In Quest of Truth - Q&A with Shri Babaji
In Quest of Truth - Q&A with Shri Babaji
How can we resolve our karma in daily life? | Thus Spake Babaji - online Q&A, No.133
Register your free place for the live online meditation and Q&A with Babaji: https://www.shivarudrabalayogi.org/en/online-satsang
How can we resolve our karma in daily life? | Thus Spake Babaji - online Q&A, No.133
Recorded on 03 November 2022 with Malaysian participants.
0:00 Intro
0:18 How does karma affect our life?
4:32 Is it important to be aware of our karma in daily life?
6:17 How do we release ourselves our from past life karma?
7:53 If we do something with a good intention but the result of our action is otherwise where do we stand in terms of karma?
11:06 Does being engaged in spiritual activities help to deplete bad karma from the past?
14:33 What happens when a karmic cycle ends and how will we know when it ends?
15:54 How do we spiritualise our daily activities?
19:51 Does spiritualising our daily activities help in clearing our past karma or does it only prevent formation of new karma?
25:07 Can anyone practice spiritualising daily activities easily?
29:27 If one is immersed in thinking of Babaji does that help resolve our bad karmas?
31:45 For a beginner of meditation, will making the effort to sit regularly have a positive effect even if one is unable to meditate and is caught up in thoughts?
32:46 What are the benefits a person derives from darshan, being in the physical presence of a yogi?
34:26 Does good karma of a previous life make it possible for someone to come in contact with a yogi?
36:05 Closing comments from Babaji
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Discourse: Thus Spake Babaji - online Q and A No. 133
How Can We Resolve Our Karma In Daily Life
You tube Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SxOUVU8wEc
Recorded: 03 November 2022
Start of Questions and Answers
Question: Babaji, our topic for today's question and answer - how can we spiritualize our daily life activities to resolve karma? Babaji, our first question. How does karma affect our life and is it important to be aware of karma in our daily life?
Babaji Maharaj: Yeah, you see this world is made up of dualities. One is important because of the other. If one is there, another also follows. Like a good or a bad. The karma also, the more that we become narrow-minded for our selfishness, whatever we do, that is like slightly bad karma. But the more that we can think about larger cause, welfare of society, our country, whole world, that is a good karma. And the karma is induced by the mind. So, it all depends on the character, culture of the acquired habits of the mind, which it induces into doing either a good karma or a bad karma, our actions. When we are living in this world, action will always be their, body. So, what we are going to do? It depends on the culture of our mind. To properly tune in this mind into proper good character and culture only all spiritual exercises have been taught. Well, that's up to us, but however, if the mind goes into a bad karma, totally selfish, like gets involved with the arishadwarga I have always explained, of a kama, krodha, lobha, mohah, madha and matsarya: false pride and jealousy, anger and greed and lust and all such things. So, when they have this into the karma, then that bad karma sits into the mind. Mind absorbs as an imprint, acquired habits. Based on that only, our attitude towards the world and our next life, next birth happens. When death happens, the brain stops functioning, but the mind which gets detached, before that, it would have automatically visualized all the bad things that it had acquired. So that is to be considered spiritually as a violent mind.
When the mind is violent, you belittle yourself, the next birth could be of a belittled one, of an animal, of any other creature or even when you are born... See, even after being born as a human being, to be born to such pious parents, or pious with siblings and the surroundings, and when we go out to the school and society, the friends that we make, it all matters, which is known as satsangam, which can give us either of a good habit or a bad habit. When we become selfish and fall into bad company, so we might become bad - our actions, our thinking, both go together. When we start thinking badly, that induces us to get into a bad karma. So, like that, it affects us throughout to suffer unnecessarily. In future we will suffer, our destiny will be negative. So that's why finally I always tell, if you are positive in your thinking and visualization, you can shape a better positive destiny for yourself. If you are negative and violent in the mind, then you can be shaping a negative and such suffering type of destiny for yourself. So, you need to be very careful, that's how these good and bad things, karma can always affect a person.
Question: Is it important Babaji for us to be aware of the karma in our daily life?
