I was asked the following question:
I was in Deep thought the other day and I couldn’t get the words of Maharishi Raman out of my head. “The ideas of purpose and responsibility are purely social in nature and are created by mind to exhort Ego. God is above all such ideas. If God is immanent in all and there is no one except him, who is responsible for whom? Creation is expression of inherent laws in the source of creation.” This just kept bring up the question, “Am I really in control of my own life? Or am I a mere puppet to be played with?”
To which I respond:
There is only karma and dharma. Both can be considered the will of God.
Karma is simple action of cause and effect… you have no free will in that arena.
Dharma is action in harmony with your nature… your true will, which is one with God. Freedom.
Dharma means action in accord with Nature. Your true nature is one with Mother Nature. Though rules of dharma exist and do have a valuable purpose, your true dharma cannot be imposed upon you. It must be discovered within you as you progress along the path of evolution.
You cannot just decide to be free… that can still be karmic. Just because you think you are free or you feel free, does not mean you are free. Most lives are more karmic than dharmic. Most people have less freedom than they think.
As you evolve, you live more dharmicly and less karmicly. The spiritual path is the path of evolution, is the path to freedom. It leads to a life lived in Oneness with God… free and unbounded.
Karma and dharma-reading this makes me feel powerful first, then powerless, and then I feel deep humility.
Thank you for steadily feeding the roots of our ponderings.
This definitely makes me think about the path I chose only a daily basis even more. Im free to make the choices that are made for me. Only with god can i truly be free. Thank you for this response.
This reminds me of your talk about ‘Jesus is driving’… You can’t just say it as a thought created by the mind/Ego alone. It is more an external observation or inner felt sense of a field created by the homeostasis of the heart with the mind.
Many think they are free to believe and lead the life that they choose in accord with their own inner truth. Very few actually are. Humility and discernment are the path to true freedom. Proper meditation is your most powerful engine. The natural tendency to return to the Divine guides the way. In time, every drop of rain returns to the ocean.
beautiful and humbling