Gita's Blog

by Gita Saraydarian
Sometimes we think that karma is a mysterious condition that is inscribed on our forehead and we have to suffer its consequences for the rest of our life. In some spiritual traditions, karma is explained as something bad or something good that happens to you, like fate, and you have no control over it. So we are supposed to have “good karma” or we can have “bad karma”.

The Wisdom Teachings explain karma to be the result of the law of cause and effect. Karma is neutral. It can be seen as good or bad, depending on how you view your life. Things may seem bad from one perspective, but not so bad when seen from a different, more expansive perspective. Things may seem personal from one perspective, and global when viewed from another.

One thing for sure: karma compels us to make changes in our life. As we learn the science of cause and effect, we begin to put causes in place that result in what we do want and what is indeed good for us.

Someone once said to me: “When you plant potatoes, you get potatoes. So, why would you expect tomatoes and be surprised and upset when you get potatoes?” We get what we plant in life. We may see the results in this lifetime, or the results may manifest in the next lifetime. Whatever we put in place conditions our life and, by way of relationship, also conditions the lives of everyone.

Similarly, if we plant nothing, we get nothing!

If we live a life of higher principles, then everyone benefits from our choices. If we live a life of deception and ugliness, people around us will suffer as much as we will. For example, the global financial crisis is a reflection of a life lived completely against higher principles. The crisis is not simply one of financial mismanagement by the few, but a life that ignored higher values by a large number of people. All of humanity suffers the karmic consequences of depraved leadership and selfish living.

What are the higher principles of life? They are beauty, goodness, righteousness, joy, freedom, striving toward perfection, and service to others. If you exemplify these principles, the results will be reflected in your life and in all of life.

Karma is a pattern in our physical, emotional, and mental bodies that have been created by what we do. This is karma by commission.

Karma is also produced by omission, what we do not do. We may be afraid to do something, or we may think we are not needed, or we may think our work is not important or useful. For whatever reason, we refrain from doing something and we create conditions in our life as a result of omission. We may be insensitive to the feelings of others and wonder why our relationships suffer. Or, we may stay focused on our own needs and sensitivities and shrink back every time someone confronts us. Omission isolates us and keeps us at a “safe” distance away from both others and from our inner self. We will suffer the karma from this omission until we realize that we cannot be isolated from others nor from our inner being.

Karma also presents huge opportunities for learning the sacredness and beauty of life. It is life flowing all around us. I am often asked the profound question: “Why do bad things happen to good people?” People suffer and are born with challenges that try their very souls. These conditions are not meant to punish us, but are rather opportunities to learn the inner qualities of life. I have met men and women who face tremendous life challenges, losses, and grief and they are able to dig deep into their very being and learn how to cope, how to grow, and how to believe in the divine mysteries of life in ways that others can never understand. I met such a person recently. She had experienced deep loss and grief. Yet, she showed a depth and sensitivity to life that I had never seen before. I was awed and inspired by her. She came to talk to me and ask for my help; it was I who received a gift from her. For the rest of that day, I was in a space of wonder and inner search. I could not simply continue my work. I had to stop and take notice; she changed me. I asked myself: How would I respond to similar circumstances? She chose to respond to karma, and she became so deep and so mature and beautiful to behold.

We really do not know the exact sources of karma. Is it commission, omission, or life happening around us? It could be directly related to what we do and do not do, or it could be the tests brought to us by our Guardian Angel to help us grow in greater dimensions. Karma is often not personal at all, but related to the growth and expansion and maturation process of all humanity. We all face similar problems and we can grow through them.

How to deal with karma? Certainly not by fear and blame. It is deeply wounding to our heart to continuously blame our life on our bad karma and succumb to it. It is just as deeply hurtful and opportunistic to say to someone that this or that condition is their fault, their karma. The best way to deal with karma is to learn about the law of cause and effect and learn how to put causes into place that will result in what we want, truly want. If you don't know what specifically to do about your challenges, then serve and give to anyone who needs your help so that your spiritual savings account is filled up. This builds inner strength; it brings blessings and healing to you. Then, when you face a challenge, you can draw on that “bank account,” the source of your true inner strength.

Karma teaches us the unity of life, the unity of all peoples and relationships. It teaches us how we are connected to all of life in an organic whole. Our life is a tapestry of many threads and colors and weaves. This tapestry is woven and it grows, life after life. It follows us in the subtle planes and into the manifested planes. We can never escape the results of our life choices or actions. We can never escape by ignorance. And, we can never escape the life that others weave around us. Life will teach us, and eventually, we will make conscious choices that help us soar into a higher consciousness and learn to live a life that is connected and unified.

Here is a link to a short YouTube clip on what is karma.


