A New Affair of the Heart~Living Beyond Karma

When I first came across the teachings of Raja Yoga and the Brahma Kumaris, I was amazed and delighted to increase my understanding about karma through the one word “karmateet”!  I understand karmateet to mean reaching the state in which all karmic accounts have been settled at the end of one’s lifetime.

I was happy to hear that there was a method to become karmateet which I could practice daily, on my own!  With true benevolence, the One, the Highest on High teaches that souls can become free of their karma by “Remembering Me”.

Since the Beloved is also the Purifier, by cultivating a stage of being in yoga (union) with the Purifier, our negative karma is burned away.   Being honest with the Purifier and hiding nothing is important.  Anything that is hidden, will persist and therefore can not be lifted!  The Purifier understands the state of all souls at this time is impure.  The Beloved Purifer is pleased with an honest heart.

Honesty is a prerequisite part of the process of becoming pure along with keeping our subtle awareness on the Highest on High, not only while sitting in meditation, but also throughout the day.

You may very well be thinking, how much “yoga” must I have in order to cleanse lifetimes of mistakes and become pure and free, once again?  Great question…a question that truly matters!

Another question arises~how much meditation with the Divine can I fit in  when my present lifestyle requires so many hours a day of “work”, so many hours a night of rest, so many hours devoted to caring for the children, the pets, the garden, the house, the car, and on and on…It could seem like an impossible task to accomplish in one lifetime.

However, the One being truly benevolent and the One who has never, stopped loving you, even for a moment, wouldn’t ask you to do something that could not be accomplished.  It would surely go against that One’s Nature; for the Beloved is the Comforter of Hearts, as well as the Remover of Sorrow. This One does not impose more sorrow and concern or come to give you any other difficulties.

Here’s where another concept became transformed for me.  If you are anything like me, you may have been interpreting karma yoga to be performing various kinds of tasks, usually unpleasant, to rid oneself of karma; or on a slightly higher scale, doing service, which you might even enjoy, to cleanse your karma.  A fair trade-off, although more like a punishment or “duty” than an attractive option!   I realized something today, after churning these words, for over 6 years.   When the Beloved says: “Do actions with your hands, but remember Me with your heart”, He/She is talking about “karma yoga”.

Though I understand the importance of eating and preparing food, going for a walk, speaking to a friend, all while remembering the One in your heart was another way of having yoga, it wasn’t until today that this confluence, this coming together, of performing “karma yoga” within the heartspace of remembrance of the Beloved  jelled enough to become a joyful experience, a profound feeling, of what it means to enjoy each scene of our lives!

For this, too, is a direction from the Beloved:  enjoy each scene of this drama with Me.

Karma Yoga  is an affair of the heart.  For it is only within the womb of this intimate, loving, joyful, relationship that our heart and soul can sweetly and easily be made clean by the Beloved.

Karma Yoga is not merely a utilitarian principle asking you to do some work, some service, some ‘karma yoga’ so that your soul will be cleansed or your conscience relieved.

Karma Yoga and being a karma yogi is a transformational state of being in which to live one’s life!  The definition of a karma yogi is very deep.  Every thought of a karma yogi would spread vibrations of love for the One. 

For example: “when you look at a soul who is in love with another soul you can see that that soul is lost in love from that one’s face and sparkle.  Similarly, ask yourself: Does your every action give the experience of being a loving soul to the Father?  This is known as being a karma yogi.” (Avyakt Murli spoken on June 15, 2014 and originally spoken on January 24, 1978)

Suddenly the watered down interpretation of karma yoga that had become part of my inner attitude now seemed joyless and light years behind this new understanding!

The new definition of karma yoga had emerged in my heart:  nurturing and sustaining awareness of constant connection with the Beloved  resulting in  being naturally immersed in Divine love in every thought, word, and action!

Following this guidance of  enjoying every scene of life with ‘Me’, it’s easy to see how blessings can accumulate in the ‘now’ and encourage one to maintain elevated thoughts, words, and actions,even more!   As the immediate fruit of living from Divine love is created and enjoyed, one is sustained and strengthened to stay on the path of remembrance.   As each action becomes fruitful, not just utilitarian, the soul becomes content, happy, and successful, as a result of having these pure thoughts, words, and actions.  Living proof that “Purity is the Mother of Happiness”.

Karma yoga brings joy and pleasure into each present moment,  and one is not just living for the future but also cleaning up the past.   Living life in the present moment takes on new meaning as our elevated present creates an elevated future.

The trigger of all this newness, began brewing in the early hours before dawn.  While the world slept, a book  was opened, a book that had been sitting on the shelf for years.  In it was this guidance, originally spoken on February 24, 1984.   The title of the piece is: “Suffering for Karma will not allow you to be a Karma Yogi”.

Here is what was said:

“The meaning of karmateet is not to be beyond karma but to be beyond the bondage of karma.  Sometimes, in the bondage of the body there are actions performed in which you say, ‘This is my nature to live comfortably, to eat at a particular time, to live in a particular way,’ and all these are aspects of the bondages of karma that draw to themselves….  Just as in bodily illness, where the suffering of karma pulls to itself through pain, so that you say, ‘What can I do?  I am okay but this suffering of karma is severe,’ in the same way, if any particular old sanskara (impression) or nature (character trait) or habit pulls you to itself then this is also the suffering for karma.  And so, any sort of suffering for karma will not allow you to be a karma yogi.  So you have to go beyond this also.”

This passage is deep and bears several readings to extract its essence.  It points out  how habits, character traits, as well as our past lives equal the “bondage of karma” and how all three pull us even when the pull is into, what appears to be something good, the comfort of living in a certain manner, in a certain material way….this pull means we are not free.  For if the comforts of the material existence were taken away, then what?

It leads one to understand that one who is a “karma yogi” is one who is living freely, who is beyond the pull of his/her own karma.  How is this accomplished?  It all relates to understanding where the karma yogi’s comfort and happiness come from.

When goodness and comfort, are drawn from a connection with the Supreme  Source, from the union with the eternal Beloved, then one is contented spiritually and therefore happy! If this connection with the Beloved is a primary focus, then even if one is living a life of  material luxury and comfort, as long as his or her happiness is not dependent upon or trapped within those facilities, that one is a karma yogi.

A karma yogi would use the benefits they have accrued in this physical world for the highest good of all, i.e. to help awaken and free others from a life bound by their karmic bondage.  Their very presence in this world helps to guide and awaken others to true and lasting happiness which is realized as one embraces the awareness of remembering who they are ( an eternal spiritual being)  and who they belong to (the eternal spiritual Beloved).

Are you feeling trapped by anyone or anything?  Take a new look at the situation; remember the Ocean of Love and draw your sustenance from there, rather than from expectations of how you would like this person or situation to be.  This will help settle the account that created this type of relationship in the first place and you won’t be creating more negative energy through your unfulfilled or uneasy thoughts about the situation.  Then easily withdraw your dependence from that situation or person being “a certain way” and watch how much room for lightness and magic you have created in your world!!!  This is called transformation!

Om Shanti