You chose to shoot the arrow, with all your might, before you were born (just before you died). You manufacture a nuclear bomb of karma, then you want to build yourself a fall-out shelter from the explosion, makes me chuckle. Every day is a new dawn when we open our eyes after sleep, simultaneously, the pandora’s box opens and shoots out the day’s lottery balls, bitter or sweet, of events that will undoubtedly unfold until deep sleep engulfs us again. You may bite your tongue, but then, do you knock out your teeth? Who is to blame? There is nothing but karma here, there is no doubt about this. This Law is precise; it deals with all who think (I am the doer). Cause harm or do good, it will boomerang in its own way in due course, viz, sometimes straight away, sometimes in the next life, rest assured, it will come your way without fail. Sorry, but you deserve all you get, nothing more or less. Every day is a new birth and ends in death. See this clearly. Only respite we have is during deep sleep. There is no escape from this fact for the body nor the mind. This is who you are, right? Let us look at one of the first Upadesa from Sri Bhagavan Maharshi Ramana, which relates directly to the arrow of karma. Sri Bhagavan said, “The Ordainer controls the fate of souls in accordance with their past deeds. Whatever is destined not to happen will not happen, try how hard you may. Whatever is destined to happen will happen, do what you may to stop it. This is certain. The best course, therefore, is to remain silent.” Here, no one escapes the fall-out cloud of karma. Here silence does not absolve any of their karma, not does samadhi, i.e., it is within karma. Even walking in samadhi, you may be bitten by wasps, like Sri Bhagavan demonstrated. Here the arrow of karma is the Ordainer of the fate of all souls. This unfailing Universal Law has nothing to do with God. Leave God out of this equation all together. You yourself have shot the arrow and you yourself have created the exact environment (world) you find yourself right now to expend your karma. This cycle is endless. Look. “Why Bother.” This simple question arose in the writer. Why? All this Hindu Sastras, Greek Philosophies, Vedanta, etc. Why bother with all this. Why is Dippack engaged in writing esoteric stuff? You may wish to opt out and say, “I am fine, thank you very much, I don’t want to know the ins and outs of all this Spirit stuff.” Dippack says, “Hey, fair enough–Be Happy.” But, for those that thirst for this stuff, why did these philosophies ever come into existence? Look around you, the great chase for mula-in-the-kula, the cycle of pain and sorrow, birth and death. Dippack is not an exception. Dippack and you would have the dream life in the Caribbean. We are coerced by media, all that glamour, looks great. Look closer, it is nothing but karma and dukkha, believe me; Dippack has been there, seen it, done it and wore the tee shirt. Give it time, the great killer, it will all crumble into a heap of rubble and ash. Instead, this Dippack writes about esoteric stuff. He cares but cares not for materialism anymore, but more for Spiritual welfare. Dippack was led out of his ego-centric life into a new life. How and why? Just happened (Karma). Therefore, the writer would like to point out the “Why Bother” bit. To simply, answer, Pandora’s box, karma. Firstly, vichara (think, contemplate), secondly, reflect, thirdly, accept, fourthly, surrender, fifthly, shelter. Ok, let us look at the lives and reflections of Uddalaka Aruna’s, Rama’s, Buddha’s, Jesus’s, Saul’s, Socrates’s, Kabir, Ananada Mayi Ma, Sri Bhagavan Maharshi Ramana’s, Paul Brunton, Ram Das of Mangalore Ashram, to quote a few. Why did Buddha bother? He was rich, a prince to be crowned a king. Why did prince Rama remorsefully reflect and seek Sage Vasishtha’s wisdom? (See recommended reading below). Why did Sri Bhagavan leave home? Here, surely, we will find some answers to why. But the writer will point out to you as a reminder, like they have, simply reflect and examine yourself; look around you. We must reflect and look at our lives and events. We must look at our life which includes the happenings in our present life in the context of our past lives. Why is all this happening to me? Why this