Transmission of Karma
Question
QUESTION: Can the karmas or sins of one person transferred to another person knowingly or unknowingly?
To put in other words, can we catch the karmas/sins(unwanted)of others, and if yes, how should we avoid them or be careful about them?
ANSWER: While the entire karma of another person doesnot get contracted, one gets influenced/affected by anothers karma under conditions such as:
1. Close physical, mental or verbal contact.
2. Eating the food cooked by another, wearing the clothes worn by another etc.
3. Relationship/sexual contact/marriage.
4. Constant contemplation/thoughts about that person or his/her nature, activities etc.
5. Stealing/ receiving/ taking money, gifts, belongings, wealth in kind or any other favors without justification (without giving something of equal value in return) or unlawfully.
6. Giving something to another with the thought I have done him a favor and hope to get something in return (or in other words assuming doership as a result of which karma involving the Ego is produced, which makes it longer to dissolve karma and attain liberation)
Under such cases, there is a possibility for some part of anothers karma to get transferred. Hence Yogi-s do not accept any favor (and thereby make themselves liable to karmic debt), if they are not able to return the same. They also do not bestow favors upon others with the thought of doership. When they help others, it is with the thought I do nothing. The Lord is working from within me and making me help the other. I do not want anything in return as it is not me who is working but the Lord. All these actions of mine, I surrender to the Lord as his medium and not the doer. For the same reasons, they also talk less, maintain minimum direct contact with people and stay aloof, concentrating on their practices.
Avoiding all these points mentioned to the best possible extent or indulging in interpersonal relationships with a selfless perspective (where it is impossible to completely avoid contact) are some of the methods of avoiding unwanted karma.
ॐ तत् सत्
(That Supreme being is the absolute truth)
[an error occurred while processing this directive]---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Thanks for the reply... While I appreciate your answer I am not able to refrain myself from asking another question about your answer in point 2.
Can we get the karma from even our loved ones such as wife/mother, etc also, if we eat the food cooked them?
In such cases whom should we accept the food from or do you suggest the best way for a brahmachari is to prepare his food himself?
Answer
1. These very relationships such as that with ones mother/wife/family etc. are the result of past karma. In reality, the Atman has no relationship with anybody, being single, without a second. It is the Jiva which has karmic connections with other Jiva-s. All these relationships are thus the means of working out karma (and also adding more karma) leading to this endless Samsâra (ocean of trans-migratory existence).
माता नास्ति पिता नास्ति नास्ति बन्धु सोदरः |
नास्ति अर्थं नास्ति गृहं तस्मात् जाग्रत जाग्रत||
O deluded man, there is nothing called mother, nothing called father, nothing called relatives and nothing called siblings
Neither does wealth exist (in reality), nor your house. Hence be alert, be alert (from getting attached to these illusions)
- Âdi Shankaracharya, a Self-realized Yogi and founder of the Advaita philosophy.
All these are illusory, transient and impermanent in nature. They are not entities or things of substance. Attachment to any one of them always ends in sorrow. Being unreal, they cannot give happiness. They are the result of past karma and will soon go away. For attaining to true bliss, one should become the Atman (through self-realization). That alone is the true state of substance.
Hence the wise Yogi wishing liberation from this Samsâra treats everyone with a selfless perspective and does not expect anything from another. He does not take anything belonging to another, nor is he attached to objects that belong to him. He treats all other beings as the Atman with impartiality and reduces the advent of further karma arising from attachment.
The act of cooking involves involuntary transmission of Prana, mental thoughts and karmic nature of the one who cooks into the food cooked. This is why womenfolk in the house are advised to cook for their family with a pleasant, loving and happy mind, for cooking with a disturbed or deranged state of mind leads to inundating of such qualities into the food which the eater then acquires and suffers. It is inevitable for a married man or one living in a family to eat food cooked by another, for it is his karma that has brought him into contact with these other Jiva-s through relationships. Hence such transfer of karma being a part of his destiny cannot be avoided. It has to be negated through the fire of Yoga Samadhi (super-consciousness) alone. However, it is best to avoid to the extent possible, eating food, cooked by others. This is the reason advanced Yogi-s sometimes cook themselves and avoid eating food outside of home.
If both the Yogi and his wife are in a Brahmacharya-marriage (a life of absolute & unbroken Brahmacharya in marriage further to the birth of a child without entertaining any sexual thoughts, words or deeds as regards each other), supported by a life of Yoga with a selfless attitude to the whole world, remnant karma between them gradually wears away and no new karma is formed. Such a couple live with the sole objective of realizing Brahman (Almighty) and not to sate desires. They are content with whatever wealth that comes lawfully to them through their Prarabdha karma (karma working out presently). Such a marriage then does not become an impediment to Brahmacharya and self-realization. Food cooked by such a virtuous wife, being free from impurity (for her mind is pure in the thought of the Lord and service to her husband and family with love and selflessness), does not come in the way of perfecting Samadhi meditation. This is stated in the scriptures and is also my observation from personal experience, further to being blessed with a noble and virtuous wife by the grace of the Lord.
2. There have been cases of Yogi-s who were not fortunate to get such a wife/family. Such people were known to renounce the family or make alternate arrangements of living. While cooking food by oneself under such circumstances is no doubt the best option, it might not be possible for one and all. Under such cases, one has to soley depend on his Yogic practice and the grace of Lord for progress and persevere with a selfless attitude.
ॐ तत् सत्
(That Supreme being is the absolute truth)