What is Karma?

Karma is the Sanskrit word for action. It is equivalent to Newton’s law of ‘every action must have a reaction’. When we think, speak or act we initiate a force that will react accordingly. This returning force maybe modified, changed or suspended, but most people will not be able eradicate it. This law of cause and effect is not punishment, but is wholly for the sake of education or learning. A person may not escape the consequences of his actions, but he will suffer only if he himself has made the conditions ripe for his suffering.

Ignorance of the law is no excuse whether the laws are man-made or universal. To stop being afraid and to start being empowered in the worlds of karma and reincarnation, here is what you need to know about karmic laws.

1. THE GREAT LAW

- “As you sow, so shall you reap”. This is also known as the “Law of Cause and Effect”.

- Whatever we put out in the Universe is what comes back to us.

- If what we want is Happiness, Peace, Love, Friendship… Then we should BE Happy, Peaceful, Loving and a True Friend.

2. THE LAW OF CREATION

- Life doesn’t just HAPPEN, it requires our participation.

- We are one with the Universe, both inside and out.

- Whatever surrounds us gives us clues to our inner state.

- BE yourself, and surround yourself with what you want to have present in your Life.

3. THE LAW OF HUMILITY

- What you refuse to accept will continue for you.

- If what we see is an enemy, or someone with a character trait that we find to be negative, then we ourselves are not focused on a higher level of existence.

4. THE LAW OF GROWTH

- “Wherever you go, there you are”.

- For us to GROW in Spirit, it is we who must change – and not the people, places or things around us.

- The only given we have in our lives is OURSELVES and that is the only factor we have control over.

- When we change who and what we are within our heart our life follows suit and changes too.

5. THE LAW OF RESPONSIBILITY

- Whenever there is something wrong in my life, there is something wrong in me.

- We mirror what surrounds us – and what surrounds us mirrors us; this is a Universal Truth.

- We must take responsibility what is in our life.

6. THE LAW OF CONNECTION

- Even if something we do seems inconsequential, it is very important that it gets done as everything in the Universe is connected.

- Each step leads to the next step, and so forth and so on.

- Someone must do the initial work to get a job done.

- Neither the first step nor the last are of greater significance,

- As they were both needed to accomplish the task.

- Past-Present-Future they are all connected…

7. THE LAW OF FOCUS

- You cannot think of two things at the same time.

- When our focus is on Spiritual Values, it is impossible for us to have lower thoughts such as greed or anger.

8. THE LAW OF GIVING AND HOSPITALITY

- If you believe something to be true, then sometime in your life you will be called upon to demonstrate that particular truth.

- Here is where we put what we CLAIM that we have learned, into actual

9. PRACTICE. THE LAW OF HERE AND NOW

- Looking backward to examine what was, prevents us from being totally in the HERE AND NOW.

- Old thoughts, old patterns of behaviour, old dreams…

- Prevent us from having new ones.

10. THE LAW OF CHANGE

- History repeats itself until we learn the lessons that we need to change our path.

11. THE LAW OF PATIENCE AND REWARD

- All Rewards require initial toil.

- Rewards of lasting value require patient and persistent toil.

- True joy follows doing what we’re supposed to be doing, and waiting for the reward to come in on its own time.

12. THE LAW OF SIGNIFICANCE AND INSPIRATION

- You get back from something whatever YOU have put into it.

- The true value of something is a direct result of the energy and intent that is put into it.

- Every personal contribution is also a contribution to the Whole.

- Lack lustre contributions have no impact on the Whole, nor do they work to diminish it.

- Loving contributions bring life to, and inspire, the Whole.

Chakras are centres of energy, located on the midline of the body.

Chakras are centres of energy, located on the midline of the body. There are seven of them, and they govern our psychological properties. The chakras located on the lower part of our body are our instinctual side, the highest ones our mental side.

The Root chakra is about being physically there and feeling at home in situations. If it is open, you feel grounded, stable and secure. You don't unnecessarily distrust people. You feel present in the here and now and connected to your physical body. You feel you have sufficient territory.

The Sacral chakra is about feeling and sexuality. When it is open, your feelings flow freely, and are expressed without you being over-emotional. You are open to intimacy and you can be passionate and lively. You have no problems dealing with your sexuality.

The Navel chakra is about asserting yourself in a group. When it is open, you feel in control and you have sufficient self-esteem.

The Heart chakra is about love, kindness and affection. When it is open, you are compassionate and friendly, and you work well in harmonious relationships.

