Some suggestions on dealing with karmic bondage

The last few articles have been dedicated to karmic accounts. In this last article in the series, I will give some general suggestions based on my own experience.

While BK knowledge may give some importance on this topic, their advise on practical issues may leave a lot to be desired: Basically, “yoga with Baba” and “Do not” type of procedures geared towards avoiding the creation of “new karmic accounts.” Nevertheless, it is a safe response when dealing with many followers, but not enough in my experience.

According to time, there is a need to learn the art of enjoyment. A yogi life style is known for a steadfast almost stubborn renunciate attitude of not deviating from “a mental ideological line.” That line can be anything. When we deprive ourselves from many things in the belief that this mental idea will give us a “better” spirituality; we are putting ourselves to a challenging life style which will take away any sort of taste of Life. Certainly, if we are addicted to sugar and someone says that we need to stop eating sugar completely, then that is understandable. But if there isn’t any sort of addiction, then we are merely blindly following something which we have not experience and we will go through that commandment in a repressed mode. To recognize addiction in us, requires a certain level of awareness and raw honesty.

If a karmic bondage takes away your health, enjoy Life from another perspective: Learn ways to heal not only the self but others. Enjoy the moments when your health is better. Use your taste buds to enjoy food. Enjoy the company of another. Enjoy the specific circumstances that you are living which makes possible that other new things appear in your Life which otherwise, wouldn’t be there. Duality works in that way: Something is taken away from you, but something else is given instead. Discover that which has been given and enjoy it, for it will change. If healing is needed, I strongly recommend alternative medicine as much as possible. This is usually known as pseudo medicine or quackery; as this cannot be scientifically proven. The catch is that at this time we get “help from up above.” Our artificial life style away from Nature, requires that we receive special help to live, and there are some therapists being helped to help others. In some countries they may be known as “shamans” or “healers,” or “therapists.” How do you know if these individuals are reliable? Look for someone who is known to be effective through word of mouth AND one who does not believe in economical gain as the reason to be practicing her art. “Help from up above” typically goes to those whose main concern is to help others despite the amount of money they get. Most of the time, these individual have no idea that they are helped from “up above.”

Here, some therapies that I have had some experience with: Craniosacral therapy, Biomagnetism, singing bowls, acupuncture, aromatherapy, homeopathy, herbal medicine, reiki, reflexology, breathwork, massage, hypnotherapy. If you wonder what I mean by “up above,” that is help beyond this physical world. We may add whatever our belief is, but that doesn’t matter. That is the reason why science cannot verify the validity of such methods for the “steps” do not work the same for every individual performing them, unless they are “chosen ones.”

If an individual experiences any sort of loneliness and feels deprived of company, to be able to live with yourself is not an easy task but if life has put you in that experience, that is because you have the capacity to do it. After all, living with yourself is the path to no-self. It is up to you to recognize the opportunity behind that experience. When you are fully comfortable with yourself and in-yourself, there is no longer a need to be emotionally subservient of another. This experience of being alone is something that Life will put you under and not something that “we decide to do.” In the meantime, enjoy all the activities that you can do by yourself!

I have discovered the healing and fulfilling effect of movement in sports, dance and hatha yoga. Anyone who could practice on a regular basis a non competitive physical activity, is blessed in my opinion. Another outlet which is important for emotional healing is music. Yes, we could listen to it but to play it, that is another level. It is a good way to spend time with music as long as we do it for the sake of it, and not because we “want to be better at it” or “want to be a star” or something along those lines. That way of traditional thinking is merely using the arts for ego enhancement. Play music, just because. Enjoy it! That is its own reward.

In a nutshell: Enjoyment of that which you can DO is the key. That is the new view or perspective. Appreciation of the experience happening through us; and learning to find positive in that which we perceive as negative should be, in my opinion; the focus of any spiritual bona fide teaching at this time.

The art of enjoyment and appreciation is coming from feelings at the heart center. This is important to remember. We cannot only “think” that we are enjoying Life.

Our ability to feel despite whatever complaining junk our mind comes up with, is key in going beyond the crucifix of a karmic bondage.

