Karma: A Yogi's Guide to Creating Your Own Destiny: A Yogi's Guide to Crafting Your Destiny

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Depending on the type of [vasana] you emit, you attract certain kinds of life situations to yourself.” And having been through it a couple of times, I feel more optimistic about being able to "handle my karma," i.e. life. About enjoying life in general. And I feel a renewed willingness to do my part to handle the problems of others. For, as one of Sadhguru's aphorisms for beginning yogis says (my paraphrase): All rules are my rules. I understand that in a more profound way after reading this book. Karma is the subject of legend and myth, and we use it to explain away things we don’t understand. Many a sage and philosopher have spent a lifetime contemplating the nature and equation of Karma. Each of us must form and embrace the concept of Karma for our lives. Dedicated to the physical, mental and spiritual well-being of humanity and endowed with perfect clarity of perception, Sadhguru has an outlook on life that never ceases to fascinate, challenge and amaze all those in need. Sadhguru founded the Isha Foundation, a non-profit, volunteer-led organization operating in over 300 centers and supported by over 11 million volunteers worldwide. Through powerful yoga programs for inner transformation and inspiring social initiatives, the Isha Foundation has launched a massive movement dedicated to all aspects of human well-being. Everyone will enjoy the book as well written, easily understood (at least on gross level) and comes handy with nice exercises (Sadhna) one can try and experiment by themselves.

The book aims to completely upend the conventional misinterpretation of the term Karma, and succeeds brilliantly by providing utmost clarity about what it really is! What becomes clear through the entirety of this wonderfully crafted manual is that Karma is the most dynamic way to exist, and brings to fore our own limitations in dealing with it head on. Karma is an elaborate and sophisticated mechanism, but we simply don’t have a grip on it, primarily because we haven’t taken charge of our life and faculties! What is karma? Most people think of karma as a balance of good and bad deeds, virtues and sins. The mechanism that dictates that we cannot escape the consequences of our actions. In fact, karma has nothing to do with reward and punishment. Karma simply means action: your work, your responsibility. It is not an external system of crime and punishment, but an inner circle created by you. The accumulation of karma is determined only by your intention and the way you react to what is happening to you. Over time, it is possible to become trapped in one’s own unconscious patterns of behavior.Reading “Karma” was a profound journey of realizing just how little I actually understood about karma. As I came to terms with all the falsehoods I’ve held about this term, I began to understand that karma offers the possibility of living in a conscious and inclusive manner. I had heard a lot about this book and was afraid that this book would not live up to my high expectations. I have to say that it exceeded all expectations and definitely delivered everything it promised and then some! Sadhguru has written a book that not only answers questions about karma but opens our minds to explore, experience and use it in our lives to determine our own life path.

Surprisingly, this book has been a "hide under the covers with a flashlight and hope the parents don't catch you" type of read. I really found it that engrossing.Tour de Force from Sadhguru, maybe his best yet. For folks who come from a skeptical or scientific perspective, it's great because Sadhguru speaks to this-he says don't believe anything he says. Why read then? Try it as a working hypothesis and see whether this model captures your experience. I am only about a third through the book but already it is making me think in new ways about how I am creating recurring patterns that I did not even see as patterns before the book, much less see my role in creating them. A crucial aspect is discovering how I am getting new understandings because the book highlights assumptions made about karma, a main one being that it is about reward and punishment for good or bad actions. I think this is a mindset I imbibed unconsciously from the way spirituality or God is understood overall in American culture. The book highlights assumptions like this and offers a different premise to try and I am experiencing this as opening new possibilities for creating my life the way I want it. In this beautiful, eye-opening book, Sadhguru turns the tables by showing us clearly that Karma is an empowering possibility for taking charge of our lives by choosing how we respond to what is happening. This book gives us the tools and actual practices to make this shift in taking responsibility, as the first step towards our true liberation and a more conscious planet. Karma is the natural basis of all existence. It is not a law that is imposed from above. It does not allow us to outsource our responsibility anywhere else; it does not allow us to blame our parents, our teachers, our countries, our politicians, our gods, or our fates. It makes each one of us squarely responsible for our own destinies and, above all, the nature of our experience of life. Your physical body will age and decay. The mental body is a wonderful instrument but it can also rust with age… The energy body however can be completely unaffected by the aging process. You can maintain it just the way it was when you were born and keep it in mint fresh condition until you die.” In his own inimitable style, Sadhguru intersperses the discussion on Karma with deeply insightful and witty stories which drive the point home beautifully.

Over time, this has a cumulative impact on cellular and genetic memory, as well as on the energy system.” In many ways, I felt this is a book about how life works and how we can use the process of life to create our destiny. Ranked amongst the fifty-most influential people in India, Sadhguru is known as a speaker and opinion maker of international renown. He has been conferred the Padma Vibhushan, India's highest annual civilian award, accorded for exceptional and distinguished service.

Customer reviews

This book requires no knowledge of yoga, spiritual education, or any dogma. It’s about life – your life – and concepts of how to control your experience; Now the world won’t let you go. You become master of your own destiny. Sadhguru has a way of weaving together some anecdotes and stories that are very entertaining and even easy to read. You will smile sometimes. And there are meditations or suggestions for the subtle practices to enhance your life and experience. And while I recommend all of his books, I think it’s a good start, one of his best books.