Karma

About the Author

Sadhguru, also known as Jaggi Vasudev, is a globally revered spiritual leader and yogi, celebrated for his profound insights into the nature of human existence and his ability to translate ancient spiritual wisdom into practical, modern-day tools for transformation. Born in Mysore, India, in 1957, Sadhguru’s early life was marked by an insatiable curiosity and a deep connection with nature. This connection would later become a cornerstone of his teachings, emphasizing the unity of the self with the natural world.

In 1992, Sadhguru founded the Isha Foundation, a nonprofit organization committed to human well-being through powerful yoga programs and outreach initiatives. The foundation has since grown into a global movement with millions of followers and volunteers engaged in various social and environmental projects. Notably, the Isha Foundation's Rally for Rivers campaign seeks to rejuvenate India’s depleting rivers and has garnered widespread support.

Sadhguru’s teachings are not limited to yoga and spirituality; he is also an influential public speaker and author. His book Inner Engineering: A Yogi’s Guide to Joy became a bestseller, offering a practical guide to achieving mental clarity and emotional balance. His talks, delivered at platforms like the United Nations and the World Economic Forum, often emphasize the importance of individual transformation as a precursor to global change. Sadhguru's unique blend of ancient wisdom and contemporary relevance makes his teachings accessible to a global audience, transcending cultural and religious boundaries.

Main Idea

The core of Sadhguru’s teachings revolves around the concept of karma, which he redefines in a way that diverges significantly from common perceptions. Karma, in popular culture, is often misunderstood as a cosmic system of reward and punishment, meting out justice based on one’s actions. However, Sadhguru presents a more nuanced understanding, describing karma as the accumulated residue of our thoughts, emotions, and actions that shape our experiences and behaviors.

According to Sadhguru, karma is not about moral judgment or divine retribution. Instead, it is a mechanism of memory and habit that creates patterns in our lives. These patterns, when left unchecked, can limit our perception and reaction to life’s situations, keeping us bound to a cycle of repetitive behaviors and experiences. However, by becoming aware of our karma, we can take control of these patterns and gradually free ourselves from their influence.

Sadhguru's approach to karma is deeply empowering. He asserts that by living consciously, we can shape our destiny and, ultimately, achieve liberation from the cycle of birth and death. This liberation, known as mukti, is the ultimate goal of spiritual practice, leading to a state of oneness with the universe, where the individual self dissolves into the larger cosmic order.

Table of Contents

1. Understanding Karma: The Key to Life
2. The Four Types of Karma
3. Karma and Reincarnation
4. The Nature of Karma: Universal Law
5. Your Relationship to Karma
6. Taking Control of Your Karma
7. Releasing Yourself from Karma
8. Practicing Karma Yoga: The Path of Action
9. Engaging with Karma on the Physical, Mental, and Energetic Levels

Understanding Karma: The Key to Life

Karma, as Sadhguru explains, is often misunderstood. The word itself comes from the Sanskrit root kri, meaning "to do" or "action." In its simplest form, karma means action, but Sadhguru expands on this definition by explaining that karma is more accurately understood as the memory of action. Every action, thought, or emotion leaves a subtle impression on us, and these impressions accumulate over time, forming the blueprint of our behavior and responses to the world.

In this sense, karma is not a cosmic ledger of good and bad deeds but a self-created web of impressions that influence our lives. "Karma is your creation; it is the accumulation of your actions," Sadhguru states. "It is neither good nor bad, but simply what you have made it to be."

This understanding of karma shifts the focus from a fatalistic outlook—where one might feel helpless in the face of destiny—to one of empowerment, where we realize that we are the architects of our own lives. Our current situation, according to Sadhguru, is a result of our past actions and the choices we have made, consciously or unconsciously. By becoming aware of this process, we can begin to take control of our destiny.

The Four Types of Karma

Sadhguru delineates karma into four distinct types, each playing a unique role in shaping our lives:

• Sanchita Karma: This is the accumulated karma of all past actions, thoughts, and emotions across all lifetimes. It is the vast repository of our karmic impressions, much of which we are unaware of, but it subtly influences our tendencies and inclinations.
• Prarabdha Karma: From the ocean of sanchita karma, a portion is allocated to each lifetime, determining the circumstances we are born into, such as our family, environment, and the major events of our life. Prarabdha karma is what we are currently experiencing; it is the portion of karma that has begun to bear fruit in this life.
• Agami Karma: This is the karma we are currently creating through our actions, thoughts, and decisions. Agami karma can affect our present life and will also contribute to our sanchita karma, influencing future lifetimes.
• Kriyamana Karma: This is the immediate karma that manifests as a direct result of our current actions. It is the cause-and-effect relationship we experience in real-time, where the consequences of our actions are immediately apparent.

Understanding these types of karma helps us comprehend how our past, present, and future are interconnected through a web of actions and consequences. For instance, consider a scenario where an individual faces significant challenges in their career despite being highly skilled and hardworking. This situation could be the result of prarabdha karma, the consequences of past actions that have manifested in this lifetime. However, how this person responds to these challenges—whether they choose to persevere, seek new opportunities, or give in to frustration—creates agami karma that will shape their future experiences.