By George A. Boyd ©2003
In Samkhya Yoga, the philosophers of this tradition
speak of three modes of Nature: Sato Guna, Raja Guna and Tama Guna].
Sato Guna is the mode of purity and clarity of mind.
Raja Guna is the mode of passion and goal-oriented
action.
Tama Guna is the state of inertia and nescience.
Applying this model to karma, we see that there are
three modes of karma.
The sattwic mode of karma emphasizes acting,
speaking and thinking consciously, and using meditation methods to
control and transform karma.
The rajasic mode of karma explores how karma
expresses in the present time, examining its motivation (where it
originates), its impact and consequences.
The tamasic mode of karma details how karma
is stored and layered in the unconscious mind, and its interface with
the awakened vehicles of the mind.
The Sattwic Mode
As karma expresses through behavior, speech and thought,
the sattwic mode seeks to actively control behavior and speech by moral
guidelines and precepts to be observed, and ultimately to shape thought
and identity. Meditation and prayer play a role in controlling these wellsprings
of karma.
Sattwic Forms of Working on Karma |
Controlling behavior by observing religious precepts
or vows |
Controlling speech by observing religious precepts
or vows |
Controlling thoughts by using techniques to focus
the mind and to re-identify with a higher center |
Purification of the unconscious accretions by
transformational method |
There are various ways meditation is used to change
ones perspective, and with it, ones thinking. For example,
meditation can utilize
- A mantra to identify with a nucleus of identity
- A mantra to identify with an ensouling entity
- A mantra to identify with a spirit
- Concentration on inner centers, e.g., holding the
attention on a nucleus of identity, an ensouling entity or the spirit
until identification occurs
- Singing, chanting or dancing to awaken an inner center,
leading to passive absorption in that center
- Prayer from a nucleus of identity, ensouling entity
or the spirit
- Remembrance of the nature of a nucleus of identity,
ensouling entity or the spirit.
Once identity with a higher center is achieved, it activates
the inner center and the nexus around it. In the nexus surrounding the
inner center of a nucleus of identity or an ensouling entity, there is
1st |
Will, choice or apparent powers |
2nd |
Intellectual, intuitive or discriminative mental
activity |
3rd |
Moral guidelines, apparent laws of behavior |
4th |
Creative or artistic inspiration, music, songs,
poems, painting, architecture, etc. |
5th |
Description of the universe or inner worlds, cosmology,
viewpoint of perception |
6th |
Emotional evocation, urge to prayer, worship,
reverence, awe, songs of praise |
7th |
Ritual behavior, services, ritual worship ceremonies,
holidays, celebration of sacraments, initiation ceremonies |
The expression of these qualities and abilities from
this inner center cements the believer's identification with it. The believer
then lives from this higher center by making choices condoned by scriptures
or authorized by the spiritual teacher through this means, the believer
interiorizes this new state of identity by
- Understanding the world from that perspective.
- Observing and introspecting to see if one has lived
up to the moral standards or expectations laid out by precept, scripture
or ethical code
- Expressing creative inspirations that arise from
interaction with the archetypes, forms and inner scenery surrounding
the center
- Describing the cosmology and deriving theories,
explanations, credos and scriptures from it
- Living a life of worship and prayer emerging from
a relationship with and appreciation of the Supreme Being as known
in that context
- Developing rituals, worship ceremonies, holidays,
etc., where one must reenact union and/or participate from that center
This re-identification brings about a change in the
thoughts, words and deeds that the individual expresses. The individual
incarnates as a holy warrior, a saint or a yogi, and changes how he or
she formerly lived through this means. The conscious work of meditation
utilizes transformational methods to dissolve karma. This inner alchemical
process transmutes the karmic material of the unconscious. [These transformational
methods are described in Thoughts on
Transformation.]
The Expression of Karma
In the rajasic mode of karma, we speak of karma as the
Law of Cause and Effect. Thoughts, words and deeds yield consequences
that eventually return to tvidual. This is the Law of "as ye sow,
so shall ye reap." Some consequencehe indis are experienced immediately, while
others may be delayed. Good actions yield eventual rewards as evil actions
produce a legacy of misery.
Rajasic Forms of Karma find their
expression as current actions and their consequences |
Sphere of impact |
Center originating the action (octaves of the
will) |
Karmic reward/retribution (direct consequences) |
Assimilation as shared/destiny karma (delayed
consequences) |
The Sphere of Karmic Reaction
To understand the consequences of karma, we must recognize
that each action, each word spoken, even every thought leaves an indelible
trace on the Akashic Record. We cannot undo what we have done, said or
thought it does not go away.
More importantly, what we do, speak or think affects
much more than ourselves. It ripples out to influence the very universe.
