Commentaries by Vee Jay Attri during the Book Study - Secrets of Karma
Alright, let us begin our study on the Secrets of Karma.
Air Pillow Effect
There is a very wonderful quotation from the Buddha.
Actions follow a man just as the wheels follow the feet of the ox that draws the cart.
The Buddha
This is a very wonderful expression to make us know that no matter what we try to do, whatever the action that has been set in motion, follows us regardless of how many lifetimes it takes.
People want shortcuts for everything in life and often seek salvation from miracle men who promise an easy escape.
Even if you find quick-fix solution to your problems, you still have to work on your karma, lest the effects will resurface in one form or the other because the cause is still not healed.
It is like an air pillow – you press it here, it pops up there.
In those days, we used to have an air pillow, especially while travelling. It is very convenient to fold it and then, whenever you want to use them, you have to simply blow the air pillow. That was very handy way to travel. Not sure if this air pillow is available nowadays.
But then if ever you had the experiment with the air pillow, when you press on one side of the pillow, the other side blows up, it pops up and then when you do the other way, the same thing happens with this side.
So, the analogy is basically to make you know that, even though you might temporarily come out of a karmic situation or a condition, what you don’t realize is whatever that you had created will have to surface in one form or the other.
That means the only way to come out of the chain of karma is by neutralizing it. Neutralizing it can be done in two ways. One is most importantly, learning the lesson that is connected with the karma that has been generated.
That means if you have been unkind to somebody; the lessons are practicing love, practicing kindness and compassion. So, lessons are extremely important to neutralize the karma that has been generated. The second important and a very smart way is, together with learning, you generate sufficient good karma.
The sufficient good karma that you generate, it acts like a shock absorber. In other words, when it is time for you to reap a specific karma, the good karma that you have generated, it helps you to have lesser impact of the consequence of whatever that you have created in the past.
Secondly, when you generate good karma, the most important thing that happens is, you do not have to go that level of neutralizing your karma, only by way of sufferings.
So, generating good karma gives you an option of neutralizing your karma, if not completely but substantially. That is the reason why, especially on the spiritual path, the emphasis is given on generating good karma.
The most important reason being, as your spiritual energy keeps on increasing, there is a proportionate increase or acceleration in the karma that happens.
This is why most of the time, you find some of the spiritual practitioners have got challenges after challenges that are happening, and what they don’t realize is that it is an indication for them to generate a substantial amount of good karma. This is very important.
So, let us continue our reading. Even if you find quick fix solutions to your problems, you still have to work on your karma else, the effects will resurface in one form or the other because the cause is still not healed. It is like the air pillow, you press it here, it pops up there.
Remember: no debt in the universe ever goes unpaid. Even for the blessings of God and the Masters to work, you need balance in your bank of karma.
So, simply taking the blessings of Masters or invoking for God’s blessings is not sufficient. It is very important to have some stock of good karma for the blessings to work. I sincerely hope you have understood this very important point.
Also, together with whatever experiences that you are having, the challenges or the trials and tribulations of life, they all have got a purpose.
Purpose of Pain
There is a very beautiful caption here, the Buddha says, I can only show you the path, and the modern Guru, he is promising, I can solve all your problems!
Pain is nature’s way to strengthen your spiritual muscles. Even a severe illness serves a greater purpose as it helps to balance intense negative karma and accelerate one’s spiritual development.
That means, this is what we call blessing in disguise. You have to realize that, regardless of the challenge, whether it is a physical condition or any other challenges of life, it is basically wonderful opportunity for the soul to go through a certain set of experiences, learning the lesson and thereby balancing the karma.
Otherwise, these karmas have a tendency to linger for eons of times, lifetimes after lifetimes. Certain karmas are not neutralized in a particular lifetime because the soul decides to react and react and react and consequently, nothing gets neutralized.
On the contrary, it gets compounded, gets added up and it continues to other lifetimes as well.
Unlike the miracle men, enlightened Masters do not promise salvation from your problems: they simply bestow wisdom. The Buddha said: “I can only show you the path to freedom from sufferings but you have to walk on the path.’’
Do not look for a life that is problem-free. Adversity is often the best university that can teach valuable lessons in life and living it usefully.
