Theos-Talk Archives (December 1998 Message tt00003)

How to Become a Jivamukta

"We should bear in mind that, in becoming Karmaless,
both good as well as bad karma have to be got rid of,
and that Nidanas started the acquisition of good
karma, are just as binding as those induced in the
other direction. For 'both' are karma." (HPB, IGT,
p.10)

Here HPB tells us how to be karmaless, which is,
IMO, the true goal of karma yoga. Somewhere she
also points out that golden chains (good karma) are
just as binding as iron chains (bad karma).

The desire to become karmaless by doing good works
and by becoming altruistic and empathetic merely
produced the golden chains of good karma. But she
would never have mentioned "in becoming Karmaless"
if such a thing was impossible. It is not impossible.
There is a way or method.

I found out many years ago that forgiveness will sever
many of our karmic ties with the past. By forgiving
others, we can cut karmic ties with those others. By
forgiving ourselves (because we acted out of
ignorance, perhaps) we cut many of the karmic ties
that bind us to past events.

I also discovered that acting with compassion and with
no thought for any reward will allow us to act in the
present without producing future karma. The key to
this is to not seek a reward, which is one of the golden
chains that bind us to future karma.

I also discovered that forgiveness and compassion
and acting without thought of reward are easier to say
and think about than to do. But as we do this (karma
yoga in its highest sense) we slowly cut karmic ties and
move toward the jivamukti condition. We don't have to
wait until our next life to begin practicing this.

Jerry S.