Finally, for those looking to help others and (here comes the incentive for those still caught in ‘what’ s in for me?’) “accumulate good karma,” there is an international non for profit organization called Peta (https://www.peta.org/about-peta/) whose mission is to help animals to have ethical treatment from humans. Animals are sentient beings just like us experiencing a lower level of consciousness; our “little brothers.” Helping them is to help other souls. While humans are complex, animals are simple and they just want to be let alone and live their lives as “human free” as possible. There are a couple of issues going at this time: Owls and Dogs. If this “service” is suitable for you, here is a chance to help.

Types of karmic bondage

As mentioned before, any karmic account is an opportunity to experience the other side of a duality. Many times we could ask ourselves: “but what I have done to deserve this experience?” That is unnecessary to know, for it could only produce wasteful guilt. Mostly, the result of previous actions come from lives before this one. We are not that same person now; but we have the capacity to withstand the experience which will benefit our spiritual growth, that is the “plus” side. No one becomes “spiritual” by only experiencing the fun side of Life; but like the phoenix bird, we need to be reborn out of our own ashes. Many times the intensity of those karmic experiences will seem to be the funeral pyre. As the BK teaches, there are “old souls” who have been experiencing many life experiences and thus, “creating” karmic accounts / moving into the other side of duality. When it is time to settle those experiences, these could be perceived by many, as experiences of extreme suffering. On the other hand “souls” with few births in the cycle of time, have the experience of what could be perceived as a “good life” for the most part. However, experiences are according to capacity and that is given by Life, the “Drama” itself. “Fairness” in Life, has a different twist as we will see.

There are karmic experiences dealing with the perception of “losing something”, it could be a job, wealth, health, a relationship or more often a combination. In this article, we will go into 3 basic types and one unusual type of karmic bondage. The one that most BKs are familiar with, is the body. Often ailments and hospital visits, weird diseases, physical limitations, even the experience of so called “evil entities” are among this class. In my observation, this experience could limit a person to the point where suicidal tendencies could be experienced, as physical pain could be intolerable. Sometimes, even normal ‘medicine’ could have detrimental effects. I recall the incident of someone who couldn’t get rid of her morning routine of throwing up. It was very debilitating and for no apparent reason. After many years of using medical drugs to subside the issue and without any success, the drugs weakened her body even more. The “real” problem was an unresolved emotional situation from childhood. Life brought the solution after many years of suffering. During that time, this person improved her ability to deal with pain. She had a higher threshold than most mortals. At the same time, her character changed: From an independent, do as I please kind of attitude; it changed to a gentle, tolerant person. Physical karmic accounts have in my opinion, an underlying cause of lack of self love. This person could have the tendency to inflict suffering or pain to herself by being negligent of her own needs. This person will ‘learn’ about self acceptance and self love. It is an invitation to live a life which departs from the ‘normal’ every day person. It is important for this person to share his experiences and findings to help others heal. Life may compensate this person with the experience of paranormal powers and experiences as a source to enjoy Life.

Karmic experiences relating with the mind, is another type. A person could experience a mind disease such as schizophrenia, bipolarity or any other mental disease like OCD. A mind disease cannot be cured by science. Many times it is something to endure throughout a life time but sometimes, it is mysteriously cured. That is when the karmic period for that experience is over. This person may experience rejection, low self esteem and great dependency on others. Great suffering may be experienced. While OCD could be easily self cured when there is observation on how the mind could subdue a person’s will through a belief in some fearful event happening, if a repetitive routine is not performed; other mind diseases which involve an unbalanced mood swing between manic episodes and depressing ones; could be harder to deal with not only by the person experiencing this karmic bondage, but also by close relatives. While a physical karmic bondage could be the opportunity for close relatives to learn to disengage from the suffering of others, so they could be more helpful; those experiencing mental diseases could teach their relatives a high level of tolerance. Life presents a teacher in a different, unusual form.

There are karmic accounts dealing with relationships. A person could be often misinterpreted. In a relationship, these could lead to fights. Also, this could bring the affected person into self isolation, for he will feel misunderstood. It could be difficult to fall in love, for those who he feels attracted to, will reject him; but those who he doesn’t feel attracted to, those may pursue him. This type of karmic bondage is the invitation to solve any issues of emotional dependency and the opportunity to observe his own interaction with others. Rather than believing that the culprit of “bad luck” resides in the behavior of others, this person may start to look at his own behavior instead. That is self-observation.

