Query regarding Karma-With thanks

[Guest guest]

Sai Ram Jyothi

 

I'd be most glad to share whatever limited knowledge and revelation

I have with regards to karma and liberation. And I believe I am in a

good position to do so as I do study Sai and Christ teachings and

their lives in details. I am not well versed in other religions, but

I certainly embrace them coz Lord Sai says they are all one. And

when I asked Swami during an interview with Him a few years back (so

far I am fortunate to have quite a handful of interviews with Him),

I asked Him plainly, " Swami, are You Jesus? " . To which He replied

plainly and assuringly, " Yes " in the presence of more than 10 other

devotees from Singapore.

 

Now, for your question, ways to reduce karma and attain liberation.

Pardon me for lumping these 2 big issues together, as I personally

feel they are very much related since we all have an ultimate goal

to attain liberation, and karma is 1 things that will either help or

hold us back.

 

1. Regular darshan. The real meaning behind darshan is not only to

see Swami, but to also know that whenever we see Him, we are

constantly reducing our bad karma. And when we reduce our bad karma,

we know that God is merciful to us, hence we are grateful and our

hearts are filled with love. We then pass this love to others with a

sincere smile or a helping hand. We have related to seeing God with

mercy and grace in this process. Swami says we have to eventually

progress to seeing Him even without His form. Which means we will

progress to seeing Him everywhere in our heart, and then enjoy His

love and grace, and spread this love around. Who, when filled with

love, will go around killing and cursing? Hence, this process helps

us avoid bad actions of cursing and killing or harming. This process

which started from darshan, brings us closer and closer to God

consciousness.

 

2. Regular bhajans, not necessary Telugu or Sanskrit ones, but could

be in any language that fits your habits and culture, that you can

feel more deeply for. If you are an American, no point singing in

Japanese which you don't understand or feel for. Bhajans repeat the

names of God, which is namasmarana. Swami said, in this Kali Yuga,

the easiest way to Moksha (or liberation) is Namasmarana. But it's

weird to keep repeating in your mouth, Sai Ram, Jesus, Buddha, Rama,

Krishna, Vishnu, Allah etc.... People will be uncomfortable. You are

not supposed to make people uncomfortable as your progress

spiritually. You are supposed to love others. Hence, an easier way

is to sing Bhajans. Any songs belonging to any religions will be

extremely useful. As long as they remind you of God, and also of

God's Agape (sacrificial) love for you.

 

3. Shivaratri (as described in previous email)

 

4. Padanamaskar. Swami says this will completely cleanse you of all

bad karmas. That means like a reset of your Karmic points. However,

how often do we get to do padanamaskar to Swami, who is physically

so far away? Hence, Swami mentioned in a discourse in Sathya Sai

Speaks that we can now have padanamaskar by kneeling on the floor,

opening both our palms and place them on the floor, treat our open

palms as Swami's lotus feet, kiss or rest our face in it. Swami

assures this will have similar effect of a padanamaskar, and that

regular performance of this act will not only reset our karma, but

remind us that we have to go to the level of floor (be humble) to

enjoy the blessings.

 

5. Believe that you are already saved. Swami said, Sai is Sathya,

Dharma, Prema, Shanthi and Ahimsa. (Truth, righteous, love, peace

and non-violence). He also said, Sai is in you, you are in Sai, you

are Sai. And if He is not lying (of course He is not lying), that

means, you are Truth, Righteous, Love, Peace and Non-violence. Swami

also says, seek His Righteousness and all things shall be added upon

you. How do we seek His righteousness? We don't need to! We are His

righteousness. Swami said we are sathya dharma, prema shanthi and

ahimsa. Which means all the heavely blessings of God will be added

upon us. However, we then ask, if God has added upon us, I surely

have not received it. My friend, it will take another long email to

explain the mechanisms of to receive it. But to simply put it, the

simplest way to receive is to believe we already have the blessings.