Enjoy!
Gita
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References:

1. Karma and Reincarnation by Torkom Saraydarian.
2. YouTube clip is taken from an all day Seminar presented by Gita Saraydarian on the topic of Adaptation to Higher Values presented in November 2008.

Gita Saraydarian is the Founder and President of TSG Foundation, an organization dedicated to the Ageless Wisdom Teachings. For a complete list of other blogs and writings, click here.

Copyright Notice: Gita’s Blog articles are copyrighted by The Creative Trust, 2009.

By Gita Saraydarian

Your life should change for the better because you do meditation. Meditation is not the end; it is the means to achieve a more meaningful life.

Much of popular meditation practice is for the purpose of achieving relaxation and serenity through breathing and emptying the mind. This is the first step. Sometimes, we need years of practice to achieve a state of quiet mental poise or to achieve the ability to detach and empty ourselves from the personality life. To achieve such a state, we can practice what is called “gradient meditation,” slowly moving from simple to more complex and comprehensive meditation practice.

The objective of gradient meditation is to expand the consciousness slowly and deliberately in order to understand life from its causal levels. The causal level is any level of consciousness that is beyond what is called the physical, emotional, and concrete mind. These are the levels of higher mind and intuitional, and beyond. It is these levels that provide the deepest and most meaningful influence upon us. This is the world of higher thinking, creativity, inspirations, inventions, discovering the plans and purpose in life. When we learn to practice proper meditation, we will be able to link to the higher, non-material parts of life and then be able to articulate this contact in the many ways that we live and create.

You can be successful in the practice of meditation if you choose a method that suits you the best and if you are able to accomplish some of the key ideals in meditation. The goal is to progress to a state where you can focus and concentrate and tune into a higher frequency of understanding and awareness. You are conscious when you do this and thereby are able to express this contact through your life expressions.

Approach meditation with the intent for a deeper understanding, inspiration, and connection to your inner essence.

Five basic steps for meditation:

1. Focus through deep breathing, saying a prayer or mantram, and relaxing your body, mind, and emotions.
2. Detach from daily problems and do not let anything interfere. Align yourself to your essence, your soul.
3. Meditate by concentrating on a subject through observation and deep thinking. (See below for various forms of meditation). Limit this stage to a short time-frame wherein you can stay completely focused. Start with 3-5 minutes and increase only when you are sure to maintain your concentration.
4. Note the inspirations received and write the ideas or express them in some form.
5. Send blessings by letting the energy flow out toward others.
This is the basic format of what is called “occult meditation” or creative meditation.


Forms of Meditation:

1. With your eyes closed and thinking and focused on a subject.
2. With eyes open, especially if you cannot concentrate or cannot quickly detach.
3. With a group, such as a serious study group and question/answer/sharing of insights.
4. Reflective reading, listening, or observation with intensity and concentration of any high level creative expression or even being in nature.
5. Participating in group meditation and group meetings, worship, and observations especially during holy periods such as Wesak or other religious festivals.


Material for Meditation:

Choose your meditation source material carefully. Everything carries a certain vibration or rhythm. Whatever material you use to read, listen to, or observe and experience, make sure it is truly high level and has the capacity to pull you to a new level of awareness. It is for this reason that many Wisdom teachers use sacred scripture and deeply inspiring materials for meditation and deep thinking. Use material that takes you beyond the emotions and concrete mind, ones that have been created by truly gifted persons.

In many spiritual traditions meditation is done by weaving or creating tapestries or paintings or art objects or creating sacred music or dance. Meditation is not only observation, it is also participation and the act of creation.

When you use high level material, or create high level material, something deep inside of you moves. You are lifted and creative ideas flood your mind. This happens to me every time I meditate or create something and also when I watch a beautiful dance, or observe gorgeous paintings from old Masters, or hear a deeply moving song or symphony. Something inside of me shifts and lifts. Seemingly intractable problems are solved after being uplifted with this sort of high-level experience.

Effects of Meditation:

Meditation is scientific. When practiced on a regular basis, it gives us tangible effects in our physical, emotional, and mental life as well as giving us an expanded consciousness into the higher worlds. In the YouTube clip below, I present some of the effects of meditation, part of a one-hour lecture on the basics of meditation.



Enjoy!

Gita
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Resources:

The one-hour lecture on the Basics of Meditation was presented at TSG Center on February 8, 2009 and it is available on DVD as well as CD and Downloads.

Gita Saraydarian has created many online meditation courses using the Ageless Wisdom Teachings as source material. Link here for more information.
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Gita Saraydarian is the Founder and President of TSG Foundation, an organization dedicated to the Ageless Wisdom Teachings. For a complete list of past blogs and other writings, click here.

Copyright Notice: Gita’s Blog articles are copyrighted by The Creative Trust, 2009.