Satsang With Murali Venkatrao | Karma and Reincarnation

Satsang, meaning “Fellowship with Truth,” is an age-old tradition in India that Paramhansa Yogananda brought to the West. We meditate together to feel the aura of the Masters embracing everyone. In this uplifted atmosphere, we share inspiration on a spiritual topic. This months topic is… Karma and Reincarnation are the two core teachings of Sanatan Dharma, the universal spiritual path that has been preserved in India. The popular view of Karma is that of a cosmic justice system which ensures that “what goes around, comes around”. It has been used to explain away our troubles; and to feel good that bad people eventually get their karmic comeuppance. And, it has encouraged excessive focus on retribution, and fatalism (“sigh, this is my karma, there’s nothing I can do”). But great rishis (ancient seers) tell us that karma – which means action – is not a bondage that keeps us in ever-present fear of consequences of past deeds. Rather, it is about intentional actions that we can do in the here and now: when done with great will power and with the thought of God, they ultimately give us power and ownership of our life. Indeed, it is possible to change our karmic landscape to such an extent that one is able to escape the cycle of birth and rebirth, into liberation. Karma is not about mechanistic predestination, but about choices made with great awareness. This is why Krishna said, in the Bhagavad Gita that: Let man uplift himself by his own effort, and let him not debase himself. Indeed, one’s self is his own greatest friend – or (if he so chooses) his own greatest enemy (6:5). Join Murali Venkatrao in a lively and deep exploration of this topic, where we draw from Paramhansa Yogananda’s teachings, and from his commentaries on the Bhagavad Gita and the Bible; and the story of Dharma Vyadha from the Mahabharata. Recorded May 23, 2026 from the Ananda Meditation Temple in Bothell, WA Next satsang is Saturday, August 1, 2026 at 5p pacific time. Join live online with Zoom https://www.anandawashington.org/awev...