This ripple effect of cause and effect is shown in the figure below:
It is our shortsightedness that gets us into trouble
with the Law of Karma. Let us analyze the karmic impact of a crime of
robbing against someone unknown to the thief:
Zone |
Karmic Impact of Crime |
Self |
Commits the robbery, gets money, apparent short-term
benefit for self, long-term risk of arrest, imprisonment, fine,
loss of freedom, reputation and civil rights (if a felony) |
Intimate |
Family may become accessories to a crime or conspirators,
threat to family, potential loss of a breadwinner, incurring legal
fees, shame of having a family member arrested and imprisoned, stress
of not knowing how long he will be in prison |
Social |
Issues of secrecy, shame, loss of reputation,
bad result for others, can lose job if crime is revealed, bad results
for self and others |
Community |
Increased costs for police, investigation, criminal
prosecution, members of the community do not feel safe, victim and
family are harmed, bad for victim and community |
Society |
Media reports news of the crime, it leads to the
impression that the community is not safe, businesses do not want
to relocate here, existing businesses put up security, homeowners
do not want to live in the area based on their perception of the
crime, bad for society |
International |
Negligible impact |
Ecological |
Negligible impact |
Universal |
Negligible impact |
Spiritual |
Adding to the magnetic vortex of fascination of
the Lower Astral Plane with theft, increases the atmosphere of collective
evil, bad for everyone |
Many decisions we make only consider the Egoic Zone
of the Self and sometimes the Intimate Zone of family and close friends,
but we do not examine the wider impact. We act, but we do not see the
big picture. We seek an immediate reward without considering the wider
repercussions of what we do. We may reap a financial profit, but do we
destroy the ecology of the planet, cause cancer in our community or remove
the livelihood of these that we lay off in order to show greatest profit?
Meditation on Action, Word and Thought
- Contemplate an action and notice the impact through
these nine spheres.
- Contemplate a word spoken and notice its impact
through these nine spheres.
- Contemplate a thought and notice its impact through
these nine spheres (consider that the thought may be made manifest
as written material or an idea discussed among others, or as a belief
transmitted from one person to another).
The yogic virtue of non-injury (Ahimsa) is based upon
a consideration of the impact of thoughts, words and deeds through these
nine spheres. If you can show kindness and respect to your uncle, can
you also show it to a nation, to an insect, to a blade of grass, to a
stone, to the earth, to the cosmos or to the spirit of another?
The Origination of Karma
From what does a thought, a word or an action arise?
You may contemplate the 13 focal points of the will:
Number |
Focal Point |
Description |
1 |
The Unconscious |
A sub-personality or entity that acts outside
of volitional control, as in an addiction arising from the unconscious
mind |
2 |
The Ego |
Identified with the body, life, possessions and
fulfillment of desire |
3 |
The Etheric Habit Matrix of the
Subconscious Mind |
Following habit |
4 |
The Volition of the Self |
Choices arrived at by reflection, planning and
careful study |
5 |
Collective Octave I |
Choices made in synchrony with nature, in harmony
with the needs of the tribe |
6 |
Collective Octave II |
Enactment of myth, cultural ethos, ritual worship
and the rites of magic and ceremonial invocation |
7 |
Collective Octave III |
Biological union, union with the earth, enactment
of courtship rituals and sexual communion, establishment of family |
8 |
Collective Octave IV |
Expression of gifts from the Abstract Mind Plane |
9 |
Collective Octave V |
Expression of gifts from the Psychic Realm |
10 |
Collective Octave VI |
Expression of the Moral Will and the Mind of Wisdom,
inspiration by the Holy Spirit |
11 |
Collective Octave VII |
Expression of the Creative Fist of the Soul, speaking
the Word |
12 |
Collective Octave VIII |
Expression of the Souls genius and abilities
through the Transpersonal Octave of Will |
13 |
Collective Octave IX |
The Will of the Monad, the Will Divine |
When a thought arises, from which of these octaves does
it come? A word? An action?
As the potential of a human being is activated, it becomes
possible for that person to access and express these higher octaves of
the will. It brings the possibility to express something other than the
selfishness, the defensiveness and the combativeness of the ego. A deeper,
more thoughtful, more compassionate choice becomes manifest in humanity.