Babaji Maharaj: Yeah, you need to be very much aware of what type of karma that you are undertaking, what type of thinking, thoughts and visions that are coming to your mind. Both are very, very equally important. You need to be aware. Otherwise, you might become simply habitual. In the society if you see, many people would have become habitual to utter wrong words, wrong sentences, use wrong negative language, loose tongues, all these things. At that moment, they may not even notice what they are talking, but they will talk nonsense. Then, whether they will regret or not is another thing. But if they have such ego and arrogance, they may not even regret. So that's what happens. So, this is very important that you need to be aware of the karmas. So, if you are thinking that you are doing a selfish thing, you are trying to rob somebody else’s property, and you are snatching a person belonging to somebody else. So, all these things are wrong and bad karmas. So, you need to be aware what you are doing can land you into much more troublesome life and troublesome births in future. All these things can happen. So, you must be very careful and mindful of what you are going to think and what type of karma that you will be induced and you are going to do.
Question: Thank You, Babaji. Babaji, how do I release myself from my past life karma? Or is it possible to do that, Babaji?
Babaji Maharaj: You see, from the past life karma, releasing means in the present you need to purify your mind by undertaking spiritual exercises. Meditation is the highest, which purifies the mind. Once you purify, then your thinking… when such a purified mind thinks it will think of a larger cause, consideration to each other always, upholding moral values. Its mind would have become purified totally. Then it will not get involved into bad karmas anymore. And it won't even feel any effect of the previous life, bad karma also. Sometimes physically one can get affected, any such thing, but still one won't feel that one because the mind is purified. There won't be any mental suffering at least. It is the mind's suffering which is the more worrisome and dangerous thing. That's how one can stop this bad karma and its effects on the mind by undertaking regular spiritual karmas like meditation, agnihotras and bhajan kirtans and service to the Guru and service to others in the world, service to a larger cause. So, these things are all very important.
Question: Thank You, Babaji. Babaji earlier mentioned about good karma and bad karma. At times, when we do things, we do it with a good intention, Babaji. But the repercussions of our actions could be otherwise. So, where do we stand in terms of karma in such situations, Babaji?
Babaji Maharaj: See, when we think in a good way, properly, welfare of the society and all people involved for a larger cause, we do the karma. Sometimes, in this world, it may have repercussions or something wrong happening with us and people might ask, "I was innocent, I was God-fearing, I tried to do good karmas only, still I am facing wrong things, bad things, suffering, people are troubling me, all these things are happening." They are all like clearing of the accounts of the previous karmas. But whatever in the present you are doing, it will definitely pay rich dividends. God's grace, the Guru's grace will come down, though there can appear temporary setback from outside, for outsiders. But for that person, there is no such thing. Every trouble that happens is an opportunity to test his or her own mind and its purity and also how much closer one has gone to the Divinity and to the Divine Guru is very, very important. Such a person won't mind; he will be like a valiant soldier going to the battlefield, whether he does it or he gets killed, both are equally same for him, he won't mind. So, slowly in the mind, good karma, bad karma, suffering, all these disappear. Only the Divinity will be there, the purest mind’s formation, that will be there. So, nothing will affect such a person.
Every suffering or every trouble or every struggle will not be actually a trouble, suffer or any such thing. It will be an opportunity that how much you can be a valiant soldier, how much you can face the troubles of life, unmindful, without getting troubled or without getting affected. And your faith will be intact in the Master. When the faith is intact with the Master, the grace of the Master also descends. So, these things are very important. So, that's why it's important to undertake spiritual exercises so that you can maintain yourself. Even a little bit trouble comes, no problem, it will be alright; assure yourself, and have faith in the Divine Guru. The Divine Guru will definitely protect and be with you always. So, like that one has to go.
Question: Thank You Babaji. Being engaged in spiritual activities in this life, does that help to deplete the bad karma accumulated in the past?
