Karma and Liberation

The following was obtained from here

In verse 2.39, Krishna introduces the word Sankhya.

Aeshaa thae(a)bhihithaa saankhyae, buddhiryogae thvimaam s(h)ruNu
Buddhyaa yukthO yayaa paartha, karmabhandham prahaasyasi - 2.39

This knowledge imparted to you till now, deals with Sankhya. Now you listen to this (following teaching) which deals with Yoga. Endowed with this wisdom, you will give up all the bonds of Karma, Oh Arjuna !

Sankhya is one of the six systems of philosophy pertaining to Hinduism. In Gita, Krishna used that word to indicate self-knowledge. Sankhya and yoga are the theory and practice of religion. They do not come into conflict with each other but complement each other. As Atman is understood, life gets enriched.
Yoga is living the life with abundance. By practising yoga, mind becomes more pure and clarity emerges with regard to the concept of atma. Thus jnana and yoga mutually aid.
So Krishna goes on to explain how to harmonise atma and life.
The person who sinned in the past
And
The person who suffers in the present
are one and the same.
In short, the past sinner is the present sufferer!

According to our scriptures, this is the mind-intellect-equipment (sukshma sarira) in each of us.
Why pursue karma yoga?
The knowledge of karma yoga enables to destroy the bondage of karma.
karmabhandham prahaasyasi
Karma here means dharma-adharma, which means punya-papa, the good and the bad actions that alone bind the individual. So it is called the bondage of karma. But this bondage is destroyed by the knowledge made possible by karma-yoga.
Knowledge destroys ignorance and with that, doesrship is destroyed, causing all karmas to fall apart.
To achieve moksha (liberation) both karma yoga and jnana yoga are necessary. Both life-styles imply knowledge. First, to gain knowledge, we need a properly prepared mind and God's grace.
Swami Chinmayananda's words are very relevant here:
One who lives in perfect equanimity in all conditions must necessarily come to live in a realm of his own away from
The pleasure and pain of intellect
The sobs of success and failure of the mind
The fears of loss and gain in the flesh.
To the degree an individual detaches himself from his own body, mind and intellect, to that degree , his ego is dead and therefore, since the "sufferer" is no longer available, thjere cannot be any more "fruits of action" for him to suffer.
Krishna next goes on to praise karma-yoga.

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Sadhana

This is obtained from one of Sathya Sai Mailing Lists - :

Sathya Sai Baba says, that there are three types of sadhanas-

1. Meena Sadhana - like the fish

Meena Sadhana can be explained by remembering that fish can survive only in water. The moment it is taken out of water, it perishes. Similarly meena sadhana is one which can be only in solitude. If you sit in public, the sadhana will not be successful. Being unable to concentrate when he is mixed up with other people, to be able to get concentration in solitude is called Meena sadhana.

2. Mriga Sadhana - like the animal

Mriga sadhana is that in which one can get concentration on the earth only. You cannot go elsewhere, say into water, and do it. As in this case, there are some people who can get concentration only when they are sitting in company with others. They cannot get concentration in solitude. If they are alone they begin to think of their family problems.

3. Kurma Sadhana - like the tortoise

On the other hand, the tortoise can live equally well either in water or on earth. So, if we say that one's sadhana is like kurma sadhana or one is able to concentrate like a tortoise, we mean that the person is able to concentrate irrespective of whether he is alone or sitting in company with others. This is called kurma sadhana.

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Five Human Values - Spiritual Learning

Whither shall I go from thy Spirit?
       Or whither shall I flee from Thy Presence?
       If I ascend up into heaven, Thou art there;
       If I make my bed in hell, behold, Thou art there.
       If I take the wings of the morning,
       And I dwell in the uttermost part of the sea;
       Even there shall Thy hand lead me,
       And Thy right hand shall hold me.
                                      -Psalms 139: 7-10

The five human values are - 

1. Truth, 
2. Righteous Conduct,
3. Peace,
4. Love and 
5. Non-Violence.

Below are the explanations - ( Source)

Truth

The life principle within each of us is the truth. We would not be existent without it and once we are not there, the world also ceases. This life principle is identified as the human soul which in turn is the 'resident divinity' within each individual. It is this truth which is the basis of every other thing and with the power of which the heart beats, the lungs breath and the system works. The role of human intellect is to find out the truth.