One of the toughest karmic bondage is the one related with clearing family ancestral issues. That is a family karma. A few family members may be selected for this after many generations. These individuals will live an unusual life style far away from the norm without this being their choice. It could be tough because, it doesn’t depend on the readiness of a particular family member, but all of them have to do their share in representation of their ancestors. Life will bring many teachings in that setting as well.

In a nutshell: A “normal” person having a “normal” Life, will have the “normal’ experiences and nothing else. Those who have the capacity to withstand painful experiences on the other hand; have greater capacity for the sublime as well. Both sides will need to be experienced and those are directly proportional to each other. That is how “fairness” shows up in Life. No one can escape the experience of duality, for that is the essence of living.

Learning from karmic bondage

In a culture of avoidance for the sake of ‘solving problems,’ most become oblivious of the lessons in Life. How could we learn from a situation of cheer suffering? We may ask.

Emotional suffering brings the opportunity to observe how insignificant this “I” could be. It doesn’t matter how much we try to “protect” it or to avoid any sort of unpleasant situation, Life will bring a way for us to experience the other half of that duality.

Observe the life of any individual. It has its side of pleasure and its side of pain. Those sides cannot be measured and we cannot compare with another as Life brings the experiences according to our capacity to withstand them. There is no way out, no matter how clever or smart we believe to be. This realization in itself will bring a sense of awe and respect for Life for the rare opportunity to live and experience. After all, it is not about “my accomplishments,” or “my success.” Observe that the other side of the duality, the one we want to run away from, will kick in at some time. This is the part of the story that we never get to learn in society; as the promotion of the “I accomplish this” or the “successful I,” is there continuously. Along those lines is the thought behind “settling a karmic account.” That is, “let me be successful.” “Let me give you the method.”

Let me be concise. It does not depend fully on us. Therefore, it is important to learn to observe and deal with situations as they appear in front of us and not based on some philosophical, idealistic view of Life.

Let me illustrate: Person A knows that person B steals. Person A has a distaste for stealing and likewise for person B. Perhaps in a religious setting, person A has been taught to “forget and forgive” and to “never steal” or perhaps person A has been taught to send “good feelings and good wishes” and he is “practicing that.”

A few years later, Life brought suffering to person A. Person A lost everything he had. Person A experiences hunger now. Person A is ready to steal in order to survive. If person A lacks observation and he is only concerned in protecting that “I” and enhancing it, then his awareness is not there yet and he will continue to deepen the experience of sorrow. Nothing wrong with taking that path. However, this is a great opportunity for mercy and compassion to appear without “practice,” therefore; the real deal. Person A knows about misfortune and he will not be so fast in judging another. That is the value of experiencing a misfortune and taking the “jewels” of that experience with us. That requires an individual with keen observation and above all, awareness.

On the other hand, most will fight back. Through that mentality of “fighting in Life” they may get back where they were before or even above that through their own “effort,” but… their sense of “I” will have grown exponentially . “I overcame misfortune. Let me teach you how to do it. Read my book. Buy my DVD. I am an example.” A “success story” is born and our society likes that. For society and many “spiritual” teachings, there is no need to appreciate the experience of tragedy and be open for a humble beginning where we can understand what is like to feel misfortune and put ourselves in someone’s shoes. Incredibly, it is out of that appreciation how “virtues” will flourish without learning any intellectual “spiritual teachings.”

If we experience what is like to be compassionate, then courage will appear. If we learn to be frugal with ourselves, then we have the space to be generous with others. However, if we take frugality as the way to enrich ourselves (the “I”,) then a penny pincher will be born instead.

Duality in Life expresses as personal Karma

From last article, we could follow how many times we are so entrenched with mental concepts which do not fit the reality of Life. In BK terms, the “Drama” cannot be fully explained through words.

