WHY DO GOOD PEOPLE SUFFER? – Part 4

WHY DO GOOD PEOPLE SUFFER? – Part 4

Question: Why is our past karma kept a secret from us?

Answer: Don’t you think it is a great mercy of God that our karmic links are not known t o us> Else, it may be difficult for us to live in the world. Thus, for instance, there may be a man whose wife, in the present incarnation, was his bitter enemy in an earlier incarnation and had now become his wife only to settle previous accounts. If all this were revealed to us, what would be our condition?

Question: How did bad karma originate?

Answer: Man was given free will; he was given the right of choice. He can choose between what the Upanishads call preya and shreya. Preya is the pleasant: the path of preya is the path of pleasure that lures us but leads to our degradation. As a Danish proverb has it: “After pleasant scratching comes unpleasant smarting.” Shreya is the good: the path of shreya may, at first, be difficult to tread but ultimately leads to our betterment and well-being and spiritual unfoldment. At every step man is given this choice. Many of us, alas, choose the easy path, -the path of pleasure, - and so keep on multiplying undesirable karma.

Question: If all that happens today is the result of our past karmas, does it mean that everything is pre-destined?

Answer: No, certainly not! We are the architects of our own destiny. We are the builders of our future. Many of us blame fate, kismet for our misfortune. But let me tell you, dear friends, that you are the builders of your own fate. Therefore, be careful especially of your thoughts. We pay scant attention to our thoughts, believing that they are of no consequence. We say, after all, it was only a thought, what does it matter? Every thought is a seed you are sowing in the field of life, and what you sow today, you will have to reap tomorrow.

God has created a universe of beauty, fullness, happiness and harmony. Each one of us is a child of God. God wishes each one of us to be happy, healthy, prosperous, successful and to enjoy all the good things He has created. We keep ourselves away from all those bounties because of our karma. Change your karma and you will change the conditions in which you live. And you can change your karma by adopting a new pattern of thinking.

Question: Can karmas be wiped off by japa?

Answer: It is believed that the effects of karma can be mitigated through nama japa. In any case, the suffering can be reduced, because nama japa acts as a sort of chloroform. It is like going through an operation. The surgeon puts you under anesthesia and you come out of the operation without feeling the acute pain. Else the pain is so excruciating, that a person could die of it. This is what Nama Japa does to you.

Question: Can saints take over the karma of their disciples?

Answer: They can. However, normally, they do not wish to interfere with the law of karma. For they know that the law of karma is not punitive but reformative. The law of karma does not wish to punish us for what we may have done in the past. The law of karma wishes to reform us and so sends us experiences which may help on our spiritual advancement. It is true there have been cases when men of God have taken the karmas of their devotees upon themselves. It is like having birds released from their cages. A man may purchase the birds and set them free. Likewise, a man who is rich in the wealth of the Spirit may, if he so desires, pay for our karma and released us from the cage of maya.

(Author: Sri J. P. Vaswani)