family, caste, race, religion, colour, wife, children, wealth, house, friends, relations, health, poverty, sorrow, disease? Who took what from me? Who is me? To whom is all this happening or has happened? Why am I born? Who to blame for this misfortune, because it is a sin in the writer’s book to take birth. Answer: That which you sow, you will undoubtedly reap—this is the Universal Law. So, that is why. There are three sets of karmic balls (lottery) in play–balls that have yet to fructify (future; new; agami), balls that are currently fructifying (present; allotted; prarabdha), and un-fructified balls pending fructification (accumulated; past; sanchita). The whole accumulated karma cannot be expended in one life-time, so some accumulated karma remains to be expended. And we add new karma to top up the karma yet to fructify in the future—what a heap of bitter-sweet toppings, huh! I did not order this Pizza! “Ah, you did,” says the deliverer. So, adding more and subtracting less, perhaps, the cycle goes on and on and the play of karma piles up. What is all this and why am I here. Is it not obvious? You started it! Don’t blame me. We see that King and pauper alike, Sadhu and Saint alike, all have to go through what is allotted, and this is why we must bother ourselves with esoteric knowledge and practise, for there is a way out of playing the game of karma. Acceptance and surrender and be silent, do not add new karma. No bribes accepted, which is an addition to karma. Be thoughtful in your acts today, do them so it does not add to karma. Abstract Intellect does not transgress His own Laws, but He can soften its blows; but Seeing God As He Really Is, you will blow all karma out of the window; it is razor sharp, be prepared, for you may lose everything you hold dear to you, warning. To who and to what does karma come? Ask yourself that and obtain that sovereign “get out of the jail card.” But attaining this card is a warning too, however, there is consolation, Mathew 6:33, “But ye seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” It seems to the writer, often, karmic imprint of pain through disease, that which will be experienced over many lives perhaps, is accelerated near the time of death in the body of a Sage or a Saint. It is for an observer painful to watch when malady such as cancer takes its toll on a revered Sage; he may even groan and moan in pain, who wouldn’t, but endures with a brevity beyond understanding. Why? Is there a reasonable explanation? Perhaps karma offers us some wisdom in its operation. Look at it from the writer’s view/way; the non-self is a tumour, a malignant metastatic cancerous growth out of the Self, which is the cause of the endless cycle of dukkha. Did not Sri Bhagavan say, “the body itself is a disease. One should inquire into the origin of the disease, not look for ways to lessen the disease, which this disease (the body) contracted.” (Ramana Leela, Chapter 42). Did Buddha not seek a way out of the dreadful affliction of birth and death? Often an aspirant is forcibly relieved of family, property, wealth, possessions, etc., in due course, for thereafter, he is “sheltered” under the auspicious “Eye.” Happened to the writer, gradually losing his karmic imprints. This means that one who embraces spirituality will lose materiality or enforced upon to do so; besides, they are merely ephemeral and false afflictions. You cannot halt nor stop the impetus of the karmic arrow now, but one can soften its blows in this life and destroy forever the cycle of birth and death, there is no doubt about this. This is the answer to “Why Bother.” Ulladu Narpadu, Verse 38. Ulladu Narpadu Supplement, Verse 33. But to the great One, a Jnani, there is no karma, only the unwise see Him go through karma, for the Jnani is dead to his body and mind, how can then those three karmas afflict him? Even though pain comes or joy, it is within Jnana. He is in sleepless sleep, for in deep sleep there is no karma, no doer, no gain, no loss. Seek shelter from the bomb of karma; for the writer can asseverate, there is. Furthermore, read about the life and times of Saints and Sages. Recommended reading: Yoga Vasishtha of Valmiki, Book 1, Chapter 12-31, page 30-81. The Light of Asia, Edwin Arnold. Biographies of Sri Bhagavan Maharshi Ramana (Ramana Leela. Self-Realization). Notebooks of Paul Brunton.
DIPPACK MISTRI 