Let me go a bit deeper. A person expresses through actions. Those actions are the moving blocks of the Drama or Life. Whether we DO or we don’t DO, still things get DONE. I am not talking about things in our little corporation or cubicle, not even governments and their manipulation of “realities” which is very limited. Human rules are for human societies, but that “Matrix” is a small part of Life, the Drama. Let me illustrate: Through laws a president could be ousted from power. That is within the realm of human laws. However, we cannot foresee the consequences of that. “The people” may revolt without consequences, while very few may revolt and there could be large consequences: Killing, accidents, etc. Immediately we look for a “responsible” party to punish them for “their” actions, and we believe that justice has arrived. We condemn them and repudiate those activities; then we forget the incident until something similar happens again, for “history repeats itself.”

Those powers of action and reaction when looked at the personal level are known as karma. Those who died in the example above, had a Life which karmically needed to end in genocide, that was the type of experience that they needed to experience. Probably these individuals were involved in something which ended up in death of others in another Life experience.

We label experiences as desirable if they fit our convenience, our ideals or undesirable if we feel against them. We keep on labeling things: Good, bad, sinful or virtuous but in the Drama, those scenes are merely experiences, after all; aren’t we “eternal” beings? What is the “worse” that could happen to you? This belief, however firm; does not fit the reality of our consciousness.

Life uses activities to move forward into another experience which could bring further suffering to the collective consciousness but necessary for their experience. The “ups and downs” in Life are necessary as they are. Those “ups and downs” express duality.

Since we are “here,” we experience that duality as agents of change whether we realize that or not. Therefore, our little debates over “free will vs. predestination” amount to nothing. We are unable to observe all ramifications and scenes in Life; the different threads of actions meshed together giving the experience of duality.

That is why, a “detached observer” is needed to live harmoniously within that duality but that cannot happen while our consciousness of “i” is very strong. A detached observer experiences the insubstantiality of that “i,” thus there is no concrete, stable “i” DOING something, but he is aware that things get done through “him” as he is part of the Drama, Life and there is a higher ultimate theme which needs to be performed.

Some may believe that Avyakt7-NG is a “good” writer of spiritual knowledge because they can understand what I convey. Some may disapprove by thinking that he only copies stuff from some Asian philosophy. If there is a writer, there is a reader (duality.) Those agreeing or disagreeing are meshed together with me in this experience. “Your” karma may be to understand these things which may have value in your Life, which others do not give a lonely peanut. However; through duality, if those accolades affected me and my ego was inflated, then necessarily I will need to experience the opposite, which may cause suffering. However, if fame and defamation are accepted but there is no ego to be affected positively or negatively by that duality, then the Observer becomes detached although allowing people to act their parts. Rejection of another person’s part, will bring further repetition of the same experience. That is why, “history repeats itself.”

If each soul has all its eternal role engraved, how could it have freedom of choice and create karmic accounts?

This excellent intellectual question based on BK philosophy, was asked here.

Isn’t freedom of choice the opposite of predestination? That is what we have been told. Most at this time, experience fully their “freedom of choice” (they believe,) although; it is known that most are not awaken from a conditioned Life ruled by the mind. No newness in their thinking but only to follow a pattern given by tradition. That is the extent of “free will” of most humans.

I recall a similar question was asked at a BK retreat. The person giving the talk did her best to harmonize free will with predestination: “If you give me your hand to shake, that is your free will,” she said. However, we may need to inquire into how learned traditions and traumatic experiences influence our “free will.” To put it bluntly: Can a psychotic claim that he has free will?

Isn’t individuality the opposite of Totality? That is what we have been told and most consciousness at THIS TIME EXPERIENCE that: “I” am different than “you;” but it is difficult to see that this “I” cannot exist without that “you,” thus there is an inter-relation; “I” and “you” are meshed together which is what the Drama of Life expresses: Unity, Totality even between perceived opposites. Thus, there is a double “reality” which is opposite but complementary at the same time.

In BK knowledge or philosophy there is a clear distinction between “I” and the Drama (Life, Totality.) That distinction creates free will, thus karma, thus punishment, thus salvation, thus guilt, thus shame. “There is only Baba, I and Drama” it is said in BK teachings. That separation supports the above. But “karma” is nothing but your personal “Drama.” Your personal Drama is also the “big” Drama/Life/ Totality, which paradoxically ‘repeats’ and it is ‘new’ at the same time.

