WHAT IS LIFE ?

1
Chapter

How many of us pause to udestand the true meaning of life ? We all live,
but soon die. The purpose of life ? We all live, but soon we die. The purpose of
life is discovered by very few. Why did were we given this human birth ? What
is life all about ? We breathe, but what makes us breathe ? What is the Power
that makes us walk and talk ? How did this amazing creation of the human body
come about ? How many of us pause to ask question ? Do we investigate to
Realize the Truth ?

When child isborn, we celebrate the arrival of a new life. But where did
this life come from ? We believe we are createad by our parents,but our parents,
but is that true ? No doubt there was an act of procreation, But what causes the
fertilization of two cells to become a zygote that ultimately arrives as a little
baby after 9 months ? Who is responsible for all the magic that is happening in
our monthe’s womb ? How did our heart , lungs, kidbeys and our brain form ?
Then the biggest question- Who gave power to the life that was born on our
birthday ? Unless we decode the myster of birth and we understand the reality of
death , we will never truly realize what life is all about.

One day we will die, but who actually dies ? The body dies, but people
will say we passed away. Who died and who passed away ? Where did the one
who departed go ? What happened to that life that was throbbing within ? Why
did the heart stop beating ? What caused death, that moment when we los tour
breath ? Do we have answers to all these questions ?

They journey of life is commonly understood as the journey that begings

at the moment of birth ends at death. But what is life ans where does it come
from, remains a mystery fro most of humanity. Very few people go in quest to
Realize the Truth.

We believe in God who give us life, but we don’t understand

who God is , where Go dis and what Go dis. We believe in the fairy
tale that we will go to heaven , but who will go to heaven ? Don’t our
loved ones destroy our body as they burn or bury it ? What do we all
do ? We pray, but we don’t undestand what we say when we pray.
 We wish each other good luck,But don’t realize that life is not
about luck. We don’t understand that everything that happens in our
life is the result of Karma, The Law of Action. There are Universal
laws that goven the earth and control our life. Nothing happens by
chance. We have a choice to control our destiny. But unless we go in
seach of the Truth, we will never realize the true meaning of life.

Life is all about Karma. Karma means action. Everything in life

unfolds as reaction to our own action. Just like the seed we plant
decides the fruit on the tree, the deed we plant will decide our destiny.
Our birth is the result of past Karma, just as our geath will be decided
by the Karmic law. Everything in life that is happening , is happening
because of Karma, our actions . Unfrotunately, we don’t Realize the
simple Truth- Life is Karma

What is life ?
It’s a journey from Birth toDeath,
But it’s our Karma that controls every
Breath !
 WHAT IS KARMA ? 2
chapter

The word Karma means action. But the world knows Karma more as law-
The Law of Action and Reaction. It is the Law of the Boomerang-What goes
around , comes around, comes around. It is based on the principe- As you
sow, so shall you reap. The Law is very simple. What you give is what you will
get. Whatever you do, will comeback to you.While the Law seems very simple, it
is actually so complicated that nobody can decode the mystery of Karma in its
entirety. Who created this Law ? How does it unfold for 8 billion people around
the globe ? How does it control the reaction of every action ? The Law of Karma
continues to baffle humanity, and while we have no option but to accept it, not
many of us understand how it actually works.

We know that the fruit on a tree, appears not by lucks. It depends on the
seed that we planted. That is why we don’t find apples growing on mango trees.
Just as fruits on trees depend on the seeds, whatever is happening in our life,
depends on our deeds. But how does this happen ? Who controls this ? To
understand Karma, one must go on a quest to realize the connection between life
and Karma. One must pause and ponder on the magic of creation. One must
understand the presence of the several Universal Laws that govern our planet.
What causes day and night ? What causes the earth to rotate on its axis ,
automatically, day after day, without any intervention and interruption ? What
causes seasons to unfold so beautifully ? Why do dogs not give birth to cats ?
Everything that is happening in our world, is governed by a law the creates order
on earth. Even our death and our birth are controlled by a Universal Law-the
Law of Karma. Where we were born, when we were born, and how we were
born, was not our choice. But it is our own Karma, our past actions that decided
our birth. Death is certain. Every body’ will die. But who decides when we will
die ? Again , it is Karma. Not just birth and death, everything that is unfolding in
our life is happening because of Karma, our past actions.

