DISSOLVING KARMA
T.P. Ramachandra Iyer (TPR), was an efficient lawyer. He represented the ashram in court cases from 1938. In the latter half of the 1940s, he retired from his profession and came to stay with Bhagavan in the ashram for good. He also had the golden opportunity of serving Bhagavan as one of his personal attendants till Bhagavan’s mahanirvana. During this period he had many intimate dialogues with him, mostly when they were together while walking, or resting at night inside the hall.
During TPR’s last days, I had the privilege of winning his confidence and making him live in the ashram premises. He was given Chadwick’s cottage. He was very kind to me and shared with me unrecorded reminiscences of many events that took place in the presence of Bhagavan. Two of these, I call The TPR Formulas.
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TPR Formula – 1: While walking on the hill, TPR asked Bhagavan whether it was ever possible to totally eradicate one’s karma or fate, summarily, in this birth itself. “Oh, yes,” replied Bhagavan. “It can be done, one hundred percent, if you do as I tell you!”. TPR readily agreed.
“The totality of one’s karma,” said Bhagavan, “is divided into two: (i) the past, i.e., memories of incidents, success, failure, change, pain, pleasure, growth and decay, etc. (ii) the future, i.e., desires of impending ambitions, achievements, plans and their executions, etc. If one is prepared to completely erase the past, that is, all that has happened to one till this present moment, then fifty percent of one’s karma will be warded off!” TPR interrupted and asked, “what about the other fifty percent?”
Bhagavan smiled graciously and said, “If you have succeeded in giving up the past, that is, fifty percent of your karma, you will yourself realize that the remaining fifty percent is also destroyed. Simultaneously. With past and future erased, there will only be the NOW!”
“How does one achieve this almost impossible act of completely eradicating the past?” pleaded TPR. The ocean of grace and compassion that Bhagavan ever is, replied, “Accept and see without any trace of doubt or reaction, that whatever has happened up to the present moment is only through God’s injunction. One will then get tremendous energy to totally erase one’s past, on the valid ground and inner understanding, that no one through one’s effort can ever change one’s past”.
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TPR Formula – 2: On another occasion, TPR asked Bhagavan, “Bhagavan! It happens to all and at many a time too. Two friends get entangled in heated arguments on a commonly accepted issue. Each sincerely feels that his stand is correct and most assuredly the other is wrong. A stalemate results. In such cases, how can the issue be resolved to the satisfaction of both? Or is there no practical method at all to settle such tussles?”
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Bhagavan replied, “Yes, there is! It is very easy too!” He continued, “Since both are sincere, and are not arguing for argument’s sake, if you completely give up your standpoint for a moment, and accept the other’s point of view as your own, then there will be clarity in your mind. If possible, both should adopt or be persuaded to adopt, this method. If the other refuses, it doesn’t matter. You adopt it. You will then experience a release from the stalemate. This change in you will release the other too from the stalemate. Neither of you will be arguing any more.”
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In the 1930s, a manager at the ashram who often bossed over others arrogantly, once pounced on a dimunitve inmate and roared, “Do you know who I am?” This pious person boldly and firmly replied, “Isn’t that the sole purpose for which both of us have come to live in Ramanansramam?” The angry manager at once recognized his folly. Both went to Bhagavan, narrated what had happened and prayed for his forgiveness. Bhagavan gave a smile of acceptance and amusement.
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