Do you see the theme here? In Life, repetition is the same as newness. That is not human logic or reason, that is insight from deep understanding. Then, predestination is the same as free will. But, it all depends from where you look at it: From the perspective of the “I” with its reasoning and logic, or the Totality. Most will not understand intellectually what I just expressed for there is no experience of that.

But; Why is Brahma Kumaris using a concept which we can identify as being contradictory, “wrong” as when having free will but having at the same time a predestined role?

Short answer: To regenerate the follower. If a person is corrupt, lies, cheats, kills and gets away with that, then fear of punishment due to “vikarma” will try to stop that person from performing evil deeds for the well being of society. However, that is only a repression out of fear. But the immense majority of people are in that state of consciousness.

Many BKs do not fully understand the significance of a predestined Drama for they are stuck in the “I” separated from everything else, including the Drama or Life. Moreover, the word “predestination” infuses fear in many. Greater fear is experienced with the word “anatman” or “no-self,” a.k.a “omnipresence.” Thus, the consciousness of that famous “i” will bring other very important things that you may need to discover.

With your question you have discovered a contradiction. If your finding is only at the mental level; then you could say: “I will not feel guilty anymore. I am a puppet of destiny. I don’t create anything in Life, for everything is already predestined.” Logically, reasonably you may be “right,” BUT that is a limited view. Have you inquire into the existence and permanence of that “I”? Trapped at the mental level, there is no way out as the mind is full of “I.” However, those who have been able to go beyond the mind, into “no-mind,” “heart center” or whatever technical term we may want to use, those know another reality; where the words predestination and free will mean absolutely nothing. Where Life is about experiences and when someone experiences “left,” he may need to experience “right,” as well. Duality. Others call that “karma.”

There is the duality of individuality and Totality. Those are not contradictory anymore. Just like the words predestination with free will, karma with akarma, for we can see what the “I” truly does. But for those in the logical mind, those words represent only the opposite of each other.

Therefore it is “safe” for most in society, religions and the BK system as well; to stick with free will, punishment, karma and the rest of it until the person is able to experience the reality of that “I-ness.” Then, the former “formula” will change as the realization goes beyond the understanding of the mind.

Your question was fully answered.

Karma and the existence of God

Many believers of “God” don’t realize how mutually exclusive the belief in Karma and the existence of God are, when God is viewed as an “individual,” the “seer,” the one who administers “justice” in the physical plane and above. Thus, “karma” is not mentioned in the main monotheistic religions directly, but there is an interpretation of it when said: “One reaps what one sows,” that is all fine until we talk about a previous life as the cause of today’s consequence. For those monotheistic religions , that is unthinkable: “Only God knows,” is the “right” answer fitting all questions.

Brahma Kumaris was able to harmonize that contradiction. “God” only arrives at the “confluence age” to teach. That is all God does. He doesn’t administer “justice” for that is the job of “karma.” The rest of the “kalpa” there is no need of “God.” What does “God” have to teach?
For starters, how to “save” yourself in this lifetime. That is, “how to go to the Golden age.” Forget the knowledge of past lives and karmic accounts, you can burn all of them “now” through “yoga.” It is magic. Thus, “God” can go over the law of Karma, just at this time…. And so the belief goes. Ah! And that only works for “bad” karma, the “good” one accumulates in the “bank” of “good” deeds.

That belief may work as long as: 1) We are only concerned about personal karmas without looking at the “big picture.” 2) As long as we see “karma” as “debit that we have to pay.” That is how God becomes the banker or the philanthropist who is able to give us a loan or to completely forfeit our “debt,” in such a way as to be able to “make it” to the “Golden age.”

Observe the easy terminology needed to explain in a simplistic way, something which has greater depth.

If it is true that we experience the effects of our past action, if it is true that we are living in a eternally repetitive cycle as the Brahma Kumaris’ teachings go, then; Do we have any “choice” to improve by learning the lesson and applying through “free will” the solution for the next time around?
No. That is how that philosophy finds a “problem.” My “debt” will repeat endlessly.
It is not “punishment” then, for things will repeat identically. It is not “debt” or “credit,” it is simply an EXPERIENCE that we need to experience in order to keep changing, as change is the “fact” of Life.

