Karma and the Fine Art of Remapping Our MemoriesSpirituality

Each one of us is born with a unique genetic make-up, which provides a basic template for our general behaviour. This behaviour is further modified by our surroundings.

These interactions, especially in early life, imprint powerful memories in our brain. Our mind is the total sum of our memories which govern our actions.

Our actions then reinforce our memories in a feedback loop-type mechanism. Memories or sanskars, as Patanjali calls them in his Yoga Darshan, are the genesis of karma. Karma is action embracing the whole meaning of living.

We are because of our karma. Our karma or actions, good and bad, decide our future in this or the next life. The law of karma is central to Indian philosophy.

Some say that the law of karma is deterministic: you are born according to your karma, things happen to you because of your past karmas, so it is not possible for one to change one's present life.

This, however, negates the whole basis of yoga which claims that one can change memories and hence one's life. All four systems of yoga: jnana, raja, bhakti and karma, teach us to live positively in thought, word and deed. This helps produce positive memories and hence good karma.

Every individual has the power to change his destiny and memories by his actions in this life. Our actions change the neural pathways in the brain and hence the mind, which guides us to our future course of action.

We can change our memories through yogic process and cultivation of deep thought, and change our karma. Deep thought on any subject for a long time is the essence of yoga, the sanyam in Patanjali yoga.

Sanyam allows memory removal or sublimation of existing memories into new ones. Thinking deeply about a subject for a long time requires tremendous processing capabi-lity of the brain and it can only be achieved if the mind gets rid of some existing memories.

The brain is pliable >>