Karma is life and everything that unfolds in life. Those who Realize the
Truth about Karma, make an intelligent choice to choose their actions. They
realize that their destiny is in their hands. They don’t blameGod or luck for their
miseries. They live their life doing good Karma, knowing that Karma controls
everything. While many people around the world today accept the Law of
Karma, abd while the word ‘Karma which actually means action, haw become
synonymous with the Universal Law of Action and Reaction, a very few
amongst us are fortunate to go beyong the common understanding of Karma.
 It is a rare minority that not only understands that creating good Karma
will ensure a good life ahead, but also realizes the connection between Karma
and rebirth. They decode the mystery of how Karma will control their next
journey on earth. But hardly anybody Realizes the Truth of how to transcend
Karma, and how to be liberated from the cycle of death and rebirth and be united
with the Divine. This is our ultimate goal-to realize we are the Divine Soul and
to be free from Karma.

Karma means action, but in fact , it’s a Law……….

It settles every Deed,it works without a flaw
 HOW DOES THE
3
LAW OF KARMA WORK ? Chapter
r

The Law of Karma is Universal Law. Nobody can escape it. You may
belong to any nationality, follow any religion, but you cannot escape Karma. It
is the law of the earth, and it starts at birth. Until Karma. It is the law of the
earth, and it starts at birth.until you have breath, it controls everything that
happens in your life, including your death. Whaterver you do, good or bad,
every action performed will come-back to you.

People wonder who controls the Law and how it operates. Karma is one
of the many Universal Laws that seem to be instituted by the Creator to keep the
world going. If there is no Karma, then this amazing show that is unfolding on
our planet would come to a standstill. Every day, we human beings wake up and
we have to perform Karma or actions. They may be inspired by our desires and
passions, just as they may be influenced by our morals and ethics. Nobody can
escape from action. We have been created in a manner that we have to wake up,
eat and drink, walk and talk, live and die. However, what controls our actions ?
We human beings have been given a free will, a power to choose. We have been
blessed with an intellect that discriminates thoughts. We have been given a mind
, the subtle part of our existence that triggers thoughts from our senses. These
thoughts become feelings, that ultimately become actions. These actions are
recorded, and they become the reactions that unfold as the circumstances in our
life.

To understand how Karma works, we must question why things are

happening around us the way are happening. What causes everything to happen.
Many of us think it is luck , fate, chance or serendipity. Some people think it is
the will of God. We even pray for God to change our sorrows into joy. We don’t
realize that Go dis not micromanaging the millions of actions of the 8 billion
people on earth. Everything is controlled by Karma. Once we perform an action,
an inner mechanism within each one of us records the deed. It may be good or
bad. But we have to pay for it. The law of Karma ensures that if it does not
return to us during this lifetime on earth, then, it is carried forward into our
rebirth.
 HOW DOES THE LAW OF KARMA WORK ?

An elderly carpenter was ready to retire.He had built many houses for his
boss. His boss requested him to build one last house.The carpenter resorted to
shoddy workmanship and used inferior materials. When his boss came to inpect
the house,he handed the key to the carpenter, This is your house , he said , my
gift to you

Therefore, everything that happens in life, happens because of our Karma.

While Karma by itself means action, the term Karma denotes the Law which
nobody can circumvent. Based on the principe- As you sow, so shall you reap,
this Law makes no mistake. Just like it is in any game, our Karma seems to earn
us a positive and negative score, which then has to be settled. If we have sinned ,
the, we have to redeem our sins, not in a distant hell but right here on earth. If
our time is over, then we have to settle it by taking a rebirth. Therefore, we find
some people being born in fortunate and some in unfortunate cicumstances. This
is neither luck nor God’s Will. It is the Law of Karma unfolding. It makes us
come back to the earth stage and the drama of life continues to unfold day after
day due to Karma.