Another inaccuracy is to believe that there is something “good” or “bad” in karma; for Life is an unlimited Drama, and cannot be divided in such simplistic an erroneous way. Many times what we considered “bad” is actually “good” when viewed from a different perspective. Those infantile terminology of “good” and “bad” when referred to Life are far from the truth, specially when knowing about karma and a predestined Drama.

The issue of knowing about those religious “philosophies” is that we will use our mind to try to protect ourselves: “Don’t DO that for your karma will hunt you.” Therefore, we are afraid and we don’t. We think we save ourselves from experiencing trouble, but if the desire to perform that action is repetitive, and we denied it many times, then we are repressing. There are no repressed souls in the “golden age.” Do we see that? Could we say in our next life that the cause of our repression was Brahma Kumaris’ philosophy? wouldn’t that repression be “bad” karma? 🙂

Life may put us in close relationship with someone who is able to deeply push our buttons. No matter what we DO to live harmoniously, it will not work. All we need to be aware of is the EXPERIENCE. We need to go through it CONSCIOUSLY, regardless of the labels we use, regardless of the philosophy we believe in. It is of no use to believe in a “past life karmic account.” Just live the experience, do your best and continue on.
Life is a plot, a story. Karma is the experience of the consequences of our activities which are predestined and necessary as they ARE, for our story will weave with other stories in such a way as to create something greater with far reaching consequences, which we are unable to see.

An important measure of “improvement” in consciousness is when we abandon all sorts of philosophies an mental games so we can BE. Our actions are a reflection of who we ARE and not a farce obtained through mentally following some philosophy. We could be apparently “safe” but the devil will be growing inside. That is the karma of such farce.

If everything is fixed. Who is there to “try”? Response to “Rosem”

“Rosem”, thank you for your reply in the comments section.

I respect your beliefs and I am not here to take away your right to believe in what you feel is “true.”

Nevertheless, Brahma Kumaris knowledge could be taken in different ways according to our consciousness and “spiritual experiences.” Thus, the literal way to take gyan according to some “BK nimit” (instrument) may bring comfort and security of “knowing” something to followers; but ultimately it may bring heavy misunderstanding as we go deeper, which is evidenced as time goes by, for consciousness of different individuals will awaken to different realities.

Let me show you an example in your own writing (in red): At the end you write: “In other words Drama is another word for Karma.”

Many BKs will not understand that, for they have been taught that Karma is what happens to “you” (the “I”) and Drama is what happens outside “you” (outside the “I”).

BK teachings as far as I remember taught Karma in one of the first lessons and Drama right along with the cycle of time in a lesson of its own. The PERCEPTION is that those are different subjects. However, you mention those two words (karma and drama) to be interchangeable.

Now, let me go a notch further: Isn’t karma the same as the “role” which the container, the “soul”, expresses through a body?

Yes, they are. Karma is the role at the end of the day.  The question goes like this: Who is that Karma /role affecting to? Answer: The “I.”

Then, we go a step further: “Am “I” the role/karma/Drama?”

That is where BK “theory” starts weakening. Some will say: “ I am not the role, I am a soul.” They bring the word “soul” to mentally get out of that “I” but without losing  the beloved perception of “individuality”. However, in reality their behavior and consciousness does not follow that “understanding.” In “reality” they are a role. Their consciousness is stuck in the role. Other BKs are unable to perceive that  relationship and instead they deny the body. “I am a soul not a body” for their consciousness is physical.

However, Murlis will say: “Become soul conscious” and yet, most BKs will say “I am a soul”. There is a world of difference between those 2 statements. Different consciousness brings different understanding.

Then BapDada comes along and “tries” again in another way: “Become a detached observer.” Something which is expressed in the Avyakt Murlis and which is known outside the BK world as “witnessing”.

So where am I getting to? At the end is not to get stuck in “holy words” and concepts, but to EXPERIENCE that consciousness to understand beyond the mind, by using “gyan” (If you are a BK) as a road map. This is “churning knowledge.”

