Hari om Parents,
We had a full class after a long time. We started a new section about "Doing our duties". There are a different types of Karma defined in our scriptures:
Nitya Karma: These are daily duties that every individual is expected to follow. These are not desire prompted actions and there should be no expectations for rewards.
Naimithika Karma: These are duties that have to be done for special occasions. Eg. special pujas, religious or social events
Niyata Karma: Is any karma that is Nitya and Naimithika Karma.
Nishiddha Karma: These are prohibited by the scriptures. Any illegal and immoral activities come under this.
Kamya Karma: Are the activities done that are prompted by personal desire.
We talked about the bhagwad gita shloka:
नियतं कुरु कर्म त्वं कर्म ज्यायो ह्यकर्मण: |
शरीरयात्रापि च ते न प्रसिद्ध्येदकर्मण: || 8||
Our actions depend on the motives behind our actions. Every action produces results based on our action. Results of good action get you punya(merits) and results of bad action get you paapa(demerits).
The accumulated results of punya & paapa get carried from one birth to another. This accumulated result is called Sanchita karma. The quantum of results that are attributed to the current life is called prarabdha karma. This quantum has to be endured. The result that we are currently accumulating is called Agami Karma based on choices that we make.
This cycle continues till we are able to zero out all our sancita karma. A realized man gets Moksha when he zeros out all the sancita karma.
The ability of an individual to face the prarabhdas of this life is called purushartha. What we get in this life is called Destiny and how we respond is prushartha or self-effort.
We had a very lively conversation about the cycle of karma and the results we accumulate out of it.
We also discussed the following:
- Do duties fall upon us by birth?
- Can we not take up someone else's duties?
- Is the environment around us thrust on us by blind fate?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This week's summary was written by Nithya.
Categories of Karma:
Nishiddha Karma:
Condemned by scriptures
stealing/crimes/dangerous acts
Kamya Karma:
Prompted by personal desire
Desire comes with all the results that could happen, sometimes bad
Nitya Karma:
A person's duty/ to be fulfilled by every individual a their stage of life
Something a person must do shouldn't expect a reward
Naimitihka Karma:
Like Nitya Karma, for special situations
Niyata Karma:
Nitya Karma + Naimithika
Never accumulate any results
Never associate with "I am the Doer"
Mind, Body, Intellect - "The Doers"
Without you, these 3 wouldn't exist
There is nothing in the universe that you don't know because whatever your knowledge capacity is, the universe is completely relative.
"Nobody dies, Every body dies"
The Body of someone will change, but not the soul
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Please follow the class happenings in the chinmaya balvihar blog -
regards and pranams,
Sitaram Kuchibotla
Partha Turaga
