Jain Digest 2018 10

Author(s): Federation of JAINA
Publisher: USA Federation of JAINA

Page 18

JainDigest Nirjara Bhavana
By Hema Pokharna, PhD (Dr. Hema Pokharna is a Certified Nonviolent Communication (NVC) Trainer. As an Executive Coach and Consultant she works with leaders and their teams to improve personal and organizational collaborative leadership. Hema is also an interfaith peacemaker and mediator, and has served on the board of Parliament of World Religions, Play for peace and presently serves on the board of Council of Religious Leaders of Chicago and also on JSMC and the JAINA Interfaith Committee. Email: hemapokharna.phd@gmail.com)
"It had long since come to my attention that people of accomplishment rarely sat back and let things happen to them. They went out and happened to things." - Leonardo Da Vinci Clutter is stuck energy that has far-reaching effects the debris that prevents us from connecting with our physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. The simple higher Self and with God. This shredding process of act of clearing clutter can transform your life by releasing shedding karma particles from the kaarman body of negative emotions, generating energy, and allowing you the soul is said to occur as naturally as fruits falling to to create space in your life for things you want to achieve the ground upon maturation or ripening. This can be
likened to the Let-Nature-Take-its-Course method. In Feng Shui is the art of balancing the flow of natural other words, the karma gives its results and it is shed off. energies in our surroundings to create beneficial effects This natural, unintentional process of shedding is called on our lives. These natural energy flows were well known "Akaam Nirjara." In Akaam Nirjara, as the karmas get and understood by the ancients, and their knowledge away from the soul, there is a new influx of karmas which still exists in some cultures today. In Bali, people still live replaces them and gets bonded to the soul. This outflux in total harmony with both the physical, seen world and and influx of karmas becomes a vicious cycle for the the ethereal, unseen world of invisible energies. soul born again and again. When the soul is clean and
devoid of such karma particles, it is called liberation, or Karen Kingston, in her book "Clear your Clutter with moksha. Moksha is the ultimate spiritual goal of human Feng Shui," spells out three ways to deal with our clutter: life, and so knowing the process of Nirjara becomes a
key spiritual practice. 1. The Let-Nature-Take-its-Course method. Put it in a place where it will disintegrate to such a point that you There is another type of Nirjara that is called "Sakaam no longer want to keep it.
Nirjara." It is a proactive process to use soul energies
to actively shed karmas, instead of the karmas maturing 2. The Wait-Until-You-Die-and Let-Your-Relative-Sort-it- and releasing their grip on the soul and creating a path Out method. This has been a great favorite throughout of salvation. the centuries. You can even draw up a will telling people exactly what to do with it all!
This can be compared to the Take-Responsibility-for
the-stuff-and-Clear-it-Yourself method. This intentional 3.The-Take-Responsibility-for-the-Stuff-and-Clear-it- shedding of the karmas is done by penance or tapas, Yourself method. This
internal as well as external. is the method highly
They are called Antar-tap recommended and is far
"Clutter is not just physical stuff. and Bahya-tap, respectively. more empowering, has much better karma, and It's old ideas, toxic relationships
This process can be allows you to get on with
and bad habits.
explained by the example your life immediately,
of a boat. If there is a instead of waiting for you Clutter is anything that does not
hole in the boat, we put a or your clutter to expire! support your better self."
stopper or a lid on the hole
to block new entry of water Similarly, Nirjara is a process
into the boat. This is called of shedding karma particles,
- Eleanor Brownn
Samvar, stopping the influx which, like dust, have
of water, or karmas. The adhered to our soul from
water already accumulated endless times. It is clearing
in the boat is like the karmas
de national.com