And, as man always like to do things to feel assured (like puja, or

fasting or chanting etc), the easiest way is to constantly

repoeat, " I am the righteousness of God in Sai. "

 

I hope the above 5 points will bless you for now. You will seldom

hear people teaching Swami's message in this manner. But I assure

you every single points are abstracted from Swami's discourses or

His life. And i m sure you are probably familiar with many of the

content. The content is the same, but the interpretation is

different. Wrong interpretation will put you into bondage of pain

and suffering. Right interpretation will liberate you and bless your

life immensely.

 

Have faith that God is here to liberate you with His grace, not to

bind you with His laws.

 

With blessings

John Wong

 

Jyothi lakshmi <lv_jyotil wrote:

Sai Ram Sir,

 

I thank you very much for sparing your valuable time

to reply me in such a detailed simple and beautiful

manner. I have had many good experiences with Grace

of Sri Baba and have been lucky to have his darshan in

Parthi few times. I would be extremely happy if you

can enlighten me on various ways to reduce our karmas,

attain Liberation as you have mentioned.

 

Thanks once again,

 

Regards,

 

Jyoti

 

--- John Wong wrote:

 

> Sai Ram

>

> Karma is the result of action and reaction

> (similar to Newton's 3rd Law). If you ever heard the

> theory of Butterfly Effect, you will realise that

> Karma doesn't mean exact equal and opposite reaction

> literally. For example, if I were to buy US$10,000

> in shares, how do you measure the exact equal

> and opposite reaction? You can't. Yet karma doesn't

> only apply to bad actions. Good actions also gets

> good karma. Hence, I possibly won't be getting back

> US$10,000 when I sell the shares, if so, I

> wouldn't buy it in the 1st place since there is also

> time cost (of course, I might end up getting lesser

> than US10k if share prices fall).

>

> During a private interview with Swami, I asked

> Swami to get rid of all my karmas. Swami answered

> me, everything has karma. Every single second, new

> karmas are built up. Which is equivalent to Buddhist

> thoughts whereby good actions will increase your

> Merit storehouse. And bad actions will deplete it.

>

> However, Swami mentioned not once, but many times

> in His discourses, on ways to reduce your bad

> karmas. One way is to have His darshans. That will

> reduce it. To completely neutralize all your bad

> karmas, you could have Padanamaska (kissing of His

> lotus feet). He declared may times that will destroy

> all karmas. Another way is to see His production of

> Lingam during Shivarathri, which will ensure Moksha.

> These methods were all proclaimed by Swami Himself

> and recorded in Sathya Sai Speaks. There are many

> other ways, which if you are interested, I could

> share them.

>

> As to whether God is the law enforcer, let me

> paraphrase what Swami has to say. He says God is not

> here to punish, but to save. The Dharmic forces of

> life will see to all the punishments due for the

> karmas. Whereas God is here to reduce the Karmas, to

> reduce the pains and punishments. (You see, God

> doesn't need to come as an avathar just to punish

> you. Your karma and dharma will see to the

> punishment automatically)

>

> To date, all avathars or messiahs have come to

> take on our karmas, to save us unconditionally, so

> that we know we are loved by God, and hence want to

> spread this love to others unconditionally.

>

> Buddha, after seeking enlightenment, eventually

> died after eating a piece of poisonous meat from a

> lady. He knew (of course) that the meat was

> poisoned. But why did he consume it? There is an

> extremely strong messgae behind it.

>

> Jesus already knew He had to die 1st and then

> resurrect 3 days later. Why was He willing to be

> crucified when He knew all along it's going to be so

> painful? Why was He, a perfect Man with no bad

> Karmas, be subjected to so much punishments?

>

> Our Lord Sai is a perfect being with no bad

> karmas, no bad actions at all. Yet why is He seating

> on a wheelchair today? For what Dharmic law did He

> breach to justify such pains on His body today? He

> died on several occasions then came back to life.

> Why? All these great beings had no bad karmas. But

> why did they suffer?

>

> The message behind it will satisfy your query,

> Jyothi.

>

> Take care and have faith that the perfect being is

> here, not to punish us, but to save us.

>

> Sai Ram

> John