The instinct behind PARA. (KNOW YOUR DEATH - 3)

Karma, the instinct behind PARA.

In the last article we saw the stage Para is the starting point of the emerging desire. We defined Para as: “From no desire stage to the generation of some impulse of restlessness”. In order to probe further let us see how one reaches this impulse-stage - ‘pre-Para’?

What is the cause even behind Para? As per the Karma theory it is your past accumulated Karma.

Your Karma is your own Doing. Every person is responsible for his or her acts and thoughts, so each person's karma is entirely his or her own. Western world see the operation of karma as inevitable pre-determined. But that is far from true since it is in the hands of an individual to shape his own future by schooling his present. The law of cause and effect forms an integral part of Hindu philosophy.

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Current English defines ‘karma’ as the "sum of person's actions in one of his successive states of existence, viewed as deciding his fate for the next". In Sanskrit karma means "choice based action that is undertaken deliberately or knowingly". This also dovetails self-determination and a strong will power to abstain from inactivity. Karma is the differentia that characterizes human beings and distinguishes him from other creatures of the world.

The above chart illustrates the inherent unseen steps before the expressed action / word. How each action taken or word uttered (even un-uttered) results in the shaping the character and destiny of an individual is illustrated in the chart below

The theory of karma harps on the Newtonian principle that every action produces an equal and opposite reaction. Every time we think or do something, we create a cause, which in time will bear its corresponding effects. It is the personality of a human being with its positive and negative actions - that causes karma. Karma could be both the activities of the body or the mind, irrespective of the consideration whether the performance brings fruition immediately or at a later stage. However, the involuntary or the reflex actions of the body cannot be called karma. So the instinct behind your desire is the past karma.

Once the desire is emerged, a person has option to act. How this choice is made?

Un-conscious Mind and the Karma choice:   (Ref. Spontaneous Evolution Questions & Partial Answers from brucelipton.com)

There are two parts to the mind: the conscious, creative mind connected to Source, and the subconscious which is a record-playback device programmed by developmental experiences. 

While we believe and perceive we are running our lives with our conscious mind, neuroscience now reveals that more than 90% of our behaviors are controlled by our programmed subconscious mind. Most of the thoughts and actions we assume are “our own,” are really the “invisible” and largely unquestioned thoughts and beliefs of others (accepted by us). 

So, constant effort with full awareness is essential to improve the karma. In fact every moment we act in our life, we are giving shape to our destiny. 

We shall see this in details a little later.

We should not do what we like but do what is right. The analysis of desires based karma can broadly be done in two type viz. Sreyas and Preyas. We shall later discuss this in details.

Vijay R Joshi