Once we go into “detached observer” we will need to understand/experience that which we call “I” and the experience of “no-I”. Then, “gyan” has a different meaning.

When you quote: “Those who have done the most devotion are the ones who will go fast in knowledge and they will also claim a high status.”—(Murli 26.07.2019) “

That quote should have another significance now.

Do we get stuck in just the words expressing ideas, concepts, memorize them and use them in writings just to be known as a “knowledgeable soul” by our peers, which is inconsequential, or do we go into the experience once we have looked at the depth of knowledge?

To know what is Drama and Karma is not the depth of Gyan. But to go into the experience of the “I” is, no matter what our belief system is, no matter what our religion professes, we still go back to the very basic.

In the world of duality if there is “I” there is “no-I”.

Here goes another “food for thought” based on your response:

“…THE PERCEIVER who has to be real, existent to make the very act of perceiving. “

The PERCEIVER and the perception are the same. It is explained here ( https://explore7.wordpress.com/2019/07/11/looking-at-self/ ) with the labels “observer” and the “object observed.”

The perceiver requires consciousness to perceive. That consciousness is not “his” but is given by the Drama (life itself). “Fixed by the Drama”. Which fixes what the perceiver (“I”) should perceive and fixes the perception that there is a perceiver (“I”) perceiving.

That is why the “Drama is a game.” Life is a game.

When BKs say “nimit” they mean that “Baba is the DOER, I am an instrument.”  Looking with depth now, we could see something different. BKs also like to say that “Baba is the director of the Drama”. Again, with depth, we can see different. Nevertheless, we may not want to hurt susceptibilities and ingrained beliefs. That is a challenge.

I would like to end this brief response to express one more time that I have respect for the Brahma Kumaris movement. It has been a “school” for me and for that reason, I respect the process of many BK brothers and sisters but at the same time, Avyakt7-NG fulfills his mission here, which is to share his experiences.

Some will find benefit, others will not. That is part of the game of duality.

All the best.

The story of Karmic “accounts.”

One of the most colorful stories that I recall from my BK days, was without a doubt; the “settlement” and “opening” of karmic accounts.

As we may recall, a “karmic account” is a new age word for a ready made explanation as to why something usually “bad” is happening to us. Something like: “Why is this person continually fighting with me? I don’t want to. I try to be nice…” The “answer” is something like: “ It is an old karmic bondage that you need to settle with that soul.”

We believe that “karma” is like a bank account wherever we open and close accounts at will.
The aftermath of this belief is that the follower will be afraid to live Life. Many BKs will be afraid of “opening” accounts with “souls”, since at the end of the confluence age, those will need to be “closed” to reach a ‘karmateet’ stage.

Let me be succinct with such beliefs:
1) There is no way that “I” can close a “karmic account.” That happens when its time has arrived. We do not know the extent and the need of a determined Life experience, all we can do is label those as “karmic bondages” or “good karma”, but the labels don’t mean a thing, when we do not know the origin and the extent of such experiences.

2) Life is about “karma.” Performing karma and experiencing the consequences of it. Things are not as simple, cut and dry as we may believe. Karma is like spider web with different threads, and the spider is usually walking trough only one of those at a particular time.

3) At the end of the game, we don’t “settle karma” by DOING something specific to a person or a situation. Karma is settled, when we are beyond the effect of it, that is; when we become detached observers, witness of the consequences to the extent that there is no longer an emotion when the situation arises.

We may want to rationalize that if something “bad” is happening to us, we are “settling” a Karmic account, as the Sakar Murli mentions, but many times “bad” is only an ill perception, a very narrow vision of the extent of circumstances. When the Drama/ Life is predestined, then everything fits together as it is.
Many times, we are only conditioned to perform certain actions, believing that those will help us to reach some “godly” goal. That is naive, if the INTENTION behind the action is ego driven.

Opening many BK centers, as the Sakar Murlis point out; is considered “good”, however; observe the ego of those fools who believe that now they deserve Paradise or worse yet, that Paradise is assured for them. On the contrary, that “good” action will have as a consequence, greater ego.