The Throat chakra is about self-expression and talking. When it is open, you have no problems expressing yourself, and you might be doing so as an artist.

The Third Eye chakra is about insight and visualization. When it is open, you have a good intuition. You may tend to fantasize. If it is under-active, you're not very good at thinking for yourself, and you may tend to rely on authorities. You may be rigid in your thinking, relying on beliefs too much. You might even get confused easily.

The Crown chakra is about wisdom and being one with the world. When this chakra is open, you are unprejudiced and quite aware of the world and yourself. If it is under-active, you're not very aware of spirituality. You're probably quite rigid in your thinking.

Hastinapur in Argentina

The hallmark of Hinduism is its tolerance towards other religions and religious thoughts and scriptures and Hinduism is a way of life and it is this unique feature of it which has seen it through centuries of invasions by ruthless rulers from abroad who not only looted and plundered the country’s wealth but forcibly converted the local population to their own religion; when the British ruled over the country for three centuries, they also introduced their own religion by way of educating the downtrodden of the country.

The religion Hinduism still is the dominant religion in the country. The Vedantic thoughts of Hinduism has attracted millions of non-Hindus as the teachings are open to any believer, irrespective of caste, creed and religion and vegetarianism which is encouraged by most Hindus is after all scientifically a very healthy food habit.

It is therefore heartening to hear that Hindu philosophy, yoga and meditation has made a deep impact on Argentina and the temple that is described above and its activities speak for themselves the noble intentions of the people behind the building and organisation of this holy place.

Hinduism believes in universal brotherhood and living in mutual trust, love and integrity.

Let us go to 50 km from Buenos Aires (in Argentina) Hastinapur created for Hindu Gods. Hastinapur has a total area of 12 acres. Its population consists of a dozen Indian gods and an equal number of Argentinean people. Some of the gods reside in authentic temples filled with the scent of Indian agarbattis while others stay outdoors, enjoying the fragrance of the flowers in the garden.

Some are sitting or standing on pedestals and others hang on the sides of walls and pillars. The gods who have their own temples include Ganesha, Krishna, Surya, Narayana and Shiva. Since it is Hastinapur, there is a temple for the Pandavas, too. The only sound comes from the hundreds of birds nesting in the trees. Then there is the soft music of devotees singing bhajans.

Not Looking For Favours

The dozen Argentineans who live there look after the gods and the place. During weekends, the people here number over one hundred. Visitors don’t come here seeking favours from the gods. They come in search of wisdom.

This is why Hastinapur is called ciudad de la sabiduria, the city of wisdom. Sculptures of Saraswati, the goddess of learning, can be seen all over the place. Argentineans come here to learn philosophy, read in the library, practice yoga and meditation and sing bhajans. The food served here is vegetarian or vegan.

Hastinapur has no God men. The names of those who run the place are not publicised. They have their professions as company managers, engineers or professors. They volunteer their time and talent for the foundation.

Nor is Hastinapur the work of some overenthusiastic drum-beating, die-hard devotee of a particular god or guru. Hastinapur respects all religions and beliefs. The 10 temples include one for Buddha, Virgin Mary and Greek goddess Demeter; there is also something called Temple of All Faiths. Their library has books of all religions and schools of thought.

Follow Your Own Path

Hastinapur does not prescribe wisdom doses. It simply helps people to seek, find and pursue their own path to wisdom. The organisers give classes in yoga, meditation, philosophy, devotional singing and sacred drama, hold workshops, seminars and retreats. They also provide community service. They celebrate festivals such as Ganesh Chathurthi and Baisakhi. Their next project is to broadcast through radio. There are no priests here and no money is collected.

Hastinapur has a post-graduate course in yoga which takes three years to complete. The classes are held on weekends only. There are 2,500 students studying yoga and philosophy in the Hastinapur centers. The students are being taught by 100 teachers on philosophy and 120 teachers on yoga.

Hastinapur Foundation has published a number of books on Indian philosophy and translated the Bhagavad Gita, Bhakti Sutras, Upanishads, Srimad Bhagavatam and Yoga Sutras. Their latest publication is Mahabharatha in Spanish. Hastinapura Foundation was established by Ada Albrecht in 1981. She introduced Indian philosophy to the Argentinean people. She has authored a number of books such as The Saints And Teachings Of India and The Teachings Of The Monks From Himalayas.

