The notion that pranayama removes negative karmas is also seen in medieval Hatha Yoga literature. All karmas are eliminated when pranayama is learned, according to the Hatha Yoga Pradipika.
Sundaradeva's Hatha Tatva Kaumudi agrees that pranayama removes mountains of karmic demerit, while Jayatarama's Jogapradipyaka (a book written in Hindi rather than Sanskrit) expands this to include all kinds of karmic demerit.
• karma we have produced in the past that has not yet fructified, i.e. is waiting in the karmic storehouse (sanchita karma)
• karma we have created in the past that is now fructifying or active and has shaped our current bodies (prarabdha karma)
• karmas that we are currently creating and that will lead to future manifestations (kriyamana karma). Pranayama destroys them all at the same time.
Without going into too much depth on karma, I would remark that, as you may have observed, anytime one makes a fresh start in life or grows in a new path, old tendencies tend to manifest themselves after the initial excitement has worn off.
- This may take the form of attempting a variety of methods but never succeeding in getting beyond a particular degree of difficulty.
- The reason for this is because the formation of your current body and mind has specific karmas (prarabdha karmas) attached to it.
- These karmas are tough to overcome, and if given the opportunity, they will reassert themselves.
- They are so deeply entrenched that some Indian schools recommend accepting them as decreed.
Similarly, we have collected karmas in the past that have yet to be fulfilled.
- The issue with these sanchita karmas, which are waiting for the right trigger in the karmic storehouse, is that we have no idea what they will generate for us.
- Even if our current circumstances are favorable, these karmas may be bad.
- It is a frequent misconception that simply because one is in a good situation today, one is entitled to it indefinitely.
- However, according to karma doctrine, you may be using up your last piece of merit right now.
As a result, the lesson is to never rest on one's laurels and to strive for spiritual development at all times.
The yogi's goal is to prevent these karmas from bearing fruit.
Kriyamana karmas are the third kind of karmas that we are now generating and will yield fruit in the future.
- Kriyamana implies that we are in charge of our own destiny right now.
- Our current ideas, expressions, and actions define who we will become in the future.
- The rishis and siddhas of old promised us that these three kinds of karma might be burned in the fire of pranayama, resulting in full liberation from our past.
In his book Hatha Tatva Kaumudi, Sundaradeva states this point quite clearly.
- He first describes how the yogi sees the three kinds of karma via Kundalini arousal.
- He then extinguishes them with pranayama.
- Later in the same book, Buddha states that rigorous practice removes all subconscious imprints (samskaras) as well as karma that has already begun to manifest (prarabdha karma).
- This precise declaration is especially important since this kind of karma is the most difficult to remove because it has already resulted in the formation of our current body and is intimately linked to it.
- This karma is in our DNA, or has created the DNA of our current body, to use a modern phrase.
You may also want to read more about Pranayama and Holistic Healing here.
