekho
The purpose of meditation is to go from the gross to the subtle. The findings of truths and rules working at the subtle level increases our knowledge which can change a man’s behavior and character. Knowing the rules is very necessary. The ones who have tried to know them have taken support from the subtle, weather for the rules of science or spirituality. The principles of karma are very subtle. One cannot understand them through a gross intellect. Today’s law of genetic make up has made it easy to understand the law of karma. Genes are carriers of generational traits. For every unique trait there is a unique gene. Karma carries particles. The basis of differences between people is karma. For every unique trait of a life, a unique karma is responsible. A gene is a component of our gross bodies while karma is a component of our subtle bodies.
For meditation purpose we discuss the subtle. Meditation is a search for the subtle. A person with a gross intellect gets stuck on to the gross. A child gets stuck onto the gross. Another meaning of child is one whose knowledge is not developed.
Karma is a rule. Through karma, one can study the past and understand the future. By looking at the bhaav or emotion of the creature one can know what kind of karma will be created and by looking at the actions one can take hold of the emotion behind the action. In this way by the study of the stages of karma in the present one can understand in what way the person will behave in the future. This is an important method to know the past and understand the future. These days, the knowledge of karmvad is less and delusions are more, therefore spoiling its image.
Today every incident is associated with karma despite its limitation. Two friends were standing at the seashore, watching the tides. Some time passed. They saw a ship. One friend said - friend, in my mind a question has come - a small pin drowns in the ocean but a big ship floats. What is the reason? The other friend said - you do not even know this! The pin on account of its bad karma sinks while a ship on account of its good karma floats.
We do not understand karma and therefore attribute every event in our lives to it. We should know the limits of karma. Consciousness has two qualities - one that of craving and aversion and the other is of purity. Where there is craving and aversion (ie raga and dwesha) the association of karma can be found. Where there is pure consciousness, there is no karma.
The purpose of meditation is to experience the present moment. The experience of that is free of cravings and aversions (ie likes and dislikes). At that moment no karma is created - a witness consciousness is present. This witnessing is only possible through separation from karma.
Whenever a human is in craving or aversion mode, at that moment the mind’s association with the craving or aversion feeling creates chaitisik karma - he collects some particles. These karma particles display their result in due time, according to the associated raga or dwesha. Through this principle we can understand some incidents.
Muni Skandhak was a great tapasvi. Due to some reason his skin was ripped off. In that utter pain, he remained equanimous.
This incident was studied. A question arose - how did this happen? One found that Skandhak as a child in a previous lifetime was peeling a fruit called kaachar. He peeled it with such skill that the skin got peeled off easily. He started appreciating his skill. He got very attached to his display of skill. The attachment got intense. This attracted complex particles. These karma particles fruitified as the incident of his skin being removed.
The mind is in three states - intense; medium or mild. (ie the craving and aversion is in these three states) A person for the purpose of current life, performs actions in mildness - ie he is neither attached to his action nor repulsed by his actions. A person does something and appreciates it sometimes - medium state. A person does something and is intensely attached to it and appreciates it a lot - intense state.
There is no difference in the act. The act is one but along with it different levels of emotions or vruttis are associated. Based on this, different karma particles are collected.
Skandhak peeled off the kaachar and later on his skin was removed. But in this world so many people peel fruits but who all have been ripped? The question is not of the incident but is of the violence. It is not necessary the one who kills will be killed. It is said that if you stole someone’s house in a previous lifetime, that is why somebody stole from your house. This may be a reason and may not be a reason.
In his context a secret of life comes to being. When and how should a person perform a karma. The meaning of karma is pravrutti. The answer is to fulfil a necessity. Many people say that everyone should do something or the other all the time. I do not agree with this. An action should serve a purpose. Today work of many kinds has come into being. Watching television, playing cards are also counted as work. Work should be attached to a necessity.
The second question is how should actions be performed? The secret of spirituality is to perform actions without craving or aversion.
Skandhak peeled a fruit and hence his skin was peeled off. This is not the truth. People pick up the gross happening. The truth is found in depths. How Skandhak peeled the fruit is the key question. A how indicates the degree of craving or aversion. Only on this basis a karma is created. How we eat - how we talk - how we walk - this is the important question. Whatever you do, do that only. While walking, just walk. Let the body walk, let the mind walk. This is called gamanyog. Similarly every activity should be accompanied with bhaavkriya. The mind is steady in this way of doing.
Through meditation one learns two things very clearly - when to do something and why to do it. The third question is - how to do it? When one is able to understand this facet, then it can be concluded that meditation is yielding its fruits.
We have an important sutra - through meditation, our consciousness, mind, speech must become subtle and we must be able to learn the rules of the subtle truth. On the basis of these rules, we can read our past and know our future. A person who has started reading his mind, he has started to read his chaitisik karma– his cravings and aversions. Past and future - when these scenes are created, one can analyze the incidents of the present. In this state one is able to take responsibility for every incident. One stops blaming others. An earthen lamp (ie diya) was burning. Wind blew. The lamp’s light dwindled into darkness. The oil had also finished. But the wind would be made responsible, if seen from an outsider’s perspective. It is like blaming the medium. One whose consciousness is awakened through meditation looks for the true cause of an incident rather than the medium through which it happened. This is the sign of our spiritual progress.