Thought of the Day: On Karma - Sanjaya Spettigue

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Here is a short essay by Sri Chinmoy on the subject of Karma:

Karma
Karma is a Sanskrit word meaning action. In the philosophy of the Lord Buddha, the law of karma has its most significant role. In all spiritual paths we must accept the law of karma to some extent. At present, the law of karma is essential because people are still wallowing in the pleasures of ignorance. But when we enter seriously and completely into the sea of spirituality, the law of karma does not always apply.

"As you sow, so you reap" — this is what the law of karma tells us. But who has inspired us to sow? If an undivine force has inspired us, then naturally we shall reap something harmful and destructive. But if we can run towards the highest force, the Supreme, after committing a wrong action, immediately He will come to our rescue. A child does something wrong, but he runs immediately to his father to escape punishment for his deed. He knows that his father can protect him because his father is most powerful.

The past has not given us what we want, so why should we look back? If we think of yesterday as karma, then we will take today as the result. But if today's result is not satisfactory then we must change our outlook. We must take today as karma and tomorrow as the result. Yesterday we were unconscious, undivine, animal; today we have become divinely conscious and aspiring. So naturally, as the result of our karma, tomorrow's golden dawn will be fulfilling.

In the spiritual world, if an aspirant has already made an inner connection with a great spiritual Master, then most of his wrong actions will be nullified by the infinite Grace of the Supreme. At the same time, most of his divine karmic actions will bear fruit sooner than at once. This is because the Master can unite the aspiration of the seeker with the divine Grace, which is the omnipotent power of the Supreme. If there is no intermediary factor, no spiritual Master, then in spite of doing a good, divine thing, the aspirant will have to wait the full time for the result of his action to take place. Today we sow, and then we have to wait for the harvest. But if the Inner Pilot is consciously aspiring inside us and we are conscious of the Inner Pilot, then we will see that our divine karma will bear fruit immediately.
- Sri Chinmoy

We are grateful to Sanjaya Spettigue for his invaluable contributions.

Kamalakanta Nieves
December 2006

Artist: Sanjaya Spettigue
Release year: 2006
Duration: 2:13
Acknowledgements: Sri Chinmoy
Format: Advanced Audio Coding