Can anyone of us say with absolute certainty: “Nothing binds me. I am absolutely free?” Each and every one of us is bound by the fetters of karma. Our ancient scriptures tell us of three different types of people: nityamukta, mukta and badha. The nityamuktas are those blessed souls who are not subject to the law of karma. Its effects can no longer touch them; for they have attained the Lotus Feet of the Lord; they are the ever-free, the eternally free, who are above and beyond the cycle of birth and re-birth, above and beyond karma.
The muktas are the liberated or emancipated souls; those who, through the grace of God or the grace of their Guru, have succeeded in liberating themselves from the bondage of karma.
The third type, badhas, are bound souls like us who are still bound by the toils of their own karma. Many of us, alas, are still in a state of ignorance about our own condition. I recall a memorable evening, when my Beloved Master, Sadhu Vaswani, was pacing up and down the terrace of Krishta Kunj, his residence in Karachi. As he looked down at the street below, he exclaimed, “Prisoners! Prisoners!” I looked down too—but I saw no prisoners. I saw the traffic, and I saw a number of people who were going about their business. But there was no sign of prisoners!
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