OUR THOUGHTS, KARMA & SAMSKARAS (OUR DISPOSITIOONS, CHARACTER & BEHAVIOUR PATTERNS)
On origin of the thoughts fro our eternal soul direct our mind to introspect and then there is play of intellect (Budhi) and we transact our Karma based purely on our thoughts and conclusion reached after introspection. Basedd on these thoughts, we form our attitude, habit and behavior patterns besides tendencies which we call it SANSKARA OR SAMSKARA (Sanskara are dispositions, character or behavioral traits). It goes to indicate that our thoughts are the precursor or forerunners of ultimate Karmic deed we transact.
It goes to show that our Karma starts with the initiation of the thought and the process continues till end of the Karma or action to perform.
If we be offensive (A negative trait), it becomes our habit if we do not change our habit otherwise it will form a permanent feature in our character. Contrarily, when our thought is based on time tested truth, then the process and the Kama or action would be positively oriented and result would also be good though we should not overly concerned about the results of our thoughts if the thoughts are positive then results will also be positive. In this context Bhagwad Gita’s concept is more relavant:
You have a right to perform your prescribed duties, but you are not entitled to the fruits of your actions. Never consider yourself to be the cause of the results of your activities, nor be attached to inaction. Bhagwad Gita
While performing our Karma, care should be exercised that we’re not to be judgmental in any way while performing our Karma since first thing that we should have is self-awareness/self-conscious – remaining in total control over our mind.
CONNECTIVITY BETWEEN OUR KARMA AND DESIRES
We all have desires. It is the type of awareness which determines our desires. What we desire depends partly on our inner potentials and partly on the environs in which we live. The quality of Karmic deeds in realizing the our desire is also essential. It is the quality of our Karma or action with which our destiny is shaped. But what we desire under the circumstances and how best to achieve that desire depends on the excellence of Karma and also external factors such as our relationship with persons we are associated, the environment in which we are transacting our Karmic deeds. A desire cannot be fulfilled merely by daydreaming about it. We’ve to put in hard work for its attainment. There may be failures but our persistence and doggedness to succeed will determine the final outcome. Then ‘desire for ‘moon’ will not do any good for us. We’ve to be careful in choosing our desires too. Nothing happens in isolation. For every outcome, we’ve different yardstick of Karma for achievement too. If a hard mission is desired, then, we’ve to be ready for putting in our efforts and that too with missionary zeal. Nothing should stand in our way.
So when you consider that change, action caused by desire, caused by your state of consciousness, it becomes very apparent that it is really important to determine your state of consciousness. You, by your free will and choice can largely determine this outcome. What type of consciousness that you will have. Bhagwad Gita
DUALITY IN OUR LIFE AND OUR KARMA
We live a dual life. Everything happens in pairs. We’ve birth and we’ve death. We’ve honour and we’ve dishonor. We’ve happiness, we’ve sadness. We’ve day and we’ve night. We’ve success and we’ve failure. We’ve friends and we’ve enemies. In other words everything comes in pair – two-some. One who is balanced both in positive and positive outcomes is a happy person. The quality of our Karma determines our outcome.
One who is equal to friends and enemies who is equipoised in honor and dishonor, in heat and cold, happiness and distress, fame and infamy, who is always free from contaminating association, who is silent and satisfied with anything, who doesn’t care for any residence, who is fixed in knowledge, and who is engaged in devotional service – such a person is very dear to Me. Bhagwad Gita
WHAT WE GIVE OTHERS IT COMES BACK TO US
What we do today good or bad remains with us in one form or other on the premise that what we give to others, it returns back to us. It is on the belief; ‘action and reaction equal and opposite’. The Karma we do today, adds our experience in real term thus impacting our future life along with enough of maturity in our future thoughts and actions. It goes to show that for everything which happens in our life, there exists some cause. Therefore, most of our happiness or unhappiness is the consequence of our own thoughts and actions we transact.
Lord Buddha had a unshakable faith on the Law of Karma. He opined that we should abstain from having any thought and action which is considered as evil. Whatever hurts others should be avoided. Thus the edifice of morality is considered essential – which any society should follow.
AVOID ANY TEMPTATION OF DOING ANYTHING WRONG
It should always be kept in mind that nothing happens without specific reason. Or nothing happens in isolation. It is in the fitness of things to set adequate standards of behavior thus as far as possible we should resist any temptation to avoid doing anything wrong. It goes to show that before doing anything wrong, we’ve to be ready for wrong-doing.
OUR KARMA STARTS WITH THE QUALITY OF OUR THOUGHT
It is also a fact that our Karma begins on the start of our thoughts, considered to be the cause of any Karma and conditions are the effects. Truly, we enrich or lower our lives based purely on the premise or our thoughts and action (Karma) and we’ve to face the results too. If at the beginning of thought itself, if we think the thought is not conducive and hits at the very foot of ethics, then, that thought could be revisited. Often-time, whenever a thought emerges with the play of our mind and senses, we are tempted to act. Here we forget that thoughts are causes and conditions are the effects. Wrong thoughts will results in wrong effects.
