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  • Karma

  • A Yogi's Guide to Crafting Your Destiny
  • Written by: Sadhguru
  • Narrated by: Sadhguru, Leslie Howard
  • Length: 8 hrs and 56 mins
  • 4.9 out of 5 stars (171 ratings)

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Karma

Written by: Sadhguru
Narrated by: Sadhguru,Leslie Howard
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Publisher's Summary

New York Times, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly Best Seller
“Full of valuable insights to guide you.” (Will Smith)
“Thoughtful and life-affirming...a must-read.” (Tony Robbins)
“This book will put you back in charge of your own life.” (Tom Brady)

A new perspective on the overused and misunderstood concept of "karma" that offers the key to happiness and enlightenment, from the world-renowned spiritual master Sadhguru.

What is karma? Most people understand karma as a balance sheet of good and bad deeds, virtues and sins. The mechanism that decrees that we cannot evade the consequences of our own actions. In reality, karma has nothing to do with reward and punishment. Karma simply means action: your action, your responsibility. It isn’t some external system of crime and punishment, but an internal cycle generated by you. Accumulation of karma is determined only by your intention and the way you respond to what is happening to you. Over time, it’s possible to become ensnared by your own unconscious patterns of behavior.

In Karma, Sadhguru seeks to put you back in the driver’s seat, turning you from a terror-struck passenger to a confident driver navigating the course of your own destiny. By living consciously and fully inhabiting each moment, you can free yourself from the cycle. Karma is an exploration and a manual, restoring our understanding of karma to its original potential for freedom and empowerment instead of a source of entanglement. Through Sadhguru’s teachings, you will learn how to live intelligently and joyfully in a challenging world.

©2021 Sadhguru (P)2021 Random House Audio

What the critics say

“With Karma, Sadhguru explores both the limitations and possibilities of human existence. It is full of valuable insights to guide you to live a life of fulfillment and well-being.” (Will Smith)

Karma is a thoughtful and life-affirming reminder of our vast capacity to effect positive change in our own life and in the lives of others. A must-read for anyone feeling stuck and hopeless.” (Tony Robbins )

“Forget what you think you know about karma - Sadhguru shows us it’s not a punishment for bad behavior, but a vehicle for transformation and empowerment. This book will put you back in charge of your own life.” (Tom Brady)

What listeners say about Karma

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Transformative and enlightening!

An incredible perspective on what life truly is and how to enjoy life as it is!

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  • Hem
  • 2021-05-11

Finally a proper Explanation

Karma is so misused in today's world. Especially in the west, Sadhguru explains the reality behind it and clearly states what one can do actively to understand karma better. This book is not based on philosophies or "perspectives" as most people like to dismiss it but rather facts and experience of life; looking at it with utmost clarity. Also if anyone who has completed inner engineering, this is just a boon and blessing. Thank you Sadhguru!

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Best book for all people.

Unparalleled insight into the mechanics of reality. Must read for anyone who wants to learn to live & die with grace & joy.

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  • BB
  • 2022-03-14

amazing!!!

Very deep ,revealing as well as practical. Will read again! Thank you for sharing this knowledge.

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loved it

once started I couldn't stop listening, did my best to finish the book as soon as I could. I don't think a book like this can be rated, its more like how much one can absorb from the book and adopt going forward. This book answers many questions that I had for very long time. This is awesome.

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The book was very theoretical to the point of your karma from generations past. It was ok but not sure i would recommend.

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A Life Changer

Deeply enjoyed listening to Sadhguru taking us by the hand along this journey for liberation, or self realization. And now, time to turn it into Action. 🙏

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Loved it

An amazing book with so much knowledge about life and karma, I would recommend it for all

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excellent book. great insights and examples

read by author. an exceptional work of valuable insights for any human looking to progress within themselves.

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Eye opening

This book has been an eye opening realization of the true meaning of karma and how it relates to the world around us.

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  • Rose Blum
  • 2021-04-30

Ancient teachings revisited

The author and narrator, a self proclaimed Guru, Sadhguru sets forth a bunch of topics that he attempts to answer. It started off in a rather compelling way, littered with amusing parables. As time wore on though, I found the evasive speech, contradictions and self promotion disturbing. Any spiritual teacher of note, that I have met, has been extraordinarily clear.
Sadhguru's humour and intelligence is enjoyable and he seems like a likeable character, but I am not up for purchasing what he is selling - his ashram that is built in the most spiritual place, that simply being there will be transformative (and from what I researched, costs a pretty penny)- and think there are too many dubious aspects to his reputation: possibly murdered wife and disgruntled followers. But, the book will provide an interesting dialogue, if you can sit lightly to everything it raises and remain clear that you are just listening to another person's view on reality. Personally, I loved the bit about creating more karma if we do things while resenting them, so I am using that as my ticket to leave the washing up!