Important point; adversity is often the best university that can teach valuable lessons in life. A person who has not gone through any challenges or much challenges in life is not a spiritually advanced person. Always, it is the truth.
If you are really spiritually advanced, you must have already gone through mighty challenges or might be going through challenges. It is only a very ordinary person without any spiritual development who thinks that life is so beautiful and spends most part of their life in enjoyment.
But what they do not realize is that when the time comes for harvest, they will have to go through many challenges. It is more prudent to generate good karma in advance and also, learning the lessons properly so that when challenges are coming, they are easily faced. You have got the backing of the good karma.
Adversity to Advantage
When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.
Once a farmer’s donkey fell into a well. As the well was dry and the donkey was old, the man decided to fill up the well. As he shoved soil and rubble, the poor animal cried.
Because it started realizing that it is going to be buried alive but after some time, as the rubbles were coming on it, the animal simply shook it off and slowly used the rubble to come out of the well eventually.
But later it shook off the rubbish as it came on him and used it to move up, and finally jumped out of the well!
The moral of the story is:
There is always something good in all that happens to you. Moreover, the adversities of life ensure that you do not deviate from your soul mission.
This is a very important point. On one side, using adversities, you can progress rapidly. You can evolve rapidly. On the other side, whenever you are confronted with mighty adversities, it is a very beautiful way to save you from going astray from the path.
Certain road blocks are necessary for the soul as a safety precaution. In the absence of the road fall or in the absence of the speed breakers, there could be fatal accident on the journey of the soul. That is the reason why, many at times certain adversities, you have to learn to welcome them because in the absence them, it’s very easy for the soul to get distracted or deviated from the path.
So, I hope that many of you realize that many challenges that you are tired of facing, most of the time, are actually your blessings in disguise. They are the speed breakers and more importantly, another beautiful quotation says:
Adversity is like a strong wind… it holds us back from places we might otherwise go.
Arthur Golden
Very profound quotation. That means the adversities in some way help you to maintain your spiritual practices. It helps you to put you back on the track where you truly belong to. So, the author here is narrating his own experience:
In 1997, as a merchant exporter, I got a large order for a merchandise. When the shipment was ready, the buyer cancelled the order. That led me to a financial crisis, forcing me to wind up the business. However, the crisis enabled me to discover the spiritual path awaiting me to lead me to greater Light and purpose.
This is actually the experience of the author and it is so true because at that time, the condition was so adverse, that no matter how much of bank loans were available, still, it was not sufficient to cope up with the situation because it was a million dollars activity.
So, eventually, everything had to be winded up but then, during that moment of adversity, it was like a spark that was actually coming in the front, to give us a very clear indication as to the path that belongs to us truly. So, this is a very profound experience about the author and most of you might be having a similar experience.
Create your destiny
To predict the future is very difficult; to create the future is easier. Use the law of karma to create your future.
-Grand Master Choa Kok Sui
Sometimes, people keep on using many quotations without giving credit to the person who had created that. Anyway, be very careful about intellectual properties.
I am saying this because again I remembered, a person was talking to me using quotations left and right from different books in their Instagram, without giving any reference to the work of the person who had created it. These kind of activities do not carry you long on the spiritual path.
Neither you create the desired impact on the people who are going to read, nor these teachings will be of any help to you. That is the reason why, intellectual properties especially on the spiritual world have to be 100% respected. Very important!
That reminds me to tell you that do not take anything for free. Always learn to pay whatever that is due for whatever wisdom that you are deriving.
Many at times, I keep telling people, if you get some useful information on the website through some links, see if you can do some small tithing, small donation to the organization or the person who had given you this wisdom because that is an extremely important contribution to yourself.
Maybe the person who had actually shared this wisdom to you freely has got the wisdom after years and years of research and contemplation. It did not happen in one day. It is an invaluable contribution.
So, because of that, whenever you take advantage of certain wisdoms that are so called freely available, still, you see whether you can do some small contribution. It can be any amount. With a good intention, try to reciprocate whatever that you are receiving. That is the most prudent way to grow spiritually faster.
Further reading, Secrets of Karma, Page 33