Indian Spirituality Is Popular

Gustavo Canzobre, her student, is now the director of the Hastinapur College of professors. He was 17 years old when he became interested in Indian wisdom. During the third Festival of India organised by the embassy in Buenos Aires in November 2010, he gave a talk on the temple architecture of South India. He will give a talk on Indian philosophy in the forthcoming fourth Festival of India in December 2011

The significance of saying NAMASKAR:-

One of the single contributions of Hinduism to the world to solve problems which trouble various nations is the weapon termed “Namaskar” a method to express the view that God resides in the heart of every person. Folding the palms and bowing the head can help us to ford across linguistic and other barriers. Namaskar diminishes our selfishness and induces in us the desire to help others and cooperate with them to fetch peace.

In religious parlance this step of displaying our utter humility is also termed “Anjali.” The significance behind this demonstration of one’s modesty is the acceptance of the theory that the obeisance shown is to the Almighty who has taken a birth in every heart. There is the presence of the Divine in all souls. This noble concept has been given to the world of culture by the Hindu religion.

Saying “Namaste” or doing the “Pranam”. Removes from us, the feeling of enmity, jealously and selfishness, it makes us forget the differences between the higher and the low. In the present day, people tend to give up their faith in God by monstrously constricting their hearts. Resorting to the offering of salutations to even those who may hate us can change the situation.

The classic example of invoking divine help in times of peril is that of Draupadi mentioned in our Scripture. When even her husband’s could not help, she gave an open acknowledgement of her surrender through this gesture and God’s help was instantaneous. So did the innocent maiden of the village where the Lord resided during His incarnation as Shri Krishna in His youngest days. The scriptures beckon us to accept that God who has created us has also taken a place in our hearts.

The scriptures create an awakening in us that all are but the children of God. Behind this concept lies the tradition of doing the Pranam and prostrating by even aged men before sages, saints, Godly men and divine personalities though they may be young because they are messengers of God.

There are two days in every week that we should not worry about,

Two days that should be kept free from fear and apprehension.

One is YESTERDAY, with its mistakes and cares,

Its faults and blunders, its aches and pains.

YESTERDAY has passed forever beyond our control.

All the money in the world cannot bring back YESTERDAY.

We cannot undo a single act we performed.

Nor can we erase a single word we've said - YESTERDAY is gone!

The other day we shouldn't worry about is TOMORROW,

With its impossible adversaries, its burden,

Its hopeful promise and poor performance.

TOMORROW is beyond our control.

TOMORROW'S sun will rise either in splendor,

Or behind a mask of clouds - but it will rise.

And until it does, we have no stake in TOMORROW,

For it is yet unborn.

This leaves only one day - TODAY.

Any person can fight the battles of just one day.

It is only when we add the burdens of,

YESTERDAY and TOMORROW that we break down.

It is not the experience of TODAY that drives people mad,

It is the remorse of bitterness for something,

Which happened YESTERDAY,

And the dread of what TOMORROW may bring.

Let us, therefore, LIVE ONE DAY AT A TIME!

LIVE FOR NOW, TODAY!

The Bank Account of Life

Imagine there is a bank that credits your account each morning with Rs. 86,400. It carries over no balance from day to day. Every “evening” deletes whatever part of the balance you failed to use during the day. What would you do? Draw out every Rupee, of course!!!!
Each of us has such a “bank”. Its name is TIME.
Every morning, it credits you with 86,400 seconds.
Every night it writes off, as lost, whatever of this you have failed to invest to good purpose. It carries over no balance. It allows no overdraft.
Each day it opens a new account for you.
Each night it burns the remains of the day. If you fail to use the day’s deposits, the loss is yours.
There is no going back. There is no drawing against the “tomorrow.”
You must live in the present on today’s deposits
Invest it so as to get from it the utmost in health, happiness, and success! The clock is running.
Make the most of today
To realize the value of ONE YEAR…. ask a student who failed a grade
To realize the value of ONE MONTH…..ask a mother who gave birth to a premature baby
To realize the value of ONE WEEK…… ask the editor of a weekly newspaper
To realize the value of ONE HOUR…… ask the lovers who are waiting to meet.
To realize the value of ONE MINUTE…..ask a person who missed the train.
To realize the value of ONE SECOND….ask a person who just avoided an accident.
To realize the value of ONE MILLISECOND….. ask the person who won a silver medal in the Olympics. Treasure every moment that you have!
And treasure it more because you shared it with someone special, special enough to spend your time. And remember that time waits for no one.