I consider KARMA as action transacted taking into account the aspects mentioned in the succeeding paragraphs.
ACTION DONE – POSITTIVE ASPECTS TO EARN KARMIC CREDIT POINTS
Essentially, when we perform our action by surmounting all the pitfalls or challenges which bedevil our path then that act of ours provides us challenges. These challenges are taken head-on without qualm by a Karma Yogi. I consider that if our actions are positively oriented then nothing can come our way, not even the result of our action. Therefore, positive thoughts leading to positive action in any way should never be forgotten. No attachment with the fruits of our action. When our action is righteous then the result positive or negative should not distract us from our path. Action with a positive bent of mind should be our prime conideration. No distractions/distractions from our chosen path should stop us from the forward movement. Bhagwad Gita has very clearly mentioned about the performance of our duty without attachment to the fruits of our action.
COMPLETE FOCUS SHOULD BE OUR MOTO
Complete focus is a must for getting things done. This could best be done through unstinted focus at hand. This focus could be attained through total detachment or surrender to the work in hand without thinking about the outcome of ours.
LINK BETWEEN KARMA AND OUR RELATIONS
Our duty as parents, daughter, brother, sister, uncle or any other relationships is diverse and multi-dimentional. All our duties performed towards our family or for the society should be directed towards bringing about positive change in the mindset of the people. We also have our duty for our workplace, family, society and finally for the country we are living. Then we’ve our duty towards our children, to impart them necessary value system, traditional modes of behavior etc.
FOUNDATION ON WHICH THE EDIFICE OF KARMA STANDS FIRM
How we perform our duty counts taking into account the environs we are placed. If we unite dharma (sacred duty) and karma yoga then the content of duty becomes all the more mystical or spiritual. By so doing, we shall be following a spiritual oriented path (faithfully doing ones duty) and the resultant consequence of all these activities is more often than not appropriate. It is because there is a internal motivation in every activity we undertake by the method of dharma and karma yoga methodology. While following dharma and karma yoga, we shall be performing our duties with positive frame of mind without attachment to the fruits of our action. But one thing we should not forget, our karmic deeds this way will not go unrewarded ultimately.
WHY WE PERFORM KARMIC DEEDS
Then question arises, why we perform our task?. We perform our duty since it is essential for our existence, earned with sincere work, material sufficiency (for self and meeting the needs of others who are dependent on us) besides while performing our own duties we should not do anything which may have divergent implication for others.
NEVER ASPIRE FOR MOON
Also, it should never be forgotten that while we were born, we had not brought anything and everything we have got is got here only and that too with the action or Karma we have performed. Our destiny is dependent on the positivity orientation of our Karma. No action or no Karma means no change in destiny.
It is also a fact that our action (Karma) gives us experiences and these experiences give us confidence to face life’s challenges with determination and with firm conviction.
KARMA DONE – TO EARN MORE THAN OUR DUE SHARE
While we desire more than what we actually require then that sort of earning is done by resorting to corrupt practices. This is Ku-Karma of highest order and results in subtraction from our Karma credit thus undoing whatever good Karma we have done. There are people who resort to charity work from such a earning, which will not fetch any Kamic credit. This act of ours adversely impacts not merely our mind but also soils our true self (soul – Atma). The wheels of justice comes out with full circle when our ill-conceived Karma reaches its zenith. For example, Demon King Ravana met his justice when he crossed the ill-conceived Karma after he kidnapped Sita Maa, the consort of Lord Rama. Unenlightened thoughts leads to more ignorance and weakens with roots of our existence.
QUALITY OF KARMA AND ITS CONSEQUENCES
The quality of Karma we transact, the enlightening the consequences we get. Continuous performance of quality Karmic deeds makes our life sublime and spiritually oriented and enlightened person. Enlightened person bereft of ego, desire, lust, anger, jealousy etc. lead to connectivity with God and finally Moksha or liberation from births and deaths.
WHILE PERFORMING OUR KARMA, THERE SHOULD NO FEAR OR ILL-FEELING
Importantly, it should always be realized that action performed bereft of any fear, with pure mindset, use of heart and mind, leading a spiritually oriented life, performing our task without any anger, jealousy, lust, detached and all other negative traits. On the other hand, we should transact our Karma purity of mind, peacefully, calmly, with utmost sincerity and honestly, with complete patience and with complete humility.
RIGHTEOUS KARMA LEADS TO RIGHTEOUS RESULTS
Finally, our righteous Karma is also quantified and qualified by the warmth in our emotions, warmth in our respect for others and steadfast in our trust. All these traits enhances our love for others and where there is excessive love, there exists the existence of our Omnipotent and Omniscient God. The type of Karma determines our way of living and even next births. It also bestows us balance both in happy and sad times. By so doing, we can even attain Moksha or liberation from births and deaths.
O best amongst men [Arjuna], the person who is not disturbed by happiness and distress and is steady in both is certainly eligible for liberation. Bhagwad Gita.
Thus from the above, it is evident that our Karma is paramount and the way we transact Karmic deed is also significant.
INNER THOUGHTS 
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