Babaji Maharaj: You see, first thing, when your mind becomes purified by indulging into spiritual exercises, then you have become pure and you have stopped all bad actions, bad thinking in the mind. Your mind is not any more casualty for the six enemies of human mind. That is the first achievement, important for anybody, by being spiritually is important. Then they won't be doing any bad karma and they will always consider about a larger cause, and even if there is any karma of the previous lives that will get cleared very quickly. A little bit trouble comes. Life is a mixture, trouble always comes. But that trouble will not be a trouble for a person. Such a person won't lose any faith with the Guru and will carry on. And he will do good karma. You see, finally, how we get determined? We will live for what we believe. We will die for what we believe. We want to be good and we are going to be good. Simply because some suffering has come, we are not going to give up our good karmas. Like in our schools, we used to hear from teachers, “See, life always, be a good person, be good karmas, consider about others. Even if others subject you to suffering or wrong things, troubles, all such things. But you will always have the satisfaction that you are doing your duty, you are a good person and you are pure in your mind, come what may.” See the tiger, even if it is very hungry and it has to die, it won't eat the grass, it will eat its own food. That is the determination. So even if we have to die, no problem, we will be honest, we will do the right things, consider about others. We will help others only. And we won't lose faith in the Divine Guru and the Divine.
Somebody might ask, "O, you are undergoing so much of trouble. Still, you are a devotee of Swamiji. What is the use? What has He given to you?" He has given me the determination, peace, purity of my heart, purity of the mind and spiritual truths. He has given so much and He is removing all bad karmas, he is clearing all the accounts; whatever suffering happens, it will clear. It will take us towards liberation, it will prepare us for actual liberation. For that we can undergo any suffering, is no problem. Any time, troubles come for yogis also. In our ashram trouble comes, people behave badly, trouble comes, but we pray to God, “No problem my Lord. Whatever it is, please liberate me, don't make me to be reborn in this world. Enough, enough.” Like that you pray with the Divine Guru. That should be the attitude and motto.
Question: Thank You, Babaji. Babaji what happens when a karmic cycle ends? And how will we know it when the cycle has ended?
Babaji Maharaj: First thing, when your mind becomes totally purified and becomes silent and merges with the ultimate truth, Supreme Self. This happens by doing stronger spiritual exercises for long time and eventually, finally, tapas. Then you burn all habits of the mind. Now mind is pure consciousness. Then slowly it merges with the Self. That means the cycle is ended actually for you. You have overcome all karma. Whatever the body will continue for some time. Some trouble, some suffering in the form of either some illness or some people, your own people troubling you, something like that always keeps happening. But all these are to denote, like Swamiji, my Guru used to tell, “We are yogis. It is the last birth. That’s why so much trouble comes to the body also and in the life also in the Mission, everywhere it happens. Finally, it is liberation.” Like that Swamiji used to tell.
Question: Babaji, in relation to our daily life how do we spiritualize our daily activities?
Babaji Maharaj: See, actually spiritualizing means we should be aware of ourselves as that Ultimate, tatva, that Self, that infinite ultimate Truth, the Divinity that our form is. That's what is the Self-awareness; we need to be that. Then we won't do wrong things. We will forgive everyone. Like even if a yogi - He scolds somebody, He pulls up somebody, accuses somebody, it is not actually accusation. It is a blessing, so that that person… It is just like Jesus prayed before He was crucified, “They know not what they are doing. Forgive them my Lord.” Like that. He prayed like that. That is the height of upholding human values, you see. When your life is going, being finished, your body is being put to an end, but you are able to forgive those people. For a moment He was helpless and prayed to God, “Why did You do this to me? If You wanted, You could have sent Your 16,000 soldiers.” All this we all have read this in the life. But He recovered quickly. That's when he said, “Forgive them for they know not what they do.” And once He said that He was no more helpless. Others all were helpless. The soldiers, whoever were there crucifying him, they were so helpless. Their mind was painful. They could not get liberation. Nobody remembers them today also, but everybody, humanity remembers that great Saint. So, like that. So, that is what is important. When you have the purity of your mind, that is what is important. For that with the spiritual exercises and you will always in purity, you have to be in the awareness of the Self. So, whatever you do, it will be for a larger cause, for the benefit of… Somebody might tell me, "O, you should not go to a certain place. They are not good people.” I won't listen like that. Whoever invites me with all love, care and respect, I will go and teach them meditation. I won't have any reservation. Anybody who wants to come to me, I won't have any reservation. “O, this person was not good. Ten years ago, he left and why is he coming back again?” I won't have any such reservation. Anybody who has lost their ego and they want to come to me, have my darshan, I give darshan, I give my blessings. I teach them meditation, everything, anything that is wanted. So that is the yogi. So, we will always do for the welfare of the larger cause. Many people might misunderstand because if they don't see what I am doing, what benefit, what favor I am doing to public, they might misunderstand. They might ask me, "You should do only these things, you should not do that thing. You must not go there; you must be here only.” That type of thing. But yogi will not have anything because His mind is totally pure. He cannot hurt anybody; He cannot curse anybody. Even if I scold somebody, I slap somebody… that's what Swamiji used use to tell. “Even if I pull up somebody, I will be giving them liberation and I will clear their karma. Their karmas will be lost very quickly.” That's happened because they know not what they are doing, they always accuse me, they use a loose tongue, wrong language to me, but I forgive them. Like that.