अति सुंदर ….. एक बार जरुर पूरी पढ़े ।

स्वर्ग में विचरण करते हुए अचानक एक दुसरे के सामने आ गए ।

विचलित से कृष्ण, प्रसन्नचित सी राधा...कृष्ण सकपकाए, राधा मुस्काई ।

इससे पहले कृष्ण कुछ कहते राधा बोल उठी "कैसे हो द्वारकाधीश ?"

जो राधा उन्हें कान्हा कान्हा कह के बुलाती थी,

उसके मुख से द्वारकाधीश का संबोधन कृष्ण को भीतर तक घायल कर गया । फिर भी किसी तरह अपने आप को संभाल लिया.....और बोले राधा से,  मैं  तो तुम्हारे लिए आज भी कान्हा हूँ,  तुम तो द्वारकाधीश मत कहो!

आओ बैठते है ....कुछ मैं  अपनी कहता हूँ कुछ तुम अपनी कहो ।

सच कहूँ राधा जब जब भी तुम्हारी याद आती थी, इन आँखों से आँसुओं की बुँदे निकल आती थी ।

बोली राधा, मेरे साथ ऐसा कुछ नहीं हुआ । ना तुम्हारी याद आई ना कोई आंसू बहा ।

क्यूंकि हम तुम्हे कभी भूले ही कहाँ थे जो तुम याद आते

इन आँखों में सदा तुम रहते थे कहीं आँसुओं के साथ निकल ना जाओ इसलिए रोते भी नहीं थे ।

प्रेम के अलग होने पर तुमने क्या खोया इसका इक आइना दिखाऊं आपको ?

कुछ कडवे सच, प्रश्न सुन पाओ तो सुनाऊ?

कभी सोचा इस तरक्की में तुम कितने पिछड़ गए,

यमुना के मीठे पानी से जिंदगी शुरू की और समुन्द्र के खारे पानी तक पहुच गए ?

एक ऊँगली पर चलने वाले सुदर्शन चक्र पर भरोसा कर लिया, और दसों उँगलियों पर चलने वाळी बांसुरी को

भूल गए ?

कान्हा जब तुम प्रेम से जुड़े थे तो ....जो ऊँगली गोवर्धन पर्वत उठाकर लोगों को विनाश से बचाती थी,

प्रेम से अलग होने पर वही ऊँगली क्या क्या रंग दिखाने लगी सुदर्शन चक्र उठाकर विनाश के काम आने लगी

कान्हा और द्वारकाधीश में क्या फर्क होता है बताऊँ ? कान्हा होते तो तुम सुदामा के घर जाते । सुदामा तुम्हारे घर नहीं आता ।

युद्ध में और प्रेम में यही तो फर्क होता है ।

युद्ध में आप मिटाकर जीतते हैं, और प्रेम में आप मिटकर जीतते हैं ।

कान्हा प्रेम में डूबा हुआ आदमी दुखी तो रह सकता है पर किसी को दुःख नहीं देता ।

आप तो कई कलाओं के स्वामी हो स्वप्न दूर द्रष्टा हो गीता जैसे ग्रन्थ के दाता हो ।

पर आपने क्या निर्णय किया अपनी पूरी सैना कौरवों को सौंप दी? और अपने आपको पांडवों के साथ कर लिया ।

सैना तो आपकी प्रजा थी राजा तो पालक होता है,  उसका रक्षक होता है ।

आप जैसा महा ज्ञानी उस रथ को चला रहा था, जिस पर बैठा आपकी प्रजा को ही मार रहा था ।

आपनी प्रजा को मरते देख आपमें करूणा नहीं जगी ?

क्यूंकि आप प्रेम से शून्य हो चुके थे ।

आज भी धरती पर जाकर देखो अपनी द्वारकाधीश वाळी छवि को ?

ढूंढते रह जाओगे हर घर हर मंदिर में मेरे साथ ही खड़े नजर आओगे ।

आज भी मैं  मानती हूँ लोग गीता के ज्ञान की बात करते हैं, उनके महत्व की बात करते हैं ।

मगर धरती के लोग युद्ध वाले द्वारकाधीश. पर नहीं प्रेम वाले कान्हा पर भरोसा करते हैं ।

गीता में मेरा दूर दूर तक नाम भी नहीं है, पर आज भी लोग उसके समापन पर

"राधे राधे" करते हैं ।