Karma By Sadhguru: Book Summary
The New York Times bestseller, Karma, is a book written by spiritual mentor Sadhguru. Inside the book, Sadhguru guides on how one can craft his destiny through Karma Yoga.
We always assume that Karma means how we act externally, but it’s also about how we think, which shapes our destiny.
The book divides into three parts. The first chapter talks about how karmic mechanisms work. Second, — explains the notions of karma yoga and how to address them, break them down, and liberate yourself.
Concluding the book, the third section takes the form of a question-and-answer session, satiating the human thirst for knowledge surrounding karma.
PART ONE
In the first part of “Karma” by Sadhguru, the book delves deep into the complexities and multi-faceted nature of karma.
This book caters to those who have had so many lingering questions throughout the years, such as, what is karma? How does it accumulate? and so on, so forth.
- Karma: The eternal enigma
We often find ourselves trapped in the illusion that there is someone above all of us who is running our lives.
Instead of looking to the powerful sources that exist within us, we hand over our destiny to external sources.
However, karma is about becoming one with one’s own creation by shifting your responsibility from heaven to yourself.
The true meaning of karma has left many of us perplexed, questioning its real definition. We have heard the very definition of karma as action.
Nevertheless, karma goes beyond the notion of good or bad, virtues or sins and merits or demerits linked to specific actions. It’s not a reward or punishment.
Karma is the manifestation of our own creations. Every action we undertake with our body, mind, and energy imprints upon our being.
In other words, you are the programmer of your mind. Subconsciously, we are all manifesting past karmas repeatedly in the present moment.
2. Volition: The basis of Karma
If you consistently entertain negative thoughts on a mental level, it will undoubtedly cause you suffering. There’s no need for any external consequences.
Ultimately, life is not confined to either suffering or bliss; rather, it manifests according to the way you envision and shape it.
Pain is a sensory experience felt in the body, whereas suffering stems from the intricate workings of our psychological state. Once you gain mastery over the psychological processes within you, you hold the key to half of your life and destiny.
Within this chapter, Sadhguru highlights the significance of our conscious choices and intentions in shaping destiny.
3. Karma as Memory
Everything that unfolds in your life is a direct reflection of the accumulated memories that shape your experiences.
Whether you are aware of it or not, every cell in your body responds and behaves in accordance with its embedded memory.
These memories influence our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors, ultimately influencing the choices we make.
According to scientific analysis, the body possesses a larger repository of memories than the mind alone can accommodate.
For example, if someone had a negative experience, such as a post-traumatic stress event, they would often experience physical sensations such as muscle tension, headaches, or stomachaches.
4. The great Karmic warehouse:
The boundaries set by our memory and past conditioning limit our ability to act freely and make conscious choices in the present moment.
To overcome these limitations, it is important to cultivate self-awareness and develop the ability to question our conditioned responses.
Ultimately, the way we live and the responsible actions we take in the present influence our future outcomes.
Therefore, it is vital to liberate ourselves from the limitations of our memory and past conditioning to live a more conscious and authentic life.
5. How did It All Begin:
Those who seek freedom from external influences often raise profound queries, including: Why karma? Who started this cycle? What is the origin of memory?
However, it is pure intelligence that gives birth to memory. While your qualifications and academic performance may have social importance, they do not possess existential significance.
In a world shaped by artificial intelligence, those who can exercise intelligence beyond the limitations of memory will be the ones who bring forth contributions of genuine value.
Once you free yourself from the influence of karmic programming and the attachment to your intellect, you tap into a pure state of consciousness. Only then can something greater than memory start to manifest and shape your life.
PART TWO
Part two of the book Karma by Sadhguru mainly focuses on karma yoga.
In this section of the book, Sadhguru explores the science behind Karma Yoga and how one can transform their memories into choices.
6. Karma Yoga:
In this chapter of karma yoga sadguru makes us realize the real power of self. Every action that you take, whether consciously or subconsciously, is created by you.
Even when we are not fully aware, we are still responsible for the choices we make and the impact they create.
Here author explained the real difference between karma and karma yoga. Karma is the process of entanglement and Karma yoga is the process of liberation as a result of your karma.
In the practice of karma yoga, we learn that actions are never the issue; it is our attachment to the results that brings pain.
If you are enjoying your work, there’s no chance of suffering at all, but if you are performing work for the sake of results, then for sure you will suffer.
Your happiness would be dependent on outside situations. Therefore, do your karma without being attached to the outcomes.
7. Karma yoga and the physical body:
In this chapter on karma yoga and the physical body Sadhguru explained the impact of memory on the physical body.
Karmic imprints shape our physical bodies, influenced by the experiences and actions stored within our memory.
To understand the composition of the human body, we look to the five elements: earth, air, water, fire, and space.
According to ancient philosophical and spiritual traditions, these elements represent the fundamental building blocks of the physical body. Each element is associated with specific qualities and characteristics.
