Free Yourself from the Past
Children, many people ask, “I have not knowingly done any wrong in this life. Why then am I suffering so much?” The only answer that can be given is that they are suffering because of evil deeds done in previous lives. The consequences of actions done in previous lives and which we have begun to experience is called Prarabdha. Some kinds of Prarabdha give us sorrowful experiences whereas other kinds bestow pleasurable experiences.
There are three kinds of Prarabdha. The first can be mitigated completely. It is like a disease that can be cured by taking medicine. The second kind of Prarabdha is more severe, and is like a disease that can be healed only through surgery.
This kind of Prarabdha can be mitigated through charitable acts, good deeds, and worship of God. The third kind of Prarabdha is much more critical. One must experience it; there is no other way. It is like a disease that relapses even after surgery. We must never give up optimistic faith. Some actions produce instant results whereas others produce results later. Sincere effort yields good results sooner or later. We should not become dejected, thinking that we have sinned in our past life. The past is like a cancelled cheque.
Neither can it return nor can we change what we did in the past. Tomorrow can never become today either. All that we have is the present moment. We must use it well. Just as pouring fresh water continuously into salty water can reduce its salinity, we must do good deeds, thinking of the Supreme and offering our actions to him. In this way, we can reduce the intensity of sorrowful experiences and move ahead in life.
Once, a traveler crossing a dense forest was accosted by robbers. After stealing his money, the robbers bound his hands and feet with a rope, and threw him into a dry and disused well. The helpless traveler started shouting, “Save me! Save me!” Hearing his cries, another traveler went to the well. He threw a rope into the well and helped the first man climb out of the well. The man was bound and saved by a rope. Actions are like a rope. Selfish actions bind us, whereas selfless actions dedicated to God lead to spiritual liberation.
We may not always have good experiences in life. Often, hardship awaits us. We must learn to use such occasions as stepping stones to our growth and success. To do so, we need to have discernment rooted in spiritual understanding. Sanatana Dharma says, ishavasyam-idam sarvam—all this is pervaded by God. There is nothing but God. The plane cannot fly if its engine is damaged or even if a single screw is not in the right place. There is nothing trivial or insignificant in Sanatana Dharma. It tells us to see God in all—to love and serve all.
Understanding this, we should ponder what is possible for us to do. Shouldn’t we strive to be good human beings? Let us be able to perform good actions. This is the only everlasting thing that will lift us from death to immortality, both within and without. We should heed the cries of our brothers and sisters. We should do whatever we can to assuage their grief, to give some relief. These acts will illumine both lives—theirs and ours. The value of life is decided not by what we have gained, but by what we have been able to give. If we can give joy to at least one being for even one moment, our life is fulfilled to that extent.
The writer is a world-renowned spiritual leader and humanitarian