Freedom From

the Wheel of Karma

Self-Evaluation/Check Your Karma Account:

(a) Mark the 3 teachings below that are most important to you

now.

(b) Candidly rate yourself 1-9 (see scale) on items 5-18 only,

based on how often you act and feel in those ways.

1--------2--------3--------4--------5--------6--------7--------8--------9

Never Seldom Sometimes Frequently Always

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In the Bhagavad Gita Krishna teaches us:

“Be not bound by the karmic consequences of your actions. This is true personal freedom!

___ 1) Karma does not cling to Me (Atma) because I am unconcerned with the fruits of My actions. Understand the principle of Atma (the True Self Within) and you will likewise not be bound by the consequences of your acts.

___ 2) This is not new. Ancient seekers were well aware of it and carried out worldly activities with no sense of ego— thus incurring no karmic consequences. But even the great sages were sometimes perplexed about which actions to perform and which to avoid.

___ 3) Learn to discern ‘inaction in action’ and ‘action in inaction'.

(Where action seems to be occurring, there may be inaction within—and where there is no apparent action, there can be much action happening inside.)

___ 4) Even unconsciously thinking that you are the body and therefore are the doer of actions causes inner-level attachments and desires, and brings inner turmoil. Inner turmoil is itself action and causes karmic consequences even while you are supposedly not acting.

___ 5) So, be a true Yogi—be in the world but not of it. Be busy. Do things, but with your head and heart in solitude. Thus you will be untouched by karma.

___ 6) Purify your mind by knowing that all life is one—only One—and all your karma will melt away!

___ 7) Be content, need nothing, and abandon all external supports.

___ 8) Act, but inwardly make all your actions an adoration of Divinity.

___ 9) Disentangle from any desire for the fruits of your actions. This is the key to success.

___10) Expect nothing, hope for nothing, and abandon everything.

___11) Keep your mind and senses controlled.

___12) Conquer your desire and you will incur no negative karma even while acting in the world.

___13) Transcend the ‘pairs of opposites;’ be the same

in success or failure, loss or gain.

___14) Do not bother to compete or compare.

___15) Be free of envy.

___16) Contentedly shoulder whatever comes.

___17) Perform all your duties in the spirit of sacrifice, as an act of devotion, an offering.

___18 As a yogi-like person, ever aware of your True Self, you will not scheme for the fruits of your actions, and you will therefore be without inner turmoil. This breaks the chain of karma. Knowing all this can actually free you from death and rebirth!” – Krishna

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