Every human being is endowed with three bodies including the gross, subtle and causal. Physical experiences belong to the gross body, while dreams belong to the subtle body and the causal body is said to be the repository of our karmas (past actions). The ego is said to reside in the subtle body and moves within 72,000 nadis (ethereal nerves). The kundalini (shakti or feminine aspect) that lies at the base of the spine is often represented as a serpent having three and a half coils (the three coils stand for the three gunas and the half stands for the ego, shakti).
For Shiva to awaken or manifest in an individual, the kundalini must rise from the base of the spine and merge with her lord. Sadashiva is Ardhanareeshwara (the Lord who is half male, half female). In order that He manifest, kundalini must rise fully. Shiva is represented by the head; the highest part of the body. Devotees of Sadguru Murali Krishna have on several occasions been recipient to his assertion that Lord Shiva symbolises the head.
For this to happen, the storehouse of our karmas (the effects of both positive and negative actions from past lives, the present life and future lives) need to be completely exhausted.
The notion of manubandhana is worth exploring here as it will help us understand why Sadguru Murali Krishna constantly speaks of the need to perform positive actions to eliminate the effects of negative actions.
Manubandhana is central to understanding the spiritual traditions of sanatana dharma. Like the law of karma, reincarnation, and the concept of dharma, the notion is highly misunderstood and for that reason alone, merits attention. Sai Baba of Shirdi, on several occasions emphasised its importance, as have many spiritual masters before and after.
One way of defining karma is action. But actions are not performed in isolation of a context or an environment within which they are located. Even if the purpose of these actions is not always clear to us (as actors), this does not obscure the fact that there is invariably intent behind every action we perform.
Actions invariably have an object or a destination to which they are targeted. Karma can be described as the law of cause and effect. Dharma on the other hand, can be defined in multiple ways. In this context, it is best defined by the need to do what you are about.
Accordingly, the dharma of a thief lies in stealing, a teacher in teaching, a sanyasi in ego-renunciation and so on. It is legitimate to say that positive actions that contribute to creating harmony in the universe are dharma, while negative actions that destroy the natural harmony of the universe constitute adharma.
As one of the Upanishads declare: “Verily, one becomes good by good action and bad by bad action.” Or, as the sacred Srimad Bhagvatam observes on the other hand: “Karma is the guru; nay, it is the Supreme Lord!” Briefly stated, the law mandates that the consequences of every one of our numerous actions is regulated in the manifested universe we live in.
The key to this process is self-identification to the action performed; the more we identify with the action, the more severe are the consequences of that identification. Ignorance of the workings of this cosmic law does not exculpate the doer from bearing its consequences. Every action performed by an individual creates a karma whose reaction will have to be experienced.
The article has been taken from the book ‘The Global Mission of Sadguru Sri Sharavana Baba’