25 people found this helpful

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  • Amazon Fan
  • 2021-05-17

Book jackhammers reader's consciousness into aware

Karma, the 2021 book by yogi Jagdev Vasudeva, Sadguru, as he is commonly called, is a captivating book. The magic starts with the name: Karma. Who is not curious, seduced, or titillated by the Karma riddle? How can I build good Karma and protect my life from bad Karma? The author starts the first part of the book by dispelling common misconceptions about what it is and what it is not. For instance, he says that Karma is not a giant balance sheet of good and bad deeds meticulously scrutinized by some God in the sky. In the second section of this book, he shares insights into how to identify Karma and shake it off, get rid of, or dissolve bad Karma. Stay away from people who bring bad fortune to you, cut down your spirit, stop meaningful progress for you and generally drain you of your goodness, strength, and spirit. This powerful book jars the mind and shakes the soul. It’s like taking a jackhammer to the head. It will make you question everything about the now, today, yesterday, and tomorrow.

What’s the core message?

Karma is all you babe; or bubba! In the author’s interpretation, the memories of your past deeds stay embedded within you from one life form to another and one lifetime to another. Those embedded memories can be millions of tiny shields and swords that protect you and win battles against harm or they can be millions of needles that prick you even when you have done nothing to deserve the pain and bleeding in the current.

The earning of good Karma lies in the living of a fully immersed life in every moment, with full vigor, commitment, and intention. To not get tagged by bad Karma, act without expectations or entanglement with the outcome, and always act without bad intention. If you can’t pour positivity into your actions, stop. Don’t do it. Don’t act under obligation, duty, resentment, anger, or ill will. When you do, a minimum, the result will be truncated and diminished, and at worst, it will hurt you now or in the future. To make the action right, get the intention right. Then take action.

If what you are receiving is not given with genuine goodness, positive intention, and good Karma, don’t take it. Be it food, treasure, or companionship, decline it with grace and gratitude or reject it with bluntness because will harm you now or later. The message is very subtle and very impactful. Slow down and you will gain speed. Disengage and you will find full engagement. Do less and you will accomplish more. Such is the power of meditation, contemplation, and intention. Add positive intention to your deeds and earn good Karma.

If you can’t escape and must be a part of the bad Karma of a circumstance, place, or person, engage with advance preparation, immerse fully, and cleanse thoroughly. Like a firefighter wears fire protection to enter an inferno, mentally, physically, and psychologically, prepare yourself to face the turbulent fire of the situation. Work with the best intent and goodness that you can apply. Upon completion of the work, retreat to regroup and rebalance your senses. Wash off the necessary crud that will be on your body. Take a meditative shower and contemplate goodness. Indeed, a real shower also regenerates positivity and washes off dark energy.

Set ambitious goals? Yes! Work hard to acquire skills and prepare to achieve your goals? Yes! Do the absolute best? Absolutely! Focus on the intent, commitment, diligence, and execution. Consider the outcome to be irrelevant. Embrace the outcome whatever it is. Celebrate the outcome? Yes! It does not matter what the outcome is. The outcome is out of your hands.

How do these concepts compare with points raised in other books?

Karma is the subject of legend and myth, and we use it to explain away things we don’t understand. Many a sage and philosopher have spent a lifetime contemplating the nature and equation of Karma. Each of us must form and embrace the concept of Karma for our lives.

What the book does well.

This book covers a lot of ground on framing Karma as a construct of the author. It does a good job conveying that each of us is responsible and accountable for our Karma and that that intention matters in deeds and actions. The word the author repeatedly uses to convey this is “volition”. In giving and taking, we must be mindful of intentions and should take precautions when a transaction has the potential of blocking good intentions.

What could have made this book better?

This marvelous discourse could have been even more positive by a few simple steps. First, one point that the author emphasizes in earning and creating good Karma, is to remain unattached to the outcome and disentangled from emotion while doing the work. Surprisingly, the author himself falls victim to his own caution. For example, in his critique of what he describes as misconceptions, myths, or mischaracterizations, he goes well beyond a clean and crisp critique and laces his assessment of supposedly lesser authors with anger and condemnation. There was no need for this and it only hurts the author’s own integrity and authenticity. Next, this book stands strongly on the author’s interpretation of the concept of Karma. It’s a very meaty discussion. Unfortunately, at times it seemed like a cheap pamphlet for Sadguru’s Isha Foundation. A better way to elaborate on the sacred aspects of the Isha Yoga Center would have been to include an exclusive chapter on the magnificent center and the fine work that happens there. In this way, the reader would have gotten a more thorough and comprehensive understanding of Sadguru’s work.

Who would benefit from reading this book?

This book is great for high school students and all students of life of any age. What makes it useful is that it directly addresses life values that shape behaviors and guide actions.

What I got out of the book. Insights and takeaways.

