Swami Kriyananda - "How to overcome our karma"

[thebeautifuldreamful]

Thank you! That was truly inspiring and uplifting. Beautiful : )

[OmmmYogi]

Swami-you mentioned "certain herbs". Many times I have tried to speak with spiritual teachers about the cannabis herb which I have had many positive experiences with. This plant has lead me into deep meditation and pranayama practice. I praise it as a gift from God. I hope this is what you meant. Many spiritual teachers have discarded it as something negative but I have used it as a very useful tool in ridding myself of my past karma.

[AnandaWorldwide]

@OmmmYogi No, this was not a reference to cannabis. In agreement with most spiritual teacher, we agree that any drug which changes one's consciousness, from the outside in, rather than visa versa, is not a good thing. Yogananda went further saying that mild-altering drugs actually "tear holes in your aura which renders you defenseless against negative forces, evil astral entities, etc." (continued)

[AnandaWorldwide]

@OmmmYogi Anything you hope to get from cannabis is much better obtained through deep meditation, done on your own and without assistance from any substance. You may feel it to be a good thing, but even if seems that way to you now, it is only temporary and does not strengthen your energy and will power to the degree that you'll need to achieve final liberation.

[manjia]

I love God.

[TheMessanjah]

what about our Free Will ?

[AnandaWorldwide]

@TheMessanjah According the the great masters and saints who know God, we are tied up by our karma after many incarnations. The extent of our "Free Will" is that we can either choose to think about God or not. That's it.

[soniyamystical]

Does practicing kriya yoga meditation sincerely dissolves our karma

[AnandaWorldwide]

@soniyamystical Yes it does.

[broadcastmyass4u]

I'm new to this, i never really believed in this, or even an afterlife, until certain things started happening over and over to me. I can tell that people sense something wrong with me even when i act happy, especially my indian friends in the gas station. I've apparently got a lot of built up negative energy. I've been drinking everyday to ease myself because of my disconnection from good people and i know that's bad.

Do you have any advice for someone with a lot of negative energy?

[AnandaWorldwide]

First suggestion: Make it a point to stop saying or even thinking that you are "someone with a lot of negative energy." This just reinforces a thought/habit pattern that you need to change. Instead, whenever that thought comes into your mind, counter it with a positive affirmation.

Even if you don't believe your affirmation is true [YET], it is anyway. You are just trying to peel off the layers of darkness and align yourself with the light which really is inside of you.

[nalcow]

@AnandaWorldwide Swami.. very kind and wise words.. I've been struggling lately to feel ok and this comment has show me light. I dont need to change.. change is already inside me. Kind Regards.

[AnandaWorldwide]

Try this one: "Deep within my essential nature, I am full of light. Through continuous positive thoughts, I am removing from my life everything that holds me back from my highest potential." Memorize it and say it frequently--many times a day.

[AnandaWorldwide]

Your mind will often give you all sorts of feedback about the untruthfulness of this statement, but you must overcome this with courage and keep doing it until it becomes so. It is a HIGHER truth. That's what an affirmation is. A statement of a higher truth which we trying to realized. Everyone and everything has a divine part of themselves/itself, a "God-spark," if you can accept that. Just keep moving towards any tiny spark of goodness that is in youand don't give energy to the negative.

[AnandaWorldwide]

2nd) You say you can "act happy." This is very good! Keep doing this even if you don't feel happy inside. It will help reinforce the goodness and happiness which is a part of you.

[AnandaWorldwide]

3rd) Visualize yourself as a clear glass filled with black coffee. Then imagine a big clear glass pitcher full of clean water; slowly and steadily pour the clear water into that glass of darkness. Watch how it slowly but surely looses its black color, becomes lighter and lighter, and eventually completely clear, clean, sparkling with light. This is a symbol for the process of pouring good and beneficial things into yourself to wash away that which is harming you.

[AnandaWorldwide]

4th) Substitute something you like to do for the drinking. Try a long walk in a beautiful place. Try some deep breathing exercises (oxygenate your body and brain). Try a Hatha yoga routine or tai chi. The drinking habit is just a way to try to get yourself into a different state of consciousness. There are MUCH better ways of doing that--ways which won't destroy your body and mind and will, instead, bring you to a place of peace and happiness.

[AnandaWorldwide]

5th) Be careful of your environment. Try to be around happy people, or at least people who do their best to stay positive. Be in places which will uplift you and not pull you down. Remember that environment is stronger than will power!

[poshvuli]

Om namo bhagavate vasudevaya, what is the name of that type of bangle and where could one purchase it?

[AnandaWorldwide]

Yogananda's guru, Sri Yukteswar, created the Astrological Bangle formula based on very precise weights of pure gold, silver, and copper. You can read more about astrological bangles and how they work in Chapter 16 of Yogananda's Autobiography of a Yogi. You can get one at astrological-bangles(dot)com.

[ananiasacts]

Does entropy suggest the universe itself has bad karma?

[0GurtejS]

excellent...great to hear from an true experienced spiritual giyani. Thanks Swamiji.

[simba88888]

T H A N K Y O U S O M U C H !

[simba88888]

Thank you so much, I feel privileged for receiving this answer. And then, if this life sins come first, what do I do about them? Is just do well in present enough?

[AnandaWorldwide]

The karma will come of itself. The thing is to thank God for whatever comes, and give both the bad and the good to Him, so that you don't take either onto yourself as either your merit or your blame. Then analyze yourself and see that your directions, from every lesson, be more toward freedom from self-involvement. Act without desire for the fruits of your actions, but only to please God. I myself don't even pray for healing for me, personally.

swami

[AnandaWorldwide]

One time, many years ago, I was suffering from an intense kidney stone pain. I wouldn't pray for myself. But three hours later I was to give a Sunday service, and could not possibly have done so. So I prayed, "If You want me to give this service, You'll have to take this pain away." Within two seconds, it was gone!

Another thing I might pray is, "Is it all right to ask for this condition to be removed, so that I might serve You better?"

But I won't go further than that.

swami

[simba88888]

Can I get an answer to this: Our mission is to purify ourselves from the past lives sins. What about this life sins? Can we cleanse our karma from these, too, or does it mean that we will have to do it in our next life (lives)?

[AnandaWorldwide]

This life's sins come first! Once you rise above ego-attachment, you'll find yourself increasingly able to remember your past lives, and the errors you committed then. That will be the time to work on ridding yourself of the bad karmas of those lives also.

Swami Kriyananda

[StFrancisChurch]

This Is The Gospel of Jesus Christ beautifully expressed from your tradition. Thank you Swamiji!

Rev. Ralph