What Are the Chains that Bind You?

Tonight I saw a one man show performing "Jacob Marley's Christmas Carol". Never have I fully realized the depth of this tale.
Something that struck me in particular was the punishment that Jacob Marley received upon entering the afterlife for it was the very same thing that weighed him so passionately yet so heavily in his life.

The ancient philosophers of the East talk of this very subject. They call it Karma. Karma literally means action.

Jacob Marley was to be chained to cash boxes and ledgers for the rest of eternity as they slowly grew into his skin and as he slowly morphed into them. His vice, its seems, was monetary.
When he first arrives at the after life he notices everyone around him chained to something, or that they have become that something. Some were draped in jewels, some chained to fiery demon women. These were the things that they most loved or hated in life. There were their foremost motivations in their dealings.
And so, Karma, is this chaining. It seems so tragic and cynical, but there is a Savior in this world. But before we meet the Savior we must ask ourselves, "Why? Why do I act in the way I act? What is my motivation?" What do we chain ourselves to here on this temporal world? And thus, in the story the Ghost of Christmas past is the facilitator of the hellishly introspective life review that Jacob and Scrooge cannot escape as they so often did throughout their lives.

In Eastern philosophy Karma is action, and action is a binding force. But there is such thing as Non action, or Akarma. Akarma is the performance of an action without any desire for fruit but for the pure simple joy of doing the Almighty's will. It is the sponteneity and wisdom of the PRESENT moment. This is what leads to liberation. This leads to Krishna Consciousness or Christ Consciousness. This is the true Buddha. This is the Dharma. This is the Sangha. And in the story of Jacob Marley and Ebenezer Scrooge it is the Spirit of Christmas PRESENT (you cannot love God in the past, you may not live him in the future, you have only now and now is all you will ever have).
In the story Jacob is not to play the part of the Spirit of Christmas Present (as he did the Ghost of Chirstmas Past), or to even call upon the Spirit -he is to LIVE it. And as he lives it he seems both in control and free to choose yet he acts spontaneously with the guidance of this divine power, he is in supreme joy, he is blissful and free to give of himself without a thought. And as Scrooge and Marley sit and watch the Cratchit's Christmas celebration and they gather to sing a lullaby to their crippled youngest, he sees a brilliant golden light connecting each person in the family to one another, then beholds the light circling back to him and his wonderful realization of the uniting force of the Holy Ghost -the uniting power of creation and the Spirit of Christmas Present or God's Divine love; the Pure love of Christ.

With Scrooge's change of heart Jacob Marley is liberated from the chains he so diligently crafted during his Earth life. Through this journey and awakening he is set free and steps outside the door to behold the universe unfolded before him. And there he stands in awe for how long? An hour? A Century? Then he sits staring, still in rapture, into the infinitude of creation. For how long? Eons maybe?
Then he humble steps back inside the office, ready to help and continue the mission we were all sent to do.

What are the chains that bind me?
What is my most prominent motivations?
I hope to reflect on my actions, past and possible future, and ask myself "Why?", for this question when honestly and deeply analyzed can bring about an awareness that can lift us ever higher and allow us access to our higher selves and to the will of God, lest we experience harder and harder lessons until we awaken to our Divine potential.

"Don't you know that ye are Gods?"

May we realize our unity and at-one-ment with our Lord and Savior this Christmas.

Jah. Jahovah. Wakatanka. Jesus. Buddha. Hare Krishna. Moon, Earth, Mother. Goddess Gaia. Isis. Devaki. Mary. Queen. Omega.
Heavenly Father. Divine Mother. Friend. Beloved God. Mahavatar Babaji. Lahiri Mahasaya. Swami Sri Yukteswar. Paramahansa Yoganandaji. Saints and Sages of all religions. I humbly bow at Thy lotus feet.
Lord God, may we saturate ourselves with longing for Thee. May we be immersed especially by Thy love so perfectly eminated through the Christ Jesus. May our motivation be Thee, for Thou hast no chains to bind us.

Aum.

Peace.

Amen.