We have seen in my past blogs how the Karmic Engine grinds karmic debts to dust relentlessly and thoroughly accounting for all the souls of this universe. Perhaps, It is a juggernaut that can be matched in size and complexity only by the tireless spinning of the Wheel of Time!

Is there no way out of Karmic Debt? Does it always bite back even if we have a strong remorse?

I once read in one of the books the below story:

There was once a man who was going on pilgrimage to meet his Guru residing in the mountains. It is a long and arduous journey and finally he reached his place and saw his Guru, sat before a yagna fire. After salutations and well-wishes, the man sat near his Guru by the fire. Suddenly, the Guru picked up a burning wood and rubbed it on the man’s back causing enormous pain and recoil! The skin was burnt, and the man was taken to a local hospital for treatment. He was crying in pain, and deep inside his psyche, suddenly a hatred grew for his Guru! He was resenting his visit to these mountains and for being probably taken for granted by a charlatan sporting as a Guru! He slowly drifted into sleep in his hospital bed due to the influences of the medicine.

The next morning, he happened to glance upon the Morning Newspaper, and he saw that the bus he has intended to take to return to his home has fallen in a ravine and lots of people lost their lives! His Guru, by his divine vision, has just saved his life – perhaps! He probably has traded a burn wound for death on behalf of his disciple.

This imagination is giving raise to lots of interesting questions:

1. On the relentless debt collection by the karmic engine

2. Offsetting our major karma by providing a substitution (breaking the monolith into manageable chunks)

3. Converting sharp/intense karmic load into dull and long-driven karmic load

4. Totally removing the effect of bad Karmas

5. Doing continuous good things in anticipation of removing unknown and bad karmic effects

Since the inner workings of the great Karmic engine is ADHRST to any souls, we cannot plan for each of the above scenarios aiming for accurate remedies. But we can be good souls and commit some actions from our side with a prayer to dispel our misfortunes.

Remember, we can compare our existence in the karmic field to being in the middle of a 16 lane super highway where all sorts of vehicles of all sizes pass by and towards us in different speeds. What do we do to escape? How can we declutter this highway by collecting good karma? It helps to think that, sometimes, a true Guru may be like a accompanying boom barrier before you in those high speed lanes! Sometimes, a true Guru with his wisdom, may put you in a spot on this inevitable highway (perhaps in heavenly realms!), where there no or less traffic.

The general idea is – to be good and be in the collection of good karma on a continuous basis.

What can an individual do to collect karmic goodies that can offset negative karma?

Some scriptures and old wisdom suggest some of the below techniques:

• Provide ‘Annadhana’ or food donation for the needy

• Provide ‘Kalvidhana’ or donate for supporting the education of poor people

• Donate or provide support to provide last rites of people who die as a orphan alone and in abject poverty

• Donate or provide support to eradicate poverty

• Donate or provide support for establishing a way of living for the needy

• Donate or provide for building shelters for those on the streets

• Donate or provide support for caring elders/orphanages

• Donate or provide support for disaster relief operations

• Donate or provide support for establishing faith-based institutions

• Provide time to educate the oppressed and those who cannot go to school

• Take efforts to spread true knowledge

• Take efforts to spread awareness

• Go on a pilgrimage with set goals

• Practice honesty and integrity

• Fight for justice

• Be in pursuit of excellence

• Practice, if possible all the 4 tracks - Bhakti yoga, Gnana yoga, Karma Yoga and Kriya Yoga (at the right age)

• Etc.,

What can a group do to collect karmic goodies that can offset negative karma?

• Establish good governments

• Design and implement people friendly policies

• Provide free education, healthcare, shelter and security

• Implement Universal Basic Income scheme

• Implement controls to clamp down on personal and business wealth accumulation, spread of wage ratio and for distribution of wealth

• Build institutions that support building of strong value systems

• Donate or support global initiatives like the UNSDG 2030

• Promote global peace and stability

• Raise the nation in the measure of happiness index and by the measure of groups such as transparency international

• Promote peace over war

• Support honesty and integrity

• Fight for justice

• Be in pursuit of excellence

• Support extensively, if possible, all the 4 tracks - Bhakti yoga, Gnana yoga, Karma Yoga and Kriya Yoga

It definitely helps to be a compassionate and decent global citizen as part of a compassionate and caring global power!

Hari Om!