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Sinful activities - [vikarma] - and
their effects
Materialistic people and gross atheists, who have no faith in God or the Supersoul
within themselves, and who do not follow any religious scriptures, perform all
kinds of sinful and abominable activities simply for sense gratification.
They accept that the enjoyment of the senses is the ultimate goal of life, and
this materialistic concept they maintain until death. They do not believe in life
after death, and they do not believe in the observance of Gods laws for which
they have to account for. Therefore they feel free to do anything abominable just
for sense enjoyment, regardless of the future consequences.
A materialistic person, who does not abide by the laws of God, acts sinful mostly
due to ignorance of future suffering. He does not know that all his activities
are witnessed and recorded. He does not know that there is a witness sitting within
ones heart, the Supersoul, who is observing the activities of the individual soul
and who rewards different types of bodies according to one's karma, or activities
in this world.
[see also: two types of soul]
Even though we might not remember some of our past sinful activities, the Lord
never forgets. He will reward us for every action with the resultant reactions,
thus we have to suffer the tree-fold miseries of life. [see also: the three-fold
miseries of life]
There are many results of past sinful activities for which we are suffering at
the present moment, and we may be suffering in the future also due to our present
sinful activities. We may forget the misdeed for which we suffer at the present
moment, but we should understand that the Supersoul, who is the witness in our
heart, is our constant companion. He knows everything, past, present and future,
and as the ultimate controller, he destines all actions and reactions. Therefore
forgetfulness or ignorance is no excuse for evading the reaction which is future
suffering and distress.
If , by performance of an sinful act, one does not immediately receive a reaction,
than one should not think that he can go score-free, without paying back. For
sure the reaction will follow later on. For example a man may have committed criminal
acts but is not yet arrested for them. But after some time, when he is detected,
arrest is awaiting him. Similarly, for some of our sinful activities we are awaiting
distress in the future, and for others we may be suffering at the present moment.
The four effects of sinful activities
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1.
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the effect which is not yet
fructified |
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2.
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the effect which is lying
dormant as seed |
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3.
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the effect which is already
mature |
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4.
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the effect which is almost
mature |
The effects of sinful activities can be divided into two main categories, namely
those effects which are mature and those effects which are not mature yet. The
sinful activities for which we are suffering at the present moment are called
"the effect which is already mature".
The many sinful activities stored within us for which we have not suffered yet
are considered "immature effects". The effects "lying as seed" means that in the
core of the heart there is a certain stock of sinful desires which are like seeds,
waiting to sprout forth. They are almost ready to produce the seed, or the effect
of the seed. An "immature effect" refers to the case when the seedling has not
begun to sprout.
Mature sinful activities are exhibited if one is suffering from chronic diseases
or shows bodily deformations; if one is suffering from some legal implication
or is put to prison.
Sinful activities create desires for further sinful actions and in this way there
is a chain of sinful activities and their concomitant distresses. Due to this
sins the conditioned soul is suffering life after life. He is suffering in the
present life the results of sinful activities from his past life, and he is meanwhile
creating further suffering for his future life.
please also see:
freedom from karmic reactions
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