KARAMA

    The LAW OF KARMA  has been mentioned  and is main stay of Hindu  theology. And there are sometimes questions that one may not be able to answer all the questions that may arise after seeing things that happens to ordinary people. So this is the story related to it. 

   This lady who had a child that was not doing  well as he grew older . He was more than 3 years old  and still the mother had to feed him and had to use diaper  and he was completely dependent upon mother. The mother was frustrated .Near her town there was a SWAMI who was learned  and so  she decided to go to him. She told him the situation and asked him as to what might have I done  that I am suffering ? the Swami was calm and answered that 'you may have been mother in law  and the child must be daughter in law in last life . You must have aske the daughter in law to do things for you like making tea or doing dishes or laundry etc. So you are paying back " The lady was smart and asked Swami, 'That seems logical explanation ,but if my child was my daughter in law in last life  and she as daughter in law did everything for me , then why she is suffering in this life  and needs help for simple things  and has developmental problems ?"

    The Swami answered, 'Yes she did everything for you as daughter in law , but every time she was doing it she was thinking that I wish I would get it back from her whatever I have done for her. So with that kind of ACTION (KARMA) and DESIRE(VASANA) YOU HAVE COME TOGETHER. She is getting back as she desired . You stopped thinking about why  and why me  and just do your duties as mother  and see what happens."

    The actions that are done with attachment or desires will always have effects and they will always sow the seed  and that seed will always sprout . Only way to not have seed is to not have attachment.

DO AS I DO

   We often see in our like many of us are willing to give advice or lecture as to what should be done by someone. We often see that in politics  and many a times in our personal life. I remember one time when someone had sleep apnea and I was talking to him on need for weight loss, his cosine and his wife came in  and joined the discussion. When I talked about the weight loss and diet, they also joined in 'giving' the advice. When I looked at them, I could easily see that both husband and wife were fat or obese  and they should have followed their own advice ,so as to lose weight. That brings me to the story for today .

Dnyaneshwar was one of the saints in India. I have told you some of his stories in past. This one is not for performing miracle but for common sense. He was giving lectures on Geeta One day at the end of lecture a lady approached him with small child - may be 5 years old. She told Dnyaneshwar that the child was eating too much of sweet especially jaggery. She was worried that that may cause problems in future She requested him to tell the child not to eat that much sweet things. Dnyaneshwar told her to bring back the child in 2 weeks . She had come from farther place  and she did show up for the visit. When Dnyaneshwar saw her with child , he asked to sit on his lap and then told him that it is not good to eat sweets all the time . He told him how there would be problems with health if he would continue to eat sweets all the time . The child listened  and then the lady was happy. She was sure thet when the message came from him, the child would follow the advice. 

    After she left , some of the people who were with Dnyaneshwar asked him as to why did not not say the same thing 2 weeks ago, when the lady had asked him to do  so. They also added that the lady came from miles away village  and she had to come again to listen to the simple advice that he could have done 2 weeks ago and saved her the trouble of travelling so far. Dnyaneshwar replied ,"I know that I could have I have told her this 2 weeks ago. But in theses last 2 weeks I have not touched any sweets . I wanted to DO WHAT I WAS GOING TO TELL THE CHILD !" 

    So he wanted to tell the child what HE HAD DONE . So it was not do what I tell but DO AS I DO!

KARMA AND DESIRES

    I have often talked about the Karma  and the effects of the Karma in creating desires, The circle of mind that I have mentioned several times where the Action or the Karma leads to Impression and impression leads to desire  and the Desires lead to Action or Karma . So the only way to break the circle is to not have any Desire when we do Karma. It is not possible for any living being to STOP doing Karma or action. So if we can not stop doing the Karma, then only way to stop their effects is to not have any desire with it . But it is also very difficult to not have desire. If I work hard I expect success or rewards , If I study hard, I expect to get good grades. So it is very difficult to not have desires when we do things So can we stop having desires for most of the time  and not all the time. This was the same questions that was asked by one of the disciples of Buddha when he was talking about the doing Karma  and no desires. 

   So the Buddha  was asked if someone could stop having any desires when they do Karma. most of the time  and be successful. Buddha  answered by asking a question . He had a earthen pot  and he filled that with water . Then he asked the disciple a question . Suppose this pot has several holes what will happen to the water . The disciple answered that the water will leak out  and pot will be empty . So then Buddha asked what if i close one hole what will happen . The disciple answered that  the water will continue to leak . So Buddha asked what if we close alll the holes except one . The answer was the pot will be empty , may be slower but it will empty. Buddha then said that is what is the answer of your questions . Just like not closing all the holes  will not stop the water leak, if we have any Karma done with desires , we will have their effects  and that will have desires to do more action. . So as long as we have even one action done with desire , we will continue to have more lives.