Instant and Delayed Karma
Some karmic repercussions are nearly instant. Hit a
highly agitated, angry man in the face without provocation, and you will
reap a fight in an eye-blink. Karmic consequences that are not encountered
immediately become layered in the unconscious, waiting to fructify according
to twelve orderly cycles:
Number |
Cycle |
Description |
1 |
Diurnal |
Within a 24-hour cycle |
2 |
Semi-Lunar |
Between a full moon and a new moon, or a phase
of the moon and its complement after a fortnight (i.e., two weeks) |
3 |
Lunar |
A whole moon cycle (approximately one month) |
4 |
Seasonal |
Between three and four lunar cycles, comprising
a season of Nature |
5 |
Solar |
12 to 13 lunar cycles: one revolution of the earth
around the sun (one year) |
6 |
Coronal |
11 to 13 years, marked by the emergence of great
solar flares from the surface of the sun (approximately one revolution
of Jupiter around the sun) |
7 |
Constellational |
Movement of the sun through one sign of the Zodiac
(approximately 2,000 years) |
8 |
Zodiacal |
One revolution of the sun through all 12 signs
of the Zodiac, equal to one Age, or Yuga (approximately 24,000 years) |
9 |
Galactic |
Movement of our galaxy around a fixed nebula:
1,000 Ages, or Maha Yuga (24,000,000 years) |
10 |
Universal |
Creation and dissolution of a universe: 1,000
Galactic Ages (24,000,000,000 years) |
11 |
Meta-Universal |
Creation and dissolution of a Brahmanda, comprising
a causal mental universe, an astral universe and a physical universe |
12 |
Grand Meta-Universal |
Emanation and dissolution of countless Brahmandas,
1,000 meta-universal cycles |
Tamasic Expressions of Karma
Tamasic Forms of Karma Accretion
as Unconscious Mind |
Pralabdha |
Sinchit |
Kriyaman |
Adi |
As karma is extruded from its reservoir in the unconscious,
it arises as
- Desire and craving for a person, object or experience
- Fantasy and mental fascination with a person, object
or experience
- Powerful ideas that evoke strong emotions that
come into awareness
- Sense of obsession or compulsion, a sense that
you are driven to act in a certain way
- Spontaneous thoughts upwelling into conscious awareness
- Suddenly perceiving a person, object or experience
in a new way
- Feeling strong attraction or revulsion for a person,
object or experience
Karma may arise from various depths of the unconscious.
Typically, about 60% to 85% arises from the first 48 nodal points past
the liminal edge of conscious awareness. Another 10% to 35% arises from
the 49th through 96th nodal points. Roughly only
about 5% arises from unconscious bands deeper than the 96th
nodal point.
Pralabdha Karma
The template of human life is the repository of the
Pralabdha Karma. This helix-like structure, which Shakespeare referred
to as "the mortal coil," has 12 filaments in which karma can be embedded,
crossing over at 18 points, which correspond to anatomical locations in
the physical and etheric bodies. These 18 nexus points are:
- Ankles
- Knees
- Hips
- Base of spine
- Navel
- Solar plexus
- Heart
- Left palm
- Right palm
- Medulla (base of skull where it meets the neck)
- Point between the eyebrows
- Fontanel at the top of the physical brain
- A point three fingers breadth below the navel
in the etheric body
- Solar plexus center in the etheric body
- Heart center in the etheric body
- Throat center in the etheric body
- Point between the eyebrows in the etheric body
- Fontanel of the brain in the etheric body
Each filament in which karma is embedded has seven strands,
which correspond to the expression of karma in:
Number |
Strand |
Karmic Expression |
1 |
Physical-Etheric |
A genetic/constitutional component that expresses
as acute or chronic disease |
2 |
Emotional |
A psychological issue that continues to repeat,
nurtured by changes in mood and reaction to events |
3 |
Mental |
The activity of mental processes to resolve the
problem, the formulation of beliefs and expectations |
4 |
Volitional-Behavior |
The actions that arise out of the karmic thread;
seen in conditions of craving, compulsion or addiction |
5 |
Astral-Fantasy |
The images, voices and feelings arising within
the mind |
6 |
Causal |
Core mental tendencies [samskaras] this
is the substrate on which karma is remembered |
7 |
Seed or Essence |
This is the original issue from which the karma
originated, the choice-creation point it can usually be traced
to a discrete event in the current or a past life |
As more than one strand is typically embedded with karmic
matter, issues arising from Pralabdha Karma may be seen to simultaneously
have physical symptoms, emotional, mental and volitional aspects, fantasy
components, deep memory traces, and may bring spontaneous remembrance
of a particular incident.
How to Identify Pralabdha Karma
Pralabdha karma typically has one or more of the following
markers:
- Constitutional or genetic conditions, long-standing
health issues, aches, pains or inflammations for which a medical cure
cannot be identified
- A recurrent emotional theme enacted in interpersonal
relationships
- Irrational beliefs, delusions, fixed or obsessive
ideas, cravings, compulsions or addictions that resist reason, moral
injunction and volition
- Recurrent fantasies, hallucinations or repetitive
dreams
- Obsessive memories and distracting thoughts that
continue to bring up upsetting or troubling memories
- Remembrance over and over and over of a particular
incident in the present or a former life
Issues that you seem to live over and over and over
again, repetitive patterns or problems that dont resolve, are markers
of Pralabdha Karma. These issues are not burned up by transformation spiritual
practices and typically must be lived through. They do eventually resolve,
however.
