Being alive, there is no human being who can be free of karma. Karma - our... with the first breath that goes in, consider that from this very moment our karmic cycle sets in and the important thing is Every karma that you are doing, these karmas then bear results/fruits. Past life karmas are responsible for your present and the karmas that you do today will decide your future. So we can say that karmas will most certainly happen, are happening and it can never cease to happen for anyone. Karma theory - Shri Krishna says in Bhagvad Gita that karma theory is indeed very difficult to understand. It is esoteric. Which karma will do what? Which karma will bear what consequence? In order to know & understand this, is indeed a scholastic subject, very very comprehensive subject. Only after understanding this it will be clear that... Otherwise you cannot even comprehend that karmas that we are doing, what is the code behind karma. Let's now try to understand that a little. First of all - Karma means action. Karma does not mean 'kriya' (activity). Kriya & karma are two separate entities. Kriya is involuntary and karma is voluntary. Involuntary means where our brain does not even need to think and we are not actively doing that, it is just happening on its own - this is called kriya. And that which requires active thinking of our brain, that is what we call karma. So karma cannot be involuntary. When someone says, 'I did not want to do this but still it happened.' - this person is just lying, nothing else. This cannot be true. Whatever we do... Now doing karma is our right. As humans we have right to do karma. Bhagwan says (In Bhagvad Gita) - 'karmanye vadhikaraste maphaleshu kada chana'. Now this half a shloka is dear to all. That is - Doing karma is my right. But 'maphaleshu kada chana' - which means you should not have any attachment with the results/fruit of your karma - here everybody gets trapped. Because we... When we do something we expect its return, we expect its result. 'What will we get out of doing this?' This is very... This is a natural instinctive feeling inside all of us. So the first thing we consider is - what will I get out of this? What will be my benefit in this? If there is no benefit of mine, why should I do this? That is why people even ask this to me - Why should we meditate? Ok, if we do this, what will be the benefits? One gentleman was asking - Why should we get up early in the morning? You say wake up in Brahma-mahurta, why should we do that? If we get up early, what will be the benefit? I met one very good ragi (singer of Gurbani Kirtan) He used to sing very well, now his body is no more. I don't need to name him because what he said, that I wish to share in this context. He used to say that one who wakes up at 4 in the morning, then he will... One who wakes up at 3 in the morning, wakes up at 4 am, 5 am or 6 am, what is the benefit of this? He said that the person who wakes up at 3 in the morning, consider that he is like someone who has donated diamonds. He will reap such big amount of benefit. If he wakes up at 4, then consider that he has donated gold. If at 5, then consider he has donated silver. If at 6am then he gains no benefit - no paap (sin), no punya (virtue) as he had to get up anyways. If one wakes up after 6 am - he said then this person will just earn paap (sin). Earning punya is out of question for him. He will not earn anything. Therefore since 3 am in the morning until 6am - you atleast get some benefit. After 6 am, you are no better than animals. One for whom even waking up is a difficult task, one who struggles to even wake up, such a person is can be called lazy, depraved, materialistic & tamasic (inert). And this satsang is not for tamasic people. This satsang is for those who wake up at 3 am, do you wake up? 4 am, do you wake up? Waking up at 5 am at least? 6 am - since its neither paap nor punya - so we say that it is a beginner category. Now the question is - We have the right to perform karma but are you well versed with the types of karma? So let's understand this topic now. One is what we call Nitya Karma. Nitya means one that we have to do on daily basis. Nitya karma includes waking up in the morning. If I go by the scriptures, I have already given you the pointers on waking up in the early morning. So waking up early, taking bath, eating, sleeping. And if we look from the prespective of dharma then taking bath after waking up is also dharma, if you sit for mantra-japa after this. So actually this (mantra-japa) is also Nitya karma. Today nobody is ready to accept this. But this also I would like to add into Nitya karma. Therefore, waking up early in the morning, taking bath & then doing Gayatri mantra or Guru mantra - doing all of this should be Nitya karma. Second is Naimatik karma. Naimatik means that which is done for some objective. For example, doing Shraadh karma For example, on the day of Makar Sakranti, donating jaggery & sesame seeds - When asked why? - They say, 'We are earning punya.' Why are you doing shraddh? They say, 'So that my departed ancestors are pacified.' You... When Navratri comes, many of you take a resolve that for these many days you will not have food. Or for these many days, every morning & evening you will go for Darshan in the temple. So this is a karma that which you are doing for some objective, doing to achieve some goal. So if you only do Nitya karma i.e taking bath, eating etc. They ask - What is the fruit of these karmas? So it is said that what fruit do you expect out of this? Being a human this is the minimum expectation. Atleast these must be done. Now I cannot say this to an animal, that wake up in the morning & take bath ...to a dog, buffalo or to a cow or to a bird, I cannot say all these things to them, we can oly say this to a human being. So Nitya karma is mandatory for all...if you are human being then. And naimatik karma if you are dharmic. If