Arrows in Hand (Kriyamana karma/Agami karma)
The arrows in hand are the most important: The arrows that are in our hands today are the ones that we currently have a choice about where to aim and how to shoot. The arrows and choices in our hands today are called "Kriyamana Karma" (also called "Agami Karma" or "Vartamana Karma").
Becoming more aware: To be aware of the nature of wants, wishes, desires, attractions or aversions is very important. By being aware of our motivations, we can consciously shoot the arrows by choice, rather than unconscious habit.
Pure, colorless arrows: The actions which we take up with discrimination are the pure color less arrows which can be well aimed, well shot and which will give us the desired results. Such well aimed arrows will result mostly in positive results, with positive impressions of such arrows shot, stored in our quiver as white arrows, which will get us more and more positive character and more and more motivation to shoot such arrows again in our future births
Letting the Stray Arrows Fall
Reducing the In-flight arrows: When we start improving our aim, and thus creating fewer attachments and aversions, we also have to deal with the arrows that are already in flight.
Some of these in-flight arrows are painful, some are pleasurable. Whether bringing pain or pleasure, the consequences of these previously-shot arrows continues to come, until those arrows find their final destination and completion.
A simple process: There is a simple process to reducing the in-flight arrows:
We allow the arrows to fall where they are headed, accepting that some of them were poorly aimed. Past decisions are bringing current consequences. We accept these consequences and their responsibilities, as we stay focused on the arrows in hand. We allow the old arrows to run their course in such a way that we don't add more negative consequences to come.
Being kind to ourselves: The solution is to be very kind with ourselves, as we cultivate persistence and patience. We may want spiritual energy, grace, or shakti to come to us, yet one of the first forms of that comes as determination. To have, cultivate, or pray for such determination is an essential practice on the journey to Self-Realization.
- Becoming a good Archer in making useful decisions, developing determination, and practicing patience, form a powerful combination.
- Then, the number and intensity of off-course arrows of Karma gradually goes down, as the number that are on-target increases.
- Gradually our karmic focus shifts, as we move more and more towards a greater integration of mind, and reduction of samskaras.
- Then our meditations and contemplations can progress more smoothly and quickly on the Journey Within.
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Through these new arrows, you are deciding your future karmas: Now comes the most important thing to be learnt, contemplated and taken-in in the entire Karma learning.
We learnt in earlier posts under the label “Purpose of Human Birth” as to How God created us exactly as His own image, perfect and divine and what we made to ourselves when we ignored the truth that we are created divine by the divinity.
When we were created divine in the first instance, in that first birth itself, if we had exercised our choice to aim and shoot these new arrows properly, without our desires/fear/attachment/hatred/impressions affecting our aim, we would have accumulated all white arrows in our quiver when we were born next time and in that manner, with all white arrows taking us to God’s path, satsangh, meditation etc. we would have reached Lord very soon, in one or very few births.
That is, the aiming, the motive behind aiming the new arrows are going to decide the color of the arrows which we are going to get in return. To be more clear, while the aim of the arrows already carried by us while we are born is seldom in our choice/free will, the new arrows are our choice and the way in which we aim and shoot these new arrows ARE GOING TO DECIDE OUR FUTURE, WHETHER WE ARE GOING TO CARRY RED OR WHITE ARROWS AND ACCORDINGLY, WHETHER WE ARE GOING TO SUFFER OR REJOICE IN OUR NEXT BIRTH, WHETHER WE ARE GOING TO TAKE DEMON’S PATH (DESIRE FILLED PATH OF EGO) OR GOD’S PATH (PATH OF BHAKTI OR JNANA ETC.) IN OUR NEXT BIRTH(S).
THEN HOW TRUE IS IT THAT WE ARE THE MASTERS AND MAKERS OF OUR OWN DESTINY????
The goal in human life or in other words, the desired goal which one wants to get when he aims these new arrows with his choice, is defined as PURUSHARTHA in Indian philosophy.
We will learn more about what is PURUSHARTHA, in our next reading.
Love.
