The eternal and prime nature of God, is the cause of this physical world.

Karma Yoga

Chapter 3, Verse 5

kaścit kṣaṇam-api 

jātu tiṣṭhaty-akarma-kṛt 

kāryate hy-avaśaḥ karma 

sarvaḥ prakṛti-jair guṇaiḥ

 

For none stands even for a moment not doing work. Everyone is helplessly made to do action by the modes born of Prakriti

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“For none stands even for a moment not doing work.” Do you remember, what we were talking about in the previous chapter that there is not a single moment when one is not working. Even while you sleep, you are working! So, there is a constant creation of karma. I will go as far as to say that each breath that you take creates karma. That’s why, when you learn Atma Kriya Yoga, we tell you, “Know how to breathe!” You can use what God has given you, the breathing practice in this sadhana, to actually reduce your karma, to burn off your karma. 

 

Prakṛtair-guṇaiḥ means the gunas, which are born of Prakriti. Everybody is bound by the three gunas, but one has to be centred in equal-mindedness. The eternal and prime nature of God, is the cause of this physical world. Everything which is created from the Divine, is the manifestation of the Divine, is the action of the Divine, and is affected by the three gunas. No one can get away from the influence of the three gunas, even while sitting or sleeping. As long as the mind is active, you are trapped in the game of the three gunas. Even the yogis are not out of it, but because they are fully centred in the Self – where the three gunas originate – even they can use them for the advancement of creation; it doesn’t have any effect on them, it doesn’t create any karma for them. Nothing!

Bhagavad Gita