Ananda

Kriya Yoga and Freedom from Karma

Living Through the Ego, We Are Nothing but Puppets

“Kriya Yoga is an instrument through which human evolution can be quickened.” Sri Yukteswar explained to his students . . .

The life of an advanced Kriya Yogi is influenced, not by effects of past actions, but solely by directions from the soul. The devotee thus avoids the slow, evolutionary monitors of egoistic actions, good and bad, of common life, cumbrous and snail-like to the eagle hearts. . . .

Identifying himself with a shallow ego, man takes for granted that it is he who thinks, wills, feels, digest meals, and keeps himself alive, never admitting through reflections (only a little would suffice!) that in his ordinary life, he is naught but a puppet of past actions (karma) and of nature or environment.

Each man’s intellectual reactions, feelings, moods, and habits are circumscribed by effects of past causes, whether of this or prior life.

Lofty above such influences, however, is his regal soul. . . .

The advanced yogi, withholding all his mind, will, and feeling from false identification with bodily desires, uniting his mind with superconscious forces in the spinal shrines, thus lives in this world as God hath planned, not impelled by impulses from the past nor by new witlessnesses of fresh ego-driven human motivations.

Such a yogi receives fulfillment of his Supreme Desire, safe in the final haven of inexhaustibly blissful Spirit.

The Importance of Meditation

Who would not like a reprieve from the consequences of his own wrong deeds? Few people, however, are willing to do what is necessary to win such a reprieve.

For it is not pleading that can free us from the grinding of justice. Cosmic Law is mathematical in its precision. The way to escape its decrees is to live in divine consciousness.

Freedom comes not from uttering wheedling prayers, but by attuning oneself deeply with the all-loving Inner Silence.

No matter how busy we are with work and worldly affairs, we should strive in the inner silence to attune ourselves with God. By silent devotion, we can deepen our awareness of divine love and wisdom.

The Divine is above the law. In everything we do, we should feel God’s all-creative Intelligence working through us. The closer we live to God, the less His law will be able to affect us.

The greatest “business” of all is to busy ourselves with God. The greatest duty of all is to place Him first in our lives. No business and no earthly duty would be possible without the intelligence man derives from Him.

Contemplate the monotonous recurrence of death and rebirth. While still in this body, work to destroy the seeds of your past karmas (actions). Remember, roasted seeds will not germinate.

People who in deep meditation roast their karmic seeds in the fires of wisdom will never again need to reincarnate on earth.

Excerpted from Karma and Reincarnation by Paramhansa Yogananda.

For more information or to purchase Karma and Reincarnation, please click HERE.

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