I Have 3 KARMAS? Oh No!
In fact, they are called Sanjita, Prarabda and Agami!
The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali state that “Klesamulahkarmasayo Drstadrsta Janma Vedaniyah.” If you don’t understand sanskrit, the translation by Swami Satchidananda is “the womb of karmas (actions and reactions) has its root in these obstacles, and the karmas bring experiences in the seen (present) or in the unseen (future) births.”
OK, and if you still don’t understand, then read my comments below…
Karma means action and the result of action. But which action came first is hard to tell, so the origin of karma is unknown.
Karma Yoga is the path of self-realization through selfless service and nonattachment from the fruits of your labor.
The basis of Karma is the law of cause and effect. All schools of philosophy caution that, “As you sow, so shall you reap,” and, for the more scientifically minded, Newton’s third law of motion clearly states that “For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.” Karma is action and that action will either set you free or enslave you.
Every action is prompted by desire and carries with it a definite intention. If it is motivated by lust, greed, anger, jealousy, envy, or fear, you can safely expect to have it return to you in kind. By the same token, action prompted by love, selflessness, compassion, or forgiveness will also produce in kind. The choice is always yours.
It is the need for resolution of accumulated Karma that ties us to the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. If you are currently in a physical body (which, by the way, is a requirement in order to read this blog,) you are experiencing your Sanjita Karma, the accumulated results of all your previous actions. Whatever the quality of this moment in your life, take a deep breath and thank yourself. You are resolving your Prarabdha Karma, the portion of your accumulated Karma that you will face during this incarnation. Now here comes the really important part: As you graciously work through your Prarabdha Karma, you are creating new karma, Agami Karma. As for the quality of this new Karma, once again, the choice is always yours.
An excellent question to ask at this point would be how to make this seemingly endless cycle stop. If your chosen path is Karma Yoga, the path of selfless service and nonattachment, it ends by offering all your actions to the Divine. Regardless of your station in life, embark upon your responsibilities joyously and with the intention to serve Purusha. Regardless of whether or not you choose Karma Yoga as your path, karma still works in your life, so this approach to living is one to adopt in addition to any other path you have chosen.
The renowned Buddhist teacher Thich Nhat Hahn illustrates the spirit of Karma yoga beautifully by suggesting that while washing dishes, we regard each movement as if it were as sacred and respectful as bathing a newborn Buddha. No matter how insignificant it may seem, if you perform an action selflessly and lovingly, it brings you closer to self-realization, to the reality of your own divinity. It is by experiencing the truth of who you are that you will end the cycle of reincarnation.
Cliffnote Version of the 3 Karmas
Sanjita= Shit! That’s a lot of Sanjita!
Prarabdha = OK, bring on the Poo!
Agami = Alright, and now what?
It’s up to you!!! ☺
