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KARMA - THE MECHANISM
SUTRAS
New karma acts like 'fuel'. It renews the energy that forces our 'karmic engine' on and on.
Once we stop the intake of new karma, the karmic process loses the main source of energy that keeps it in motion. Though our 'karmic engine' may continue to run for a while longer since its remaining energy still needs to manifest till it is fully dissolved, we already initiated the ultimate end of the 'journey'.
The beginning of this process will be noticed clearly. While riding in an automobile, we sense immediately when the accelerator is not pressed down any more, even though the car continues to roll. With similar clarity we sense our life take a new course as soon as we stop fuelling the karmic mechanisms that limit us.
We can easily identify the effects of this process: - Actions that previously cast an almost hypnotic spell on us, suddenly cease to overshadow our awareness. Equanimity, distance and inner balance increase.3
More and more we observe our life simultaneously from two different levels. On one level we still experience the confining narrow
3 This equanimity and distance may temporarily become so strong that
our life appears less vivid and interesting. This may even be accompanied by a dark feeling that life and all its appearances are now without purpose. Yet this experience occurs only 4-5 times in all and usually lasts less than a week. It is typical for the development in progress and should be interpreted positively.
The feeling of emptiness is caused by our attachment to a level of life we already left. Events on that level now appear less intense because we already know their course and outcome and subconsciously recognize them as redundant repetitions. As long as we do not perceive new and more interesting levels yet, we tend to nostalgically reminisce how much more attractive some past events were. But since we have outgrown these events, they fail to mesmerize our consciousness with their familiar hypnotic fascination. In consequence we might feel world-weary and regretful.
Yet these emotions will only last for as long as we dwell on the past. Once we begin to trust that new experiences will always open up after we discarded old levels, our feeling shifts from regret to anticipation and eagerness.
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