Karma controls everything that happens on Earth,

Whatever is not settled continues after Rebirth.
 WHAT IS THE CONNECTION BETWEN
4
KARMA AND LIFE ?
Chapter

Life is Karma. Unfortunately, if the human race understood this truth,

they would live with grace. Today , we live with greed, and we don’t just work
to fulfil our need but we have desires and passions that make us crave till we
reach our grave. The Ego thinks- I am responsible for my life . I can make the
impossible possible. What we don’t realize is that every action of ours controls
our life. We might have performed some actions in the distant past, even in a
previous life, but they will not leave us. They will unfold as cicumstances in our
life and create challenges, even problems that will stop us from our dreams. So
often, we see people cry. They look up at the sky and question Why ? Why do
bad things happen to good people ? Somebody lost their job. Why me ? They
question. Another is diagnosed with cancer. Why is God unfair ? is the question.
Still, another loses a dear one. Why did death have to choose my life partner ?
that person asks. We human beings have questions after questions, as we watch
the drama of life unfold. We don’t have answers. We don’t realize that
everything that is happening in this world, is unfolding as per the Divine Law of
Karma. Life does not ubfold as per the wish of a God who is sitting in a distant
heaven and passing orders as to what should happen in our life. It would be
impossible to govern the world like this. Our life is the result of Karma.

If everything depends on Karma, then are we mere puppets ? If

everythings is pre-destined as per our previous actions , then what is the point of
this life ? Those who understand the Law of Karma, realize that just as there is a
past Karma that Controls our present circumstances , our present Karma or
actions will control our future destiny. Everything is not predestined. But our
past Karma is recorded in the diary of our life, and it causes our life
circumstances, good or bad to appear. One day the body will die, but our Karma
is not over.

Karma does not belong to the body. The body is an instrument that
performs actions and even experiences the results of our Karma. But the owner
of the Karma is ME-the Mindand Ego. It is the subtle ME, that directs the body
to act. So also , it is through the body that the Mind and Ego experience the
rewards of its past Karma or is punished for its sins. One day, the body will die.
But the ME, the Mind and Ego, carries the Karma forward into a new life.
 It is Karma that controls the continuous cycle of birth, life, death and
rebirth. Everything in the cycle of life is controlled by Karma.The Karma may
be our past Karma which is recorded and unfolds in our life, or it may be our
present Karma, which is a result of our thoughts,our free will, and our actions.

Together, our past Karma and present Karma, become the deeds that act
as the seeds that will result in our destiny. We control our own life. Through our
action, our Karma, we are the master of our destiny. Even our prayers to God ,
our deeds of love, compassion and kindness, become our good Karma that will
result in our happiness. So also, our bad Karma, our sins, become the reason for
our misery and sorrow .Not just today, Karma controls everything that will
unfold in the future. Karma controls our life.

Life is Karma……….Everything depends on Action,

Whatever is happening is just a Reaction.
 5
CHAPTER
DO WE CONTROL OUR LIFE ?

Those who believe in Karma, the Law of Action and Reaction, differ in
opinion as to who controls our life. They do not understand how the Law of
Karma unfolds. Are you in charge of your actions or is it somebody elese ? Each
one of us is blessed with a free will. We can choose what we do. We cannot
choose what is happening around us, just as we cannot choose other people’s
action. We can choose our action and our reaction. By doing so, we advertently
control everything that happens is our life.

Shyam was blessed man.It seemed like he was blessed with good luck.
Everything he touched turned to gold. Every investment was successful. His
marriage was blissful. His children were beautiful, happy children, When Raju,
his best friend used to look at him , he used to be jealous. Why is Shyam’s life so
sorted ? Why am I miserable in every aspect of my life ? Raju had a broken
marriage and his disgruntled children had left him. He struggled to survive.
While he left he was smarter than Shyam in all ways, he had not learned about
Karma, the Law. Therefore, he continued to ignore his actions and his life
became more and more complicated.

Shyam believed in the Law of Karma. He invested his deeds to becomes

seeds that unfolded in the destiny of his dreams. Even if something unpleasant
happened , Shyam realized that it must have been his past Karma. He never
reacted to it negatively. Instead, he accepte dit gracefully and moved forwrd
doing good Karma.

Just like Shyam and Raju, we all experience life with what seems like
good luck and bad luck. We don’t realize that there is nothing like luck. It is our
own actions that control our life.

While we know we are in command of our deeds, we don’t realize that

our life itself is unfolding as per our Karma , our past actions.If only we realised
that we were the masters of our life, we would control every actin, so that is
unfolding.

Unfortunately, we don’t realize that we cannot control

circumstances.Those deeds are already performed, either in a distant past, or
even in a previous life , we are in command of our present actions.These will
result in how our future will be.Those who understand the Law and Karma take
charge of their actions, just as they take charge of their life.

