We are all well aware that the whole universe moves on the principle of Cause & Effect – the principle of Karma & Karma Phala. Whatever we experience, face, receive or don’t receive is the result of our past Karma not only from this life but from all the previous births that we have had. The beauty of Human Life is that you can actually work out or relinquish the effect of all the karma that you carry with you over the period of 84 Lakh (8.4 M) births that one takes before getting the Human Skin. The two ways of dealing with this Karma which I feel appealing are – One of the Karma Yoga as Lord Krishna says to Arjuna :
karmany evadhikaras te ma phalesu kadacana
ma karma-phala-hetur bhur ma te sango ‘stv akarmani
You have a right to perform your prescribed duty, but you are not entitled to the fruits of action. Never consider yourself to be the cause of the results of your activities, and never be attached to not doing your duty. Renounceg the effect of all Karma – The Good as well as Bad, thus ending up with nothing but the spirit that is unaffected by the Karma & Effect. Another one is that of Jyana – wisdom, that of Knowledge: Knowledge of Self. As Pramahansa Yogananda Points out in Autobiography of a Yogi :Seeds of Past Karma cannot germinate when burnt in the fire of Divine Wisdom. Both the routes are not easy to understand in first place, let alone walking them. However our predecessors who walked either of these paths and got to Realisation have set built certain instruments to help us on the journey. The karma that we carry from our previous births can be an obstacle in this journey. What if you found out a way to reset this Karma to day 1. Get it to the beginning where you don’t have any past karma, just the free will to do Karma and to choose whether to follow the renunciation of effects or the path of Knowledge.
I have been directed by my innerself to one such Instrument – a pathway to get you to the Day 1 of Karma – Gurudwara Baoli Saheb at Goindwal, Amritsar Punjab. Legend has it that a trader by name of Goinda hoped to establish a post at the ferry landing to take advantage of the traffic of the crossroads. He encountered a great many difficulties launching his venture. Fearing demonic interference, he asked Guru Angad Dev’s blessing on his project. Amar Das, a devoted disciple of Guru Angad, carried water every day from the ferry landing to the nearby village of Khadur where Guru Angad, and his followers resided. Guru Angad asked his faithful follower, Amar Das, to oversee the project. The Guru gave Amar Das a staff with instructions that it should be used for the removal of any obstacles. Amar Das successfully helped to lay the foundation of a village became which came to be known as Goindwal after the trader, Goinda. Goinda had a special place built in Goindwal to honor Guru Angad Dev. The Guru requested Amar Das to make Goindwal his home. On a Later date Guru Angad Dev selected Amar Das as the most faithful of his Sikhs and appointed him to be his successor. When Amar Das became guru, he moved permanently to Goindwal with his family and followers.
He provided a place of pilgrimage, alternative to Hardwar and Benaras, where God alone was to be worshipped. He planned to construct a ‘Baoli’-a well with descending steps, in Goindwal. He purchased some land and laid the foundation of the ‘Baoli’ with due religious ceremonies. His devoted Sikhs joined in the work on self-help basis and many willingly came forward to provide food for the volunteers engaged in the digging operation. As sangat was digging the well there was a `pathar’ one very hard stone, sangat tried its best to break it but nothing worked so they came to Guru Sahib and said that it’s not breaking. Guru Sahib told the Sikhs to do Japji Sahib Path and hit then again do Japji Sahib Path and then hit again … this is how that well was constructed. The Baoli had eighty-four steps. The Guru decreed that whoever should attentively repeat Japji on every step, should be freed from Karma acquired through eighty four lakhs births and rebirths. Thus the Baoli at Goindwal Sahib, became an object of pilgrimage to Hindus as well as Sikhs. This Gurudwara is considered the first great Sikh center of pilgrimage.
Some time back I was in discussion with one of my learned friends who has profound knowledge of Vedas, and we were discussing about Pralabdh and Purushartha. Pralabdh is what destiny brings for you, Purushartha is the efforts you take to change the destiny. So I asked him according to Vedas, whatever spiritual practice we do, or whatever rituals and processes we follow; is it due to Pralabdh or Purushartha? His answer was that as a Human whatever efforts you take towards realisation is Purushartha however Pralabdh will get you into conducive situations helpful in your actions.
So then call it Pralabdh that I was born in a family where Guru Granth Sahib was followed as the ultimate source of guidance and enlightenment, that I was taught Gurumukhi by my Grand Mother and also cultivated a habit of regularly reading Gurbani and that of having the capacity to ascertain the meaning and the power of Holy Texts of Sri Guru Granth Sahib. It is pralabdh that I learnt about Gurudwara Boali Saheb and have found a chance to physically visit there and attempt the 84 recitations of Japji Saheb.
7, 8 June 2010 I will try to attempt the feat of getting to freedom, to get to a position when the Karma is set to the Beginning. It is not an easy task, say the people who have completed it. Of all the experience of people I came about on the Internet, all talk about what they felt & experienced during those recitations, none has stated what’s after that. I suppose what happens after that might be difficult to put to words, it must be experienced. I require all your blessings, prayers and positive vibrations to get through this. Pralabdh has done its part and now it’s the Purushartha that has to take over.
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1.(More about Sikh Gurus, Japji Saheb and Gurudwaras here)