Question: Thank You Babaji. Babaji, does the spiritualization of our daily activities help in clearing of past karma or does it only prevent formation of future new karma?
Babaji Maharaj: You see, I will clearly tell about this. Many people ask this question, though the question appears to be indirect, but the intention of people is - say we have done wrong karmas, bad karmas in our previous life, and can we avoid suffering physically or any other ways if we have to suffer? Can we avoid that by taking spiritual exercises? Can a God's or a Guru's grace help us so that we don't have to undergo any trouble at all? This is totally wrong, selfishness and ignorance of people. The previous karma is there. In the life you have to undergo, but that will help you to get liberated. Your mind will be purified when you undertake spiritual exercises. You will become sincere. Means if you are a lazy fellow, you are not a sincere person, you don't want to do spiritual sadhana sincerely, but you want that no suffering should come, no trouble should come, you should be able to earn enormous wealth and you must be having mansions in every town and city, you should get wealth and everything that whatever you wish God should give you. Then you think that you will undertake the spiritual exercise, then you will be successful. That is not spiritual exercises.
Swamiji used to scold one person when he was asking that question. I am not scolding anyone of you, please understand. Swamiji used to tell, “Idiot, what are you the talking? You meditate, you become purified, but you want to use that meditation through which you can reach God. You just want some material benefits that you don't want to undergo some troubles. Simply the health of the body. One day, anyway, it is going to die, whatever happens. For the body you can give some medicines, look after with proper food, exercises you do, but your mind is the most important thing which can protect you from getting involved into karmas in the future.” Like a yogi would have stopped the future. No karmas. Because no karma is happening, so there is no result. But now, some suffering might come, of the body, of anything. So, we might be blessing some people in the society, so that's how the body would be suffering here. So, that's no problem when we have to take. That must be the motto. Don't be selfish. Swamiji used to tell that “You will meditate only if no karma comes to you at all.” Nothing will. You will not notice when your mind becomes purified; even a little bit trouble comes, you will not notice that one. Your mind will not notice if your mind's attention is on the Divinity. But you want to escape that also; “Can God help that no karma comes to me if I meditate, then only I will meditate.” So, such people will not meditate sincerely. They keep undergoing troubles all the time in all the lives, they will never get over such karmas. Karmas come and go. Troubles come and go. A trouble is not a trouble if your mind is aware of the Divinity that is within you; your real Self that is within, the Divinity.
So, like that you have to be doing sadhana, not for a selfish purpose that no karma should affect you. That will not affect you. Your mind, you as the soul will not be affected; you will realize that truth. As Krishna said, "No weapon can slay you. No water can soak you. No fire can burn you." You will realize that amazing truth, that reality, that you are not the body. You are not with the birth and death of the body. You are much more beyond that. You are that eternal. That you have to achieve. For that you do the meditation, and other spiritual exercises, participate in agnihotra, bhakti marga, kirthans, bhajans, sankirthans, seva, everything - that will help. But don't be selfish, “Don't try to do business with God,” Swamiji used to pull. Don't try to. “If I offer you a hundred and one rupees, then you will remove some karmas of mine. I must not get into any illness. Nothing should happen to me.” “Don't think God is an idiot. You are an idiot.” Like that Swamiji used to tell. “God is very clever. You tried to do your own things. God knows how to tackle you. Sincerely, meditate,” He used to tell. So, this is essential. Everybody needs to understand about karma.
