Darshan with Swami Krishnananda – 1997

by Swami Krishnananda

34. Karma Propelling Us

(Darshan given on July 1st, 1997)

A visitor: Swamiji, is it just karma propelling us through a stream of consciousness?

Swamiji: It is the karma of the past that is propelling you into the future, and the karma of the present is propelling you to come here. The karma of the past is propelling you to the present; the present karma is propelling you into the future. And there is no end for the future, because the future becomes the present when you actually enter into it. When you enter into the future, it becomes the present, so there is no end for this. Continuously you are going on floating.

Visitor: No, if the karma is continually changing, then…

Swamiji: Karma cannot change. The way in which karma acts changes. Karma is nothing but the potentiality of your desires. Whatever you desire produces a reaction. That reaction is called karma. As many desires as you have, so many ways of reaction of karma also are there. As your desires have no end – they are endless in number – therefore endless lives also you have to take for the sake of fulfilling them. You can never fulfil them because there is no end for your desires. The only way is to merge in the Absolute. Then there is no karma.

Visitor: Then there's no karma itself from incarnation to incarnation, after several incarnations.

Swamiji: When you merge in the Absolute, the whole thing goes.

What happens in deep sleep, that happens in pralaya in the same way. This sleep is a miniature dissolution, and cosmic dissolution is a universal sleep. But they are of no help to anybody. In sleep we don't benefit except that there is a revival of energy in the body, but the consciousness does not change. In order that we may wake up in the manner in which we wish to wake up, we have to do deep meditation. We have to affirm that which we want to be. If we go on affirming that which we do not want to be, then what is the purpose? If it is decided that you want to be a saint, and you do not want to be anything else, you start thinking like a saint. Now itself you start. Tell yourself: “I am a saint. I think like this.”

Another visitor: Swamiji, how do you define enlightened sensibility?

Swamiji: There is no such thing. Sensibility is not enlightened. Sensibility is an action of the sense organs. You are using a wrong word. Sensibility and enlightenment cannot go together. Actually, in sensibility there is no enlightenment. It is a confusion. In the sense organs, the enlightenment goes; it is completely gone. Your question is not aptly put.

[To another visitor, an economist]: There is the economics of life also. Economics is not merely finance. The conducting of one's own life so that one may be able to adjust one's personality and maintain proper alignment, that is also economics. Neither you should eat less, nor you should eat more. Then how much should you eat? This is a part of the economy of life.

Visitor: That much which the system can digest.

Swamiji: Great knowledge of your own self is necessary first, before you eat. You have to know yourself very well before you eat. Who is it that is eating? What kind of person am I? Am I mentally worried, have I got disturbed emotions, have I to catch a train just now? At that time if you start eating, it is as good as not eating. The train is whistling, and you are taking lunch at that time. The stomach will revolt: “No, I won't eat like that.”

Every subject is interesting, highly interesting. Everything is beautiful if you go deep into it. God has created a beautiful world, if you would like to see it. If you don't want to see it, okay, all right. You can see the beauty of the rose flower, or you can see the thorn that is underneath. Which you want to see? Which is better? There is a thorn which pricks if you touch it, so you can say it's a horrible thing. You can say a very detestable thorn is there, or you can say how beautiful it is. So one and the same thing is both.

Another visitor: Is intelligence prosperity?

Swamiji: Intelligence is not prosperity. Intelligence is the determining principle of everything that is happening in the world, including financial prosperity, job, police, anything. It is the enlightened condition of the mind which leads you to particular lines of activity, whether it is financial or whatever it is. It is the life principle of your existence itself. Your very existence is nothing but intelligence. Minus intelligence you don't exist at all. Your being itself is intelligence. Your consciousness of your being is the fundamental reality for you. You are conscious that you are existing. On the basis of that foundation, everything follows. If you are not conscious that you are existing, then nothing will happen afterwards. So intelligence is the first principle of the universe, and when it is attended to the whole universe, it is God-consciousness. Individually it is your personal consciousness; cosmically it is God-consciousness. If you can expand your individual consciousness to the cosmic level, it becomes God-consciousness. But if you limit it to a physical body encasement, it becomes individual consciousness. Both are the same. One is like an ocean; the other is like a drop. You have got a drop of consciousness, and if all the drops in the universe join together, it becomes God-consciousness. So you can take whatever you like.

Visitor: I able to understand what you want to communicate to me, but I'm not able to understand it in totality. What is the main intelligence that you are talking about?

Swamiji: What I'm telling you is, your intelligence is a small intelligence in comparison with the total intelligence of the whole universe. But if you can adjust your individual intelligence to the cosmic intelligence by deep meditation, it will enter into you, and a man can become a Godman. It is a very great thing to experience that. It requires a lot of effort, persistence and sincerity on your part, and if you want it, you will get it.