Karma

Kri in the word KRIYA means karma. Usually the word karma is understood as action, everything we do is karma. But actually what we habitually refer to as karma, our actions, is not truely karma. Karma is unique. The Bhagavad Gita (4, 17) teaches us how we can distinguish karma from akarma and vikarma. Karma is true action, the original action, and all else is only a reflection of this original action or akarma. The word akarma means that we are not speaking of karma proper. All actions, whether they are of a physical, psychological or mental nature come from the original karma which alone is considered to be true but are not this karma. This is why they are called akarma, "a" is the privative prefix in Sanskrit, the word therefore means "non-karma".

The distinction between karma and akarma (our daily actions), allows us to understand vikarma. Vikarma means going beyond karma. Real karma is the union of Soul and breath. Our mind, thoughts, our sense organs and organs of action as well as our intellect and our ego are only reflections of this karma, sometimes called shreshtha karma.

Shreshtha karmaya swaha, jyeshtha karmaya swaha, pratishtha karmaya swaha.

Shreshtha karma means karma which is noble. Jyeshtha karma means the greatest karma. Pratishtha means to establish.

We often think that good actions, a job well done on a material, mental or intellectual level, or any other type of action is the true good karma. But actually karma, the original action is situated inside the pituitary gland, it is the constant interaction of breath and Soul.

Nothing would exist in this world but for this incessant activity of breath and Soul. This activity is also referred to as anahata karma, which means that this karma is unending, it never stops, and all other karmas (our daily actions), are only its reflection and henceforth transitory. This karma continues even after our body has been destroyed, just as it existed well before our body was created.

Aham atma Gudakesha
Sarva bhutasya sthitah
Aham adischa madhyamcha
Bhutamam anta eva cha.
(Bhagavad Gita 10, 20)

This interaction of breath, prana karma, and Soul, atma karma, existed before the body, as it exists in the body and will exist after the body. It has existed since the most ancient times, it alone exists in all beings of creation. The body is destructed from time to time, but karma remains.

Prana karma, the action of breath, is called KRIYA. It is the root of everything. Observing karma in its action within our body is yoga (union). The very essence of Spirituality is therefore contained in KRIYA YOGA.

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