Question: Thank You Babaji. Babaji, being spiritual is being in the highest state of mind or consciousness. If so, can anyone practice spiritualizing daily activities easily, Babaji?
Babaji Maharaj: Yeah, definitely once your mind becomes purified with spiritual sadhana, its agitations, it’s stress, everything gets released. The mind will get released and becomes pure consciousness and remains at peace, whatever in the world is happening. You will work in the world. You can try to help somebody. You try to overcome conflict, advise anybody to overcome conflicts - not to be a bad person. Consider about a larger cause. Consider about each other. Uphold moral values. Be sincere to yourself. Do sadhana. Don't expect spoon feeding from Guru and God. Nothing will happen. You will simply waste your life like that. If you don't want to do sadhana, keep opening your eyes and just watching what Babaji is doing instead of you meditating in the Zoom class. Some people do like that. Meditation classes, I tell them “All of you gently close your eyes. Watch in between eyebrows.” They don't take it as a command. They don't have sincerity. In spite of that, they don't want to sit for meditation. They will be watching me. When I try to watch them like this, closer, they will watch me also. “What is this Babaji doing?” I am not doing anything. Only simply the body is watching. Inside, I am not doing anything. That's how, remember Buddha, when He was walking in the forest area, that dacoit, his name was Angulimala, ‘anguli’ means ‘fingers.’ He used to kill other people and rob them, and then cut their fingers and make it a garland and put it on his neck. That's why his name had come as Angulimala, the one who takes the fingers as a garland. So, he called from behind to Buddha, "Hey, stop! Come here!" So, Buddha, composed, at peace, looked back and said, "I stopped long ago, when are you going to stop?" He was puzzled a moment. But somehow, he was attracted to the beautiful glow of Buddha. He came and prostrated. “Why did you tell that you stopped, and I have not stopped. I wanted you to stop, and now I am also stopping.” He says, "This is not the stopping I mentioned. My mind, through which you keep thinking of robbing others, killing others, all the time bad, my mind stopped. It doesn't think anything bad about you. Whatever you want to do, you do that one.” Then he realized the effects of the mind, mind’s sincerity, mind’s purity, all these things he realized and surrendered to Buddha. He became a disciple of Buddha. So, like that is important. Mind, mind stopping, mind's purity is very, very important. That is how by spiritual exercises, in your daily activities also, you can spiritualize. When you learn to see God everywhere, in everything, as everything, then automatically you won't do wrong things. When you will see, when you are able to visualize God, "O, this is also God, how can I break, how can I be disrespectful? This is also God. How can I do something bad? How can I be selfish here?" So, like that, you will be able to see God everywhere; that will be helpful to be spiritual. You would have spiritualized your entire life. Whatever you are doing, you do business or you do work, anything, you do no problem. But still, if you can hold the Divinity in your mind, your mind is purified. You will accept whatever comes as a result. It's alright for you, no problem. You won't accuse God or a Guru.
Question: Thank You Babaji. Babaji, if one is immersed in the thoughts of Babaji, thinking about Babaji, or watching Babaji’s videos, does that help resolve our bad karmas, Babaji?
Babaji Maharaj: Sincerely, if you are doing. You are playing Babaji’s video, but your mind is thinking something else, some movie or something else is playing. So, you cannot cheat God ever. You must know that one. If you can sincerely, simply it's in your mind, it's only the Guru, and nothing else. And in the Guru, if you can see the Divinity, then your mind has to become purified first and then that will be beneficial for you spiritually. That will give you the spiritual exercise results always. Your mind will overcome selfishness, narrow-mindedness. So, result; you always see, when you do, do any of such exercises, it's okay. Watch video of Babaji, Swamiji, any Guru, all sorts of things, no problem. And then also listen to Babaji's talks and question answers, everything. But while doing all these thing, observe your mind, whether it is concentrated really on Babaji, or is it running somewhere else. That is important.
