Everything in this world happens according to Prarabhda only. If one does not chant the divine Name of the Lord, the Lord will not interfere with his life. If he does chant the Name of God continuously, the Lord makes his life favorable to him.
For instance, if a person possesses qualities like wealth, power, beauty etc. by virtue of his prarabdha, then, by chanting the Nama, the Lord ensures that he does not get a ‘head-weight’. If a person is already poor and leads a life in penury owning to his prarabdha, by chanting the Nama, the Lord keeps him away from bad thoughts and deeds like stealing, gambling, alcohol, suicide and so on.
If one’s Bhakti is intense, the grace of the Lord has the power to change one’s Prarabdha too. That, however, calls for strong devotion.
KARMA/ SUFFERING
As per Karma theory the purpose of our Birth as human being is to expose our past Deeds or Misdeeds. Pains and sufferings of this worldly life is directly linked to our previous generation. Why was God so cruel and unkind even to great souls like Ramana Maharishi, Yogi Ram Surat Kumar, Vethathiri Maharishi, etc by inflicting them with dreaded terminal diseases despite their spiritual contributions towards humanity? Does the present Deeds cannot cleanse your past Misdeeds?
The case of mahatmas are totally different from the lot of normal people. In the words of Bhagavan Yogiramsuratkumar Maharaj, ‘Such afflictions are for bringing in a cosmic balance’. A Jnani does not identify himself with the body. In the words of Sri Ramana Maharshi the body is seen as a burden. God considers these Jnanis as his very Self. In any case God is never cruel to anyone as he is love embodied. Considering all these, it is clear that if at all any affliction is taken by Jnanis it is actually for the benefit of the entire existence.
I believe karma and everything that relate to it such us reincarnation. As far as I know most people prefer to die in peaceful way. I have a question about people who die in accident like car crash, plane crash or any horrible tragedy. Does this happen because of what they did in the past like they are prisoner of the past so they deserve to die like that or is it God’s will?
It is God who designed and who is implementing the Karma Theory. Whatever happens in the world happens only according to karma, be they good or bad. God does not usually interfere in this system of working. Very rarely, He interferes in the case of extremely faithful devotees, and to prove that He is above all the Karmas and is not bound by them. Even if a person dies by way of an accident or a tragedy, it is because of their Karma only.
Swamiji, Please explain why karma is carried from one birth to another? Why if someone does a wrong thing he is not been punished immediately. For any suffering all say it is due to past karma. Is it correct?
If God punishes immediately, you would say why can’t he give him time and chance to correct what he has done! It is due to infinite patience and compassion of the Lord that he gives us chance after chance to attain his feet. So if you turn to Him and chant Maha mantra now, Nama does all the purification instead of ‘purification by punishment’
If someone is continuously sad, does that have anything to do with his previous birth?
Sadness is only a state of mind.
It is said that we are all instruments in Lord’s hands. When everything is decided/done by Him, why do we have so many bad things happening? Is it not done by Him? Then why are we suffering for things done by Him as though they are done by us?
Because of your ‘I’.
Great Saints and Mahans say that once we dip in the Ganges, all the sins done in our numerous births will be destroyed. So many people have taken a dip with good faith, including me. When all the sins are destroyed, there should not be any suffering.Am I right?
Sins can be classified into three – ones that we did in our previous Janmas, those that we do in this Janma and those that we are going to do in future. The moment you took this birth, the sins of your previous birth start yielding fruit and there is no escape from them. Hence you have no go but to experience its effects. However, by taking a dip in the Ganges, the sins of your current birth are wiped off.
It is for you to abstain from sinning in future, to avoid future sufferings.
All our activities – punya (merits) or sins, are according God’s will. If that is the case, then why do we take births on account of our merits and sins?
Although you are performing good deeds or sins according to ‘prarabda’ or God’s will, the moment you attach ownership and feel that you are responsible for the good or the bad, you get entangled in the vicious ‘Karma’ cycle.
If you attain a state where you don’t feel proud for the good you do and don’t feel guilty for the bad, then you are relieved from the cycle of births and deaths. However this is more easily said than done.
Jivan Muktas live in this world even after they have attained liberation because these factors do not affect them.
Prarabdha Karma is that part of karma one is trying exhaust in ones lifetime. Prarabdha Karma is something that can’t be changed. Is it true that even Brahman (the ultimate truth) can not change one’s prarabdha karma?
The Lord never removes one’s Karma even though He has the power to do it. This is because the human mind is so doubt-ridden that if God removes one’s bad Karma, he may be worried that God might remove his good deeds too!
Why does God make us suffer even though we are good? The general response I get is that it is because of the Karma done in previous births. It makes us feel that God is cruel. Mahans call him a sea of compassion, and like our mother, full of mercy. Then why does He not forgive our mistakes? Can’t He make us realize our mistakes with love and affection? Even if one has to be punished, should the punishment not be then and there, so that one understands the mistakes and corrects them?
When one participates in a motor race or wants to become a solider, he very well understands the risk involved in the job.
Renouncing everything in life and becoming a monk is very easy. But those who take to family life are really courageous and are ready to face the challenges in life. In that sense, they are great. Once we have opted to take this path, we should face it without whining about it.
The real reason for sorrows in life is not the problems one encounters; it is rather the ego. One prefers to keep the ego rather than trying to overcome the problem. Now the root cause is obvious, isn’t it?
There are always different viewpoints to any idea. Had the Lord started punishing us then and there, you would then ask, why not the Lord wait for us to regret for our mistakes and correct them!
