Understading Dharma and Karma

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Understading Dharma and Karma
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Outline
Fundamental spiritual questions
Brief background on Srimadbhagavadgeeta
Dharma and Karma
Karma and Karmaphal
What does the Geeta provide?
Do we need to study the Geeta from cover to
cover?
Essence of teachings in Chapters 7-9

Prescription for God-realization

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Fundamental questions to a human mind
Who am I?
Where do I come from?
Why am I here?
Where am I going from here?
What is the goal of life for a human being? What
should (s)he be doing?
Who is Bhagavan?
Can one realize or attain Bhagavan?
What are the ways to realize/attain Bhagavan?
What is Moksha or salvation?
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What is Srimadbhagavadgeeta?
Beautiful verses relating to Bhagavan or God
Bhagavan Comes from the word Bhagyavan
meaning most opulent
Bhaga Luck
Part of the Mahabharata (The story of the great
Bharata Arjuna )
Occurs in Parva 6 before the onset of the
Kurukshetra battle
Composed by Vyasdeva 3000 years ago
Discloses the essence of Manavadharma and
approaches to God-realization
Comprehensive and authoritative exposition Vedic
knowledge (Vedanta)
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Composed by
Timeline
Srimadbhagavadgeeta
Vyasdev
3000 Years
Several Rishis
Upanishads
Several Rishis Compiled by Vyasdev
Vedas
gt5000 years
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All these questions are answered in the Geeta
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Dharma and Karma
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Dharma
Dharma Comes from the root Dhri (adherence
to what you should be doing as a human
being) Dharma Good works, action, duty, law,
usage, practice, custom, religious or moral
merit, righteousness, virtue, prescribed code of
conduct, right, justice, equity, impartality,
piety, characteristic property, decorum,
morality, ethics, nature, disposition, character,
an essential quality, peculiarity, manner,
resemblance, likeness, a sacrifice, good company,
associating with the virtuous , devotion,
religious abstraction, mode , etc.
Dharma Religion (?) Religion Going back to
the source
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Karma
Karma To do something. The real word in
Sanskrit is Karman and derives from the root
Kri meaning to do. Karman Action, work,
activity, deed, execution, performance. Karman
also means religious rites or moral duty. Karma
has become a loanword in English meaning
consequence of action . That is, among English
speakers in the western world Karma means
Karmaphal. Everything that we do is Karma.
Examples Breathing, eating, talking,
walking, going to office and doing official work,
listening to me (as you are doing now),
ritualistic worshipping, mental worshipping, etc.
Even sleeping or thinking or dreaming is a
Karma. Even doing nothing (lack of activity or
inaction) is also Karma or work.
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Karma Message from the Geeta
In the Geeta, it is said that one cannot be
without Karma even for a nano-second. Karma is
inherent in Prakriti or Nature that comprises
three Gunas Sattva, Rajas and Tamas. Karma is
everywhere- starting from the tiny atom to the
whole universe where the galaxies are constantly
on the go . Nothing in this universe is without
Karma or having no activity. Only when human body
dies that Karma temporarily stops.
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Karma and Karmaphal
Even highly learned people do not understand the
meaning of Karma --- Bhagavan
Ramakrishna Paramhansas simile for the role of
Karma in God-realization An indoor
patient is checked out of the hospital only after
he is cured of the ailment. He is not released
till he is cured. Similarly, when we are
effectively treated with appropriate Karma
(auspicuious Karma) and achieve Brahma-jnan that
we achieve freedom from Karma. We call it Moksha
or God-realization.
So, Dharma is really that Karma by which one is
enlightened and realizes Bhagavan. Adharma is any
Karma that impedes mans spiritual growth and
progress.
Dharmaphal Fruits or results of action
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Karma and Karmaphal
Gita Chapter II-47
Note This verse is really related to doing
appropriate Karma for realizing God or freeing
from the cycle of birth and death and birth. It
is not related to doing mundane activities or
daily chores.
Not
In results or outcome
At any time or never
Karmanyeva adhikaraste ma phaleshu
kadachana, Ma karmaphalaheturbhurma te
sangostvakarmani.
Certainly in what you do
Authority or privilege
your
Your privilege is certainly in what you do but,
never in the outcome of what you do.
Not
Motivated by Karmaphal
In having no action
Become
Not
Your
Attachment
ma bhu should not be
Should there be
(Since you dont have control over the Karmaphal)
Do not do something only for achieving a
particular Karmaphal or result also, there
should be no attachment in not doing anything
(Akarman or no actvity)
That is, you do not decide the Karmaphal in
advance and then proceed to do the work .
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Chapter II-47
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Recipes from the Geeta for God-realization
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Do we need to read the Geeta from cover to cover?
Ramakrishnas Simile
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Essence of the Geeta
God-realization is the goal of life. To realize
God, one has to develop a pure mind (be a yogi)
and steadfastly adhere to thinking about God.
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Chapter 7 (Jnana-Vijnana Yoga)
Listen, O Partha, how with your mind clinging to
Me, and taking refuge in Me and practicing yoga,
you will without any doubt know Me in full.
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Chapter 8 (Akshara Brahma Yoga)
Anyone who remembers me at the time of death,
leaving the body goes forth remembering Me alone,
achieves My nature. There is no doubt about
this. In the following verse, it saysWhatever
a man thinks just before death, that alone does
he attain or become. Therefore, all the time
think about God. Fix or focus your mind and
thoughts on God.
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Chapter 9 (Rajavidya Rajaguhya Yoga)
Whatever Karma you do, offer it to God with pure
mind . One should have this thought that
whatever (s)he does is being done by God and for
God. Thought should be Not I not mine. It
is you everything is yours.
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Prescription for God-realization
(Executive Summary)
Have a purified mind/heart (Shuddhachitta) ---
Free from ego, desire, fear and anger
Steadfastly think about God
Self-effort is the key to success. Walk for
youself.
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Hari Oum Tat sat.
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Questions or Comments ??