you are not dharmic then whether it is a Sunday or a Monday, eat & make merry everyday. Alcohol, fish, one who eats the non-eatables, now what shall we say about such people? Then this topic will change. I wish that we should just stay on our topic. Then comes Sakam karma. When you do something because of your desires. Karma born out of desire are called Sakam karma. Now what we can say is that majority of people fall under this category i.e they do Sakam karma. Like I said that During Shradh, Navratri, while doing Nitya karma, waking up early, taking a bath in holy Ganga, even in these activities they keep on searching for punya. I am going for a bath in holy Ganga, what punya will I gain from this? I gave water to Holy Tulsi plant, what punya will I earn? I gave food to the poor, what punya will I get? One who does any activity with the mindset of gain/self-interest is called Sakam karmi. Sakam karma. Fourth is Nishkam karma. Who is Nishkam? One who performs action without any desire. Now this will be a difficult matter. It will be same like 'Maphaleshu kadachana' One who is not attached to the results of the karma. One who does not have any self-interest in the karma. One who does absolutely selfless karma, every karma done by such a person, we call it Nishkama karma. Because in a way he is doing the karma without any feeling of doer-ship. His sense of doer-ship is not there at all. By using your 'I'... This body is mine, I am this body. These senses are mine, I am these senses. One who does the karma without attaching his 'I' with the body, mind and senses, only he can be called Nishkama karmi. Otherwise there are many people who, in the name of social service, get their photos clicked for the newspapers. Nowadays, there is no need of newspapers. Facebook is there, so if they donate rice & lentils to someone, they take a photo of themselves as well as of that poor man and this photo, he will then share on his Facebook. People comment on these photos - 'Oh you are such a charitable person' Just think about this - when daanveer (greatest donor) Karan used to donate, did he do that by showing it to someone? Who will see me? What will I gain from this? What result/fruit will I get out of this? Think about this - When King Shivi gave his flesh to that eagle, did he do this to get some comments on a social platform? So whenever we give something and expect something in return, whether it is an appreciation or Facebook comments. Even if we desire these, then it will come under Sakam karma. It will not be Nishkam karma. I am recalling that once in Prayagraj, I was doing a satsang (spiritual discourse) in the temple. Those days... I always wear a watch but in those days, I think my watch was not working or what. So how will I know how long I have to speak for. I asked the head priest of the temple that to watch time... He said, 'Don't worry - there will be a wall clock right in front of you, very often we call the orators. So having a clock is very important.' I said, 'Very well.' When I sat on the stage, there was definitely a wall clock. But I was unable to see the time on that clock. Not because watch hands were not there. Not even because there was no battery in it. But because there was so much printed on it. Son of Shri Ghanshyam Das Aggarwal - Raghunath Das. His son Kaanshi Ram, in the service of this temple, on the occasion of his mother's death anniversary, presented this clock with utmost respect. Then there was a date written under it. Hence I could not really see the time on that clock, I could only see whose son, whose grandson, whose father, whose grandfather, why they had given and in whose memory they had given (this clock). Now looking superficially, we will say it was a donation. Yes, it was a donation. But if we look at it from the perspective of Bhagavad Gita then it is not a donation. It is just a pride. Pride it is. So when you do Sakaam karma, with that karma there will be 2 outcomes. If you did a karma that is good then it will be a punya karma. So the fruit will be happiness. If you do something bad/wrong then that will be paap karma. And the fruit of paap karma is sorrow. Now you need to understand that you cannot live without doing karma. That means since the time you are born, in this lifetime and all your previous lifetimes. In all those lifetimes, you did karma. So just try to estimate the number of paap karma accumulated. Now the interesting thing is - humans are so selfish that he always tags his karma as punya karma, even if it is not. If we have to define paap karma - what is paap? Now scriptures mentioned about two categories - Vihit karma and Nishidh karma. Vihit karma- scriptures guide us to do these karma. Nishidh karma- scriptures guide us to never do these karma. So there is a long list of Vihit karma because in today's day and age, we don't read our scriptures. So what we should do - we don't even know that. And what not to do - this too we are unaware of. So Purva Mimansa gives a detailed explanation of this. What to do, what not to do - some knowledge of this subject we must also have. Let's say, scriptures say that on every day, on every occasion, you must certainly wake up in brahma muhurta, take a bath, donate, respect & honor priests & saints, serve saints & sages, this in your life i.e on the special occasions of your life. Say today is a Sakranti. Say today is a full moon day. Say today is a amavasya (new moon day) - so chose these three days. They come every month. Now ask yourself... Problem is that all of you follow Roman calendars, Gregorian calendars that are printed, one that comes with English dates, all of you have only this calendar. You don't even know our ancient system of 'Tithis' In our culture we consider sunrise as the beginning of the day. So the day that started with the sunrise, it does not end at the sunset. Tithi will change the following day at sunrise. So if we consider that today