Interestingly, when one realizes and experiences this truth, one sees that the same truth pervades every other person and object. And in essence we are all one.

Truth has different levels. There is the truth of sense perception such as: 'the fire burns'. One can ascertain this with one's senses. There is also the truth by inference: such as 'man is mortal'. We base this statement on the strength of our observation of those around us and extend it to arrive at a general conclusion, even though we may not have seen every human being born in this world dying. Apart from all these is the truth which is incapable of being destroyed or hurt. It persists and pervades the whole cosmos.

Right Conduct

Truth in action is Righteous Conduct. The action takes place on the physical domain and behind each action there is thought. If this thought derives its sustenace from the human will, as opposed to human desire, the resultant action will be righteous.

What is of significance here is to understand the distinction between will and desire. Will is the colourless component of human resolve which motivates and inspires him to act in accordance with the truth. Different from this is the desire that prompts action. More often than not, this desire springs out from some myopic assumption or misbelief. The child has to be encouraged and trained to ignore impulses like this. In fact, it is the will to succeed which precedes everything else.

To ensure that Righteous Conduct becomes a way of life for a person, the education and training has to start in the childhood itself. This capability is developed in a child by some basic training in some important skills.

Peace

Peace is the end purpose of all human endeavour. Right or wrong, whatever a man thinks or does is with the intention of attaining peace and happiness.

Peace would certainly become a far more attainable entity, if one were to know the domain of personality at which it is acquired.

It is only when there is an emotional equilibrium that one experiences peace. This equipoise is not inert or vegetative but a dynamic realization that the emotional conflict and upsurge can never withstand the test of Truth and Righteousness. Peace is a state of 'power packed stillness' and follows the awareness that the source of human fulfilment is within.

Often dubbed as a mirage, peace can be a reality for each of us if we have faith in our innate power to do good, to be good and see good.

What is equally important is to recognize that nothing in this universe is ever responsible for absence of peace within us. It is only when our internal emotional system is disturbed that restlessness and confusion find a home. By conscious efforts we can certainly avoid such lacunae.

Love

 "How can one cultivate Prema? Firstly, consider always the faults of others however big to be insignificant and secondly, consider your faults however small to be big and feel sad and repentant. Whatever you do, with yourself and others, do it remembering that God is omnipresent. Endeavour every moment to be aware of the omnipotence of God."

The psychic domain of the human system is the source of love. Love is the expression of the individual divine within and is the power of soul. It is the mightiest of forces in the world and is truly representative of human nature.

Loeve is not an emotion. It is a form of energy which each individual transmits and receives every moment. It affects all forms of life. It is a peculiar possession which grows with sharing.

Love is the answer to the question: 'What in me loves - What in another person'. It is the reflection of the same Truth that one loves. What to say of children, even animals and beasts respond to this power of love. love helps us overcome the sense of fear by promoting better understanding and appreciation. Since Love springs from the Truth, it is in nature of Tighteous Action and results in peace.

Love has to begin by manifesting itself towards parents and grow and gradually to include family, neighborhood, country and most of all God.

Non- Violence

Non-violence is the zenith of human achievement and perfection. It is universal love that goes beyond our relation with our fellow beings and embraces all living and non-living things. It is the spiritual domain of existence. Here, one experiences the essential oneness and unity of all creation. It blossoms from the understanding that man has an obligation towards every object and component of this universe. And the least one can do is to try and extend one's sphere of love to all.

In the context of human beings, Non-violence means amity, harmony and the understanding; in the context of plants and animals it means non-injury that is, desisting from avoidable harm in the context of nature as such, it means non-violation of the law and balance of nature.

Thus the practice of non-violence is not restricted to the physical plane alone but includes all the three, that is, thought word and deed.

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