« How to Wrap and Unwrap Gifts: Exploring the Spirit of Gift Exchange | Main
January 18, 2007
Simplicity, Change and Karma: All about action and results
Session Highlights by Vijay
---------------------------
We were 7 people today and began the session with a meditation. During check in, Manikantan asked about the law of karma (i.e., every action has a consequence/effect): Is there a way to predict when the effect will occur?
Prasad elaborated on the concept of karma. As long as you feel that you are the one who is doing what you are doing or enjoying what is happening to you, you do accumulate its effects. In other words, your actions and your attachment to your role determines your karma. By dropping attachment, by playing your role as an instrument of the divine, you can drop the karma all together. It is possible to do what is called �Nishkama Karma�.
To elaborate, there are three types of karma (Note: the definitions below are by Baba Hari Dass):
1) Prarabdha (detained) karma refers to the result of karma already worked out in a previous life which appears in the present life in the form of fate;
2) Sanchit (accumulated) karma refers to the unfinished mass of actions of past births, both good and bad, yet to be worked out and which appear in this birth in the form of desires -- in other words samskaras;
3) Agami (present & future) karma refers to the karma we are continually making in our present actions and will be making in our future actions.
When you are fully detached from karma phala, you do not accumulate karma. Similarly, If you do the karma, but you are not the owner of the action (no pride, no ego), you are just an instrument, and you do not accumulate such karma.
You can also pass "karmic credits" for your good karma (punya) to others by wishing so. However, it is difficult to predict the timing of the consequences of a karma reliably.
Vijay wondered about the importance of simplicity in creating a happy life. Since simplicity is supposed to be a key attribute of happiness, why do people complicate their lives by seeking more material wealth, i.e., why do they try to earn ten times what they admittedly need for themselves.
Prasad gave an example to illustrate the concept of simplicity. When he is shooting a picture, he eliminates everything from the frame that is not part of the essence of the picture. Once you reduce to the essence, you can reduce no more. That is simplicity.
Prasad (and most attendees) thought that having more material wealth than needed would not per se complicate life or adversely affect happiness. Pursuing wealth on the other hand, depends on your attachment. If it comes without extra effort, you can earn it and the extra money could be donated for a good cause (a la Warren Buffet).
Manvi recently attended the 10-day Vipassana course. She thinks the course has helped her become more compassionate and less paranoid.
Deepak talked about the Christmas party he attended where Rev. Heng Sure mentioned three kinds of giving: giving money or material things, giving courage, and giving dharma. He has done the first two, but not the last one.
Prasad said that according to Buddhist point of view, when you are empty (i.e., you have nothing) you give away even dharma that you accumulate so that you are left empty at the end of meditation. Otherwise, even accumulated dharma becomes �something� and you are no longer nothing or empty.
On the general question of making a change in behavior, Prasad mentioned the Beckhard change formula from the theory of organizational development:
Change occurs when: D x V x F > R
That is, change occurs when the product of Dissatisfaction x Vision x First Steps is > (greater than) Resistance to Change.
All the three components D, V, and F must be present to overcome the resistance to change in an organization: Dissatisfaction with the present situation, a Vision of what is possible in the future, and achievable First steps towards reaching this vision. If any of the three is zero or near zero, the product will also be zero or near zero and the resistance to change will dominate.
Jay commented that one could also have aspirations (that could change behavior) that are not necessarily motivated by dissatisfaction with the current circumstances.
We ended at 9 pm and enjoyed wonderful meal that was brought by Manvi.
Posted by Ragu at January 18, 2007 01:07 PM