Sinchit Karma
Sinchit Karma is stored in the tubules of the Nadamic
current, which passes through the 12 domains of spirituality. Sinchit
Karma plugs up these inner tubules in which the spirit dwells. This form
of karma takes the form of desires, fantasies, temptations, cravings and
passions. These impressions, once e purified, become the holy virtues
of serenity and effortless self-restraint seen in a saint. The spirit
traveling back through these Nadamic tubules works out this form of karma.
This practice has been variously referred to as udgit, Surat Shabd Yoga
or soul travel. We call it Nada Yoga (we teach the fundamentals of Nada
Yoga in the Mudrashram® Master Course in Meditation, the Accelerated
Meditation Program, the Mudrashram® Advanced Course in Meditation
and the Way of the Heart workshop).
Kriyaman Karma
Kriyaman Karma has three aspects:
- New karma that is set into motion by current thoughts,
words and deeds (this is the Rajasic aspect of Kriyaman Karma)
- The sublimation of the will, so that the individual
is able to relate to each situation from the higher centers, and make
wiser, kinder and gentler choices (this is the Sattwic aspect of Kriyaman
Karma)
- The layering of the patterns of Kriyaman Karma behind
each vehicle (this is the Tamasic aspect of Kriyaman Karma). These comprise
- Unfinished goals or objectives
- Unfinished business in relationships, which must
be resolved by communication of truth, apology, forgiveness, restitution
or amends
- Latent abilities or gifts that the Soul needs to
bring into expression
- Unawakened intuitive wisdom that has yet to be
realized; insights that have yet to be cognized
- Unawakened potential states of ministry or service,
marked by a pattern of expressed Soul purpose (a work that must be
accomplished in this current life), an inner Star of expression, an
inner spiritual throne, an inner wheel, or a glorified etheric form
on the Inner Planes
- Rehabilitating the cords that pass from the personality
into the Superconscious, building the Bridge of Will, the Bridge of
Intuition and Understanding (antakarana), the Bridge of Faith and
the awakening of dormant awareness and energy (kundalini) to enliven
and purify each vehicle
- Freeing the blocked energy of the Spirit behind
each vehicle, awakening the experience of the power of Love and Life
as supernal bliss, ecstasy and joy.
Kriyaman Karma is overcome by transformational methods
such as Kriya Yoga, Transformational (bija) Mantra and Light Immersion.
Adi Karma
Adi Karma is layered on the Path of the ensouling entity.
It is sometimes referred to as Soul Purpose Karma. It represents the future
initiations of the Soul. As transformation unfolds the potentials of the
Soul, it concomitantly unfolds each vehicle. Thus, as Adi Karma is transmuted,
the stored aspects of Kriyaman Karma are concomitantly resolved and actualized.
Since they are directly linked, the same transformational methods that
work out Kriyaman Karma are used to work out Adi Karma.
In the Mudrashram® System of Integrated Meditation,
we disseminate methods to directly work out Sinchit, Kriyaman and Adi
Karma. As the Soul evolves, there is a spontaneous sublimation of the
will: the patterns of karma-creation change, with concurrent changes in
perception, character and behavior following closely behind.
Purpose in Karma
Karma persists until its purpose is fulfilled. We characterize
four major purposes inherent in karma, which are represented by the following
inner centers:
Type of Purpose |
Type of Karma |
Center |
Context |
Innate Soul Purpose |
Adi Karma |
The seed of the other side of the higher unconscious |
The calling of the Soul, the goal of this track
of spiritual evolution |
Expressed Soul Purpose |
Kriyaman Karma |
Inner wheels, stars, vortices and thrones of other
centers awakened by the Soul in its spiritual evolutionary journey |
The expression of the Souls gifts and its
service to other living beings, utilizing the higher octaves of
the Will |
Domain Purpose |
Sinchit Karma |
Mirrored in the 12 upper toruses of the Purpose
Center in the Subconscious mind |
The relative opening of the Nadamic path and development
of potential states of Spiritual Mastery in each of the 12 domains
are mirrored in these centers: as the spirit opens the path of the
Nada, these toruses (or crowns, as they are called in the Bible)
change from black to golden |
Life Destiny |
Pralabdha Karma |
Mirrored in the lowest torus of the Purpose Center
in the Subconscious mind |
The 18 radii of this torus mirror the relative
purification of the karma imbedded in the helix of Destiny Karma |
The conscious intention to complete and work out these
four types of karma serves to fulfill the grander purposes of Supreme
Nature. When this intention dawns on the mind, the individual is said
to have embarked upon the spiritual path. When this intention is sustained
until all karma has been resolved, the individual achieves Spiritual Mastery.
In this article, we have discussed the three modes of
karma. It is to the degree that an individual can adopt the sattwic mode,
to be able to consciously work on and work out karma, that transformations
of the potentials of consciousness becomes possible.
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