“Greater ego” is not “bad” in the unlimited. It is merely a stage necessary to dilute it. Thus, where is the “bad” thing?
A karmic bondage has its own way out after we have gone through the complete experience. We want to “speed things up”, we want to settle the account, etc. but it is a “good” thing, that many things in Life do not move according to our wishes, but according to what ought to BE.

In the meantime, “work on” acceptance, gratitude and enjoyment, to make the experience the most pleasant one.

Message 11: No punishment in Life

A childish understanding of the movie that we call Life, invents the duality of reward and punishment.

There is no DOING of certain actions that will make someone “better” in Life.
If I help a little old lady to cross a busy street, I am not making points to go to heaven. I am not DOING “good karma.” I am not becoming “better.”
That is childish.

If my DOING is driven by those ideas, I am only showing my ego.
The truth is I AM a greedy, ambitious person. I am DOING an action not because I FEEL it, but because I THINK it. I THINK that I am gaining something for myself. The conditioning says that I must take advantage of that opportunity. 
That is what we have learned in society, we applaud that. We teach that and label that as “good action.” We anticipate “reward points” in our Godly “visa card.” That inner dishonesty does not work in Life.

What we DO to others, we DO it to ourselves.
There is no reward system. No punishment needed. No little bed stories of “salvation” required.

Question on responsibility of sorrow of others.

“How much are we responsible for the sorrow of souls in connection with us? BKs believe that “we are not responsible for the unhappiness and sorrow of other people, it’s just their creation”. At the same time, others are also not responsible for our sorrow and unhappiness!! Can you PLEASE take this subject for one article in upcoming week.
My second question is a small and direct question, the path of BKism has no way to experience “No-Mind” and “No-I”?? Ego can’t be dissolved with Shivbaba?”

Thank you for your questions.
The word “responsible” is a word that we have learned in the “Office world.” We are responsible for educating our children, we are responsible for our actions in society, etc. But at the same time, we know about PREDESTINATION.
Then, who is responsible?

The “office world” does not know about PREDESTINATION. They just know about “free-will” thus, to be “responsible” exists there. It is interesting that BK borrows many words from the “Office world” which truly does not apply to PREDESTINATION. They may do it for the sake of understanding, which many times turns into misunderstanding. Something like: ” You have free will to DO something, but once it is DONE, it is the DRAMA… and that will repeat…”  

My direct answer is: Does it matter? You feel sorrow. Look at it. Acknowledge it. Embrace it. Learn from it. Do you feel that we are all ONE? Then what you DO to others, you DO it to yourself.
Perhaps, you do not feel that we are ONE. Then, try to take advantage of others. Learn from that experience. Your Life will be a lesson.
So, you are not AWARE enough to learn from your own Life… then “knowledge” comes to the rescue. Let me teach you about KARMA. You will be afraid of it. Your DOING will be restricted to your thought of DOING things “right” according to your understanding or the understanding of others. Acting this way appears to BE safe, although you ARE not the image of WISDOM but the image of cheap imitation as your ACTIONS (DOING) are carefully thought out. You are condemned to live in your head, with your ego telling you what to DO according to the understanding of the conditioning that you have received.

“Responsible”…. Let me smile at that word… 🙂 Responsible brings irresponsible.

Now on your second question. Observe how you have distorted what I said in the previous article. I wrote “No-mind” does not exist in the BK vocabulary.” And then you add “experience” and bring “ShivBaba” into the picture.
So you want me to tell you if ego cannot be dissolved throuhg ShivBaba?
Then I ask you: How do we know that what we experience is ShivBaba? Then, we go back to the repeated example in my last article.
“I am a soul.” “ShivBaba is my father.”  Repeat the mantra until it sinks in the mind. No experience.

Now, do you see why I repeat the same examples?
If I say: “I have not experienced that my ego gets reduced through yoga with ShivBaba” then others will say, that they have experienced that. Who is who to say when ego gets reduced when we are not aware when ego increases?
Direct answers such as “Yes” or No” are so deceiving, when you have not experienced something and you just want an answer for the sake of being “RIGHT.”

Spiritually is not about BEING “right or wrong.” So what is all about?
That… “You” will need to find out yourself.

For the common good.