Afterwards, your mind should have achieved more peace. It should become more and more composed, quiet, more and more quiet, not involved into the six enemies of human mind ideas. It should not get involved. Never try to become cunning because you are cheating yourself. That's very important. Then only, when your mind gets purified, its stress, its agitation, everything will be released. You will simply accept the Divine. You won't become selfish and tell, “Babaji, I was watching your video. Now, you must look after me that I get the lottery ticket.” Don't work out deals like that. This is done so that your mind can become purified. If you don't get it purified, that means you are not really watching Babaji; you are watching something else. You must know this.
Question: The next question. For a beginner in meditation, will making the effort to sit regularly for meditation have positive an effect, even if one is unable to meditate and is caught up in thoughts?
Babaji Maharaj: Definitely, sitting every day without fail, is the best discipline and dedication; that is the beginning. So, develop an intense desire for Self-realization, for Divinity, all such things. Then this sitting becomes the gateway. Slowly, slowly as you go on listening to our question and answers, our guidance and meditation, sincerely keep trying, trying, sit down every day. Don't abandon the practice. Then it can be very, very helpful. It will induce you to go further and further, develop yourself.
Question: Thank You Babaji. Babaji what are the benefits a person derives from darshan and being in the physical presence of a yogi?
Babaji Maharaj: If you have the faith and devotion, you sincerely love your Master, then you come in front of Him and obtain the darshan, then darshan will be beneficial, because your mind will become purified. You cannot think of smoking or drinking alcohol or cheating somebody. You will feel shy and shame on such things. You will think always good things when you come in front. So, that is the effect of darshan if you have been sincere. Because the vibrations are flowing, you have to raise the sail of faith and devotion. So, if that is there, then these things are very beneficial when you sit in the presence of the Guru. So, that will induce you into thinking about God, Self, atma, Divinity, all these things. So, if you are not sincere, if you don't have devotion, to please somebody else you have temporarily come there and your idea is something else. Many times, some people come. Their idea is something else, but they pretend that they want to know meditation and they want to do meditation and they take initiation also, but it is for some other purpose. Such things won't work out. You have to have faith, real devotion, then you will be benefited. Then the vibrations will come to you. The blessings and grace will come to you.
Question: Thank You Babaji. The last question. Does good karma of previous life make it possible for someone to come in contact with a yogi?
Babaji Maharaj: If you have come in contact with the yogi, that is due to your past good karmas only. Without that you cannot sit in the Zoom, without that you cannot listen to Babaji or Shivabalayogi, Swamiji, you cannot come into the ashrams and you cannot follow the path taught by them; all not possible. It's all due to your previous good karmas only. Now you have to enhance such good karma, you must not lose it. See, what happens - you earn about ten thousand dollars. You need to enhance to earn more. So, like that, you have to use a little bit and then earn more. Otherwise, if you spend the whole ten thousand, it's gone. Like that, the good karmas have made you possible to be with the Master, but if you let go that as a waste of energy, you don't learn anything. You might go to the ashram, you might stay with the Master, but still you don't learn anything. You are ready to accuse the Master. You are ready to put all blame on the Master. You don't really… never loved. Such things are useless. But if you really love, you really have the faith and devotion, then it will be beneficial when you come to the Master. Master’s Grace will be obtained.
Facilitator: Thank You Babaji. That was the last question for today's Q&A session.
End of Questions and Answers
Babaji Maharaj now concludes the session.
I will just see the gallery one more time and say bye-bye to you all. Wonderful. Deeply appreciate all your participation. Our love and blessings. May Swamiji be with you always, bless you all, make you all sincere to do sadhana, meditation, all these things are very important. Don't try always easy ways. By trying easy ways you become more lazy and you don't do anything. No sadhana is difficult if you are sincere. Know that one. This is important. Sit for meditation. This is the easiest way! Simply, you have to become quiet. That's all, mentally. Nothing else.
May Swamiji bless you all. Bye-bye. Time to disappear.
End of Session