is dwitya i.e 2nd then from 12:01am in the night, 3rd will not start. Our (as per tithi) 3rd date will start with the sunrise. So from sunrise to sunrise (of the next day). For the knowledge of tithis, my request is that you should... Like a priest keeps a jantri (almanac), either keep that or if you don't understand that, then I have... Calendar that is published for the ashram, in that calendar - it has English dates as well as tithi. What is today's tithi - the description of that tithi is also given. We should be aware what day is today - Pratipada, Dwitiya, Tritya, Chaturthi, Panchami, Shasthi, Saptami, Ashtami, Navmi, Dashmi, Ekadashi... Now only if he knows about ekadashi, only then he will fast on the day of ekadashi. Scriptures say that we should fast on the day of ekadashi. When amavasya (new moon day) comes, on this day specifically - we should do mantra-japa. Because when the moon is not visible i.e when amavasya comes, know that tamas (inertia) increases manifold. Hence in our minds, we should strengthen the light of knowledge/wisdom. Particularly on the day of amavasya, mantra-japa should be practiced. Do Gayatri mantra, Guru mantra or you can do the mantra of your chosen deity; but doing this is very beneficial. Then comes a full moon day. The exquisite beauty of the moon that day, when it rises outside. Similarly the full moon of your punya karma should also rise inside your being. When it is a full moon you should keep fast. When it is a full moon day, you should offer food to someone. Who should you offer the food to? To a sattvic person, to a brahmin, to a learned man, to a mahatma. It has been a tradition here that on a full moon day, we should have darshan of our Guru. Whenever it is a full moon, in your mind you should have this remembrance that today I must certainly do darshan of my guru. And I am very happy at the fact that if not all, there are some people I know of, who follow this with dedication. Even if they have to come from Ahmadabad to Ganaur, they make sure to come every month. So we should do Vihit karma and should refrain from doing Nishidh karma. Now what comes under Nishidh karma? Now in our yogic sytem i.e in Raj yoga - we have 5 yama, 5 niyama. You will find the most of these Nishiddh karma in these. If not all of them, it can certainly provide you with a reference/hint that - it should be your niyama to not lie. Can you say with assurance that you do not lie? When you lie then it is a Nishidh karma. It is a paap karma. If you do paap karma, how can you escape from its fruits? Achaurya - not stealing. Not to defame/discredit anyone. Not to seize someone's rights. Never to criticize, not even in your dreams - your Guru & your scriptures. Meaning you should not even have a dream where you are criticizing a Guru. That which is prohibited even in the dreams, should that be carried on during your waking state? It is equally prohibited. Not only of mahatma & sages, criticizing anyone, it is not at all permitted. Use your intellect in such a way that you... Your karma should reflect purity, righteousness, brightness & holiness. Not desiring other women & men because of your lust. Not keeping an eye on someone's wealth. But pardon me, nowadays everybody's eyes are on other's wealth. Brothers keep an eye out on each other's money. Sometimes father keeps an eye out on his son's money & sometimes son keeps an eye out for his father's money. He wishes that it would be great if I inherit all of his wealth. Being jealous of someone's fame. Jealousy... I will make it even more easy, karma that makes your mind impure, that causes restlessness in your mind, those actions which bother your mind, and the most important thing - those actions which will take you away from God, those which will distance you from your Satguru, all those karma will be paap karma. And then punya karma? Comprehend it in the same way as above. Use the same criteria. Karma that gives you peace, happiness, removes the restlessness of your mind, gives birth to contentment in your mind, and most importantly, karma that will take you closer to the God; those actions will be superior, those will be called punya karma. And Lord Krishna says in Bhagavad Gita that you must do the good karma however you should not expect the results/fruit of this karma. Understand it in this way - that doing good karma becomes your nature, so then you will not expect an appreciation in return from anyone. For example, If you speak kindly, so this is your nature. Whosoever you will talk to, you will win their heart. You will give them happiness. Sometimes people say that, 'We always speak the truth. It does not matter if that person dies, we will always speak the truth.' So always remember that scriptures say - Satyam (truth) you should speak. 'Satyam vat' - Speak truth. But 'priyam' i.e it should also be admired. One who cannot see, if you say to him - You blind man. It is a truth but can it ever be good? One who is walking with the support of a stick - if someone says, You cripple. He is speaking the truth. You cripple. Even if it is true, do you think anyone will like it? So it (your words) should be admired as well as it should be true. And if it is not admired, then your words become even more dangerous. Sometimes people brag that we always speak the truth. They will totally upset the person in front of them but, We are only saying the truth. You should not do this. So you should do Vihit karma or Nishiddh karma? What should you chose in life? I will say do Vihit karma. Karma that are permitted by our Scriptures & our Gurus. So whenever you are in confusion whether you should do this karma or not - at that time you should bring all these categories of karma in your mind. That in my life, should I be doing these karma or not? So nitya karma, Naimatik karma, Vihit karma, Nishidh karma, Sakam karma and Nishkam karma.
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