While the author is a captivating and enchanting storyteller, we must remember that this is one man’s interpretation of Karma. No more. No less. We must all make our choices and be accountable for them. The following steps can be useful to living a life of full immersion and engagement.

(1) Form your own understanding where you take an account of your own life with a statement similar to the following: Karma and Karmic balance is entirely and fully a result of my actions, and I alone have the power and responsibility to create and destroy my good and bad Karma. Karma is action. Take action!

(2) To stop bad Karma from stopping you from realizing your full potential, stay away from circumstances, places, and people who drain you of your goodness and stop your good intentions. If your work and progress are stopped or slowed, you are experiencing bad Karma. If your work is accelerating and you are moving through effortlessly, good Karma is at work.

(3) When impossible to avoid circumstances, places, and people of bad Karma, prepare adequately to face the situation and cleanse thoroughly after the interaction.

Live with confidence, grace, and generosity. Keep good intentions in all you do. Be around good and do good. Karma will do the work to create a life of goodness and gratitude. Meditate, reflect, isolate, cleanse, recover, and be grateful. Karma will last through lifetimes. Pay now to clear the past dues or pay now and reap the benefits in the future. No matter how you look at Karma, live with the best of intentions. Smile.

24 people found this helpful

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  • Susan V. Purcell
  • 2021-05-04

I (literally) could not put this book down

I have lost hours of sleep two nights in a row because of this book. I couldn't stop pressing the gold button for 28 minutes more.

Sadhguru took time out of his insanely busy schedule to read this book to us, Sadhguru, do you feel guilty for robbing us of this much sleep?

Surprisingly, this book has been a "hide under the covers with a flashlight and hope the parents don't catch you" type of read. I really found it that engrossing.

And having been through it a couple of times, I feel more optimistic about being able to "handle my karma," i.e. life. About enjoying life in general. And I feel a renewed willingness to do my part to handle the problems of others. For, as one of Sadhguru's aphorisms for beginning yogis says (my paraphrase): All rules are my rules. I understand that in a more profound way after reading this book.

Sadhguru doesn't hold back in this book. Although he has always been forthcoming when teaching, he has also sometimes expressed a fear of making us "hallucinatory" if he went ahead and shared things beyond our personal experience. Yet in this book, he seems to go farther. And I for one am grateful.

I will probably keep reading this book over and over. Until now, Jane Austen's novels are the only books I've felt that way about. I never tire of reading them. I think this book from Sadhguru will be the same. I do hope I can get some sleep soon, though.

14 people found this helpful

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  • Anonymous User
  • 2021-04-30

Sadhguru has transformed how I look at life

Sadhguru manages to communicate in the most efficient way. Many ideas that would take thousands of pages in the vedas to explain, take him a couple minutes. Would recommend to anyone on the track of deciding their destiny and removing suffering.

6 people found this helpful

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  • Kawin Nimsaila
  • 2021-05-04

Best book I have ever read/listen

This is the best book I have ever read/listen. Highly recommend this book for everyone. It is only a few days since I started following some guides from the book and I already see a clear shift in my life. I plan to listen to the book again and again.

4 people found this helpful

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  • Corinne Radziejewski
  • 2021-05-03

One word: Excellent!

Thank you Sadhguru for your presence on this planet.
This is and should be required reading for everyone.

3 people found this helpful

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  • Rajesh
  • 2021-04-28

Simply amazing!

Sadhguru is just awesome! I am sure
I’ll be listening to this a few times!

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  • Erika gaetano
  • 2021-04-27

Just what I needed

How I have wanted to ask all of these questions ? How did he know to answer all I was yearning to know.? To hear Sadhguru reveal this wisdom himself as I busy about is and incredible gift from audible when there is a book you know you would read multiple times and still get something you missed. This clear intricate explanation of what karma means to YOU personally is priceless. 🙏🏻

3 people found this helpful

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  • Sara
  • 2021-05-29

Sadhguru channels divine wisdom

I'm going to finish this and then re-listen. There is so much wisdom in this book I feel like it comes to me through multiple dimensions. Ultimately it is a guide to freedom through the understanding that Karma is not something imposed upon us by some outside force but rather something for which we are responsible and therefore have the ability to control.

2 people found this helpful

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  • Danielle Sears
  • 2021-05-01

Absolutly Brilliant!

Awesome Sadhguru! This book will be with me always. A masterpiece and a must read for the entire world!

2 people found this helpful

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  • Anonymous User
  • 2021-07-01

Excellent

Grâce à cet ouvrage j'ai appris ce qu'est réellement le karma. Merci pour le partage d'enseignement . Je le recommande à tous.

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  • Dr Kenz
  • 2021-06-15

Incredibly powerful! A masterpiece!

Sadhguru person and work are inestimable gifts to humanity, his books, talks, practices will transform you to the core. You will become an incredibly happier, healthier, more loving, and successful person after being in touch with his offerings.