In the pursuit of spiritual growth and purification, the Bhuta Shuddhi technique emerges as a transformative practice. This technique focuses on purifying the five elements present in our bodies.
Practitioners employ various yogic methods, such as breathwork, visualization, mantra chanting, and meditation, in the practice of Bhuta Shuddhi.
Only through spiritual practices or sadhana can one escape the cycle of karma.
8. Karma yoga and the mental body:
Humans continue to suffer primarily due to the influence of memory and imagination.
The mind has the capacity to form its own universe, yet everything within it is a product of your own creation.
When you shift your perspective beyond the confines of thoughts, emotions, and physical form, you have the opportunity to break free from old patterns of the karmic cycle.
The only way to get out of it is to wholeheartedly dwell in the present moment and abandon the confines of one’s self-image.
9. Karma yoga and the energy body:
When you perform physical tasks, you are exercising your physical body, and when you undertake mental tasks, you are exercising your mental body.
Regrettably, many people tend to overlook the importance of nurturing their energy bodies.
On the other hand, a yogi does not experience such feelings because they extensively cultivate their energy body.
As science has proven, energy neither creates nor destroys itself; instead, it transforms from one form to another.
Hence, practitioners approach karma yoga from multiple dimensions.
As you cleanse your mental body, you become a magnet for people’s attention, and they are drawn to your presence.
Similarly, when you undergo a transformation within your energy body, the very fundamentals of life begin to shift.
PART THREE
This section dedicates itself to addressing the doubts of readers who have diligently absorbed the entire book.
10. Karma conversation:
Sutra 10 — As far as the laws of existence are concerned, there is no good and bad, no crime and punishment. It is just that for every action, there is a consequence.
Sadhguru
Evey action you take has it’s consequence. Do not make the mistake of trying to fix the consequence, for it will unfold naturally. It resides outside of your control and influence.
Sutra 11 — When there is no imprint of karma in conscious experience, every action and experience becomes liberating.
Sadhguru
Your present personality is nothing but a reflection of past impressions that you cling onto.
These past impressions can come from a variety of sources, including childhood experiences, cultural influences, societal norms, and personal beliefs. They shape our perceptions, attitudes, and choices, often operating at a subconscious level.
Sutra 12 — You cannot own life, you can only live it.
Sadhguru
Life cannot be owned; rather, it is meant to be experienced and lived. When you are depressed, one-minute feels like a day. And when you are joyful, one day is like a minute.
So, for those who seek to possess life, they may miss out on the true essence of existence.
Sutra 13 — Right now, you are like a bubble that says, “The air that I hold in my lungs is my air”. You still have to exhale!
Sadhguru
Sadhguru says, without karmic substance, you have no existence. It’s only because of karmic substance that you are glued to the body.
It means that karmic material has the ability to manifest in multiple physical forms.
This understanding of karma implies that the effects of our actions are not confined to a single lifetime. Instead, they can influence future lives.
Sutra 14 — In maintaining distance from your thought and emotion, you can become available to the grace of the greatest beings of the past.
Sadhguru
Every thought you generate creates a permanent imprint in the universe, existing for all time.
When you construct the right thoughts within, you can unlock the potential for transformative growth and positive change.
Sutra 15 — You have the choice and ability to be any way you want in a given moment. That is the freedom and the curse. Most human beings are suffering their freedom.
Sadhguru
Animals do not have the ability to choose their karmic actions, but humans have the choice to choose their karma; it’s not fixed.
Sadly, most human beings are suffering from their freedom because the choices available to them often have negative consequences.
Sutra 16 — Every human being is in the process of becoming divine …. collaborating with nature’s plan is all you need to do.
Sadhguru
In every spiritual path, the aim is to elevate and refine the inherent animalistic qualities within oneself.
The ultimate purpose of this transformation is to access deeper levels of consciousness and connect with your higher selves, or spiritual nature.
Conclusion:
“Karma” by Sadhguru is a profound and enlightening book that delves into the intricacies of karma and guides readers on how to craft their own destiny.
The first part of the book explores the complexities of karma, unravelling its true essence beyond notions of good or bad, rewards or punishments.
The second part of the book focuses on karma yoga, emphasising the importance of conscious choices and intentions in shaping our destiny.
Sadhguru highlights that true liberation lies in letting go of attachment to the results of our actions and finding joy in the process itself.
Finally, in the third part of the book, Sadhguru addresses common doubts and questions about karma, satisfying the thirst for knowledge surrounding this profound concept.
Overall, “Karma” offers invaluable insights and practical wisdom for those seeking to understand and navigate the intricacies of karma.
Sadhguru’s guidance empowers readers to take charge of their lives, craft their own destiny, and ultimately find liberation through the practice of Karma Yoga.
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This article was originally published on wisdomhunting.com