Instead of wondering why our life is what it is, we must understand the Law of
Karma.We must understand how it is responsible for our joy and sorSrow , for
our life.Those who understand Karma, not only take charge of their actions and
their life but transcend Karma, to attain the ultimate goal of being liberated from
the cucle of pleasure and pain.They learn the art of going beyond Karma and
being liberated from suffering until they are ultimately united with the Divine.

Life is like a road……. As per our past karma, it is paved ,

But the present is like the car which can be swayed.
 WHY DO WE CRY
6
WHEN SOMETHING BAD HAPPENS ? Chapter

Because we don’ t truly understand the meaning of life, whenever

something goes wrong , we cry. We look up at the sky and question Why ? We
have not learned the art of acceptance and surrender because we have not
discovered the truth that whatever is happening is happening as per our own
Karma. Everything is fair. Go dis not being cruel or unjust. It is the Law of
Karma that is unfolding.

But most people don’t understand this. They question-Why do bad things
happen to good people ? They don’t realize that bad things cannot happen to
good people. The Law of Karma will not permit it. Whatever is happening , is
just a reaction of our own action. Then should we cry ? We must learn to accept
whatever unfolds in our life. We must realize that if we keep doing what we are
doing, we will keep on getting what we are getting. If we do not want to cry,
then , we should not question, Why ? Insetead, we must change whay we are
doing. Then, our life can change.

Our life is in our’s hands. We can make our life what we want to make of
it. When things are happening around us, we must realize that these are the
results of our past deeds. We cannot change these. We must accept. But we can
change our present actions and so, we can control what is going to happen in the
future.

Most of us don’t realize that our future, our destiny is in our hands.
Because of our ignorance , we are zapped by life, and we consider life to be a
mystery. In reality, our life is unfolding as per our own history. It is our past that
controls.
 WHY DO CRY WHEN SOMETHING BAD HAPPENS ?

Our present, just as it is our present that will control the future.

Sheela used to constantly cry and complain. ‘I am doomed with bad luck,
she would scream. Go dis so unjust , so unfair ! Why should all the misfortune
come in my life only ? Shed id not understand the Law of Karma. Sheela lived
with the myth and would have died with.

It has she not met Mary. She was surprised when after a tragedy in
Mary’s life , Mary offered a paryer of gratitude. Thank you , Lord, for giving me
the strength to deal with the tragedy that unfolds as per my past Karma. Give me
the strength and the wisdom, to create good Karma for the future. Sheela
learned from Mary that one should not cry when something bad happens. Istead,
it should be celebrate because our past Karmic score has been settled. We have
redeemed some of our negative Karma. Hopefully, now our positive Karma will
unfold.

Nothing in this world happens other than our own Karma, unfolding in
our life. Neither must we cry nor must we question, Why ? There is only one
way to live a joyous and peaceful life- to accept the unfolding of Karma and to
surrender to whatever will be. What will unfold will be as per the Karma we
have already done. Now it is time for us to do good Karma, and to control our
destiny. We must do our best and the leave it to Karma to unfold as the rent. We
must lear that everyting in life is Karma and nothing but Karma.

When something bad happens, we cry and question, Why ? Because of

ignorance, web lame the Power in the sky ?
 IS IT KARMA OR LUCK ? 7
Chapter

Most people believe that life is luck.They believe in fate and

serendipity.They even pray for good luck to unfold in their life.Can you plant
apple trees and then pray for mangoes to appear on them?Ridiculous! However
much we pray, the fruit tht will appear on the tree will depend on the seed that
we pplant, not our prayers.So also, the deeds that we plant will determine our
destiny.It is neither luck nor prayer.

Many people believe in astrology and palmistry.They go to fortune-tellers

and believe in the mysticism of a crystal ball.What they don’t understand is that
only adds to the confusion about life.Instead of making us focused on action, on
doing deeds or Karma that will determine our destiny, we surrender our life to
superstitions and myths which have no truth in them.How can the planetary
positions affect the life of a human being, when man has not even been able to
step out of the erth?He gazes at the planets and assumes many thngs.Because of
ignorance, he makes others also believe, and in turn, they lose sight of the truth
of Karma.

Those who believe in luck, show their palms to fortune-tellers and hope to
discover their destiny with the 3 primary lines running across their palms.Their
lifeline, their heart or love line, their money or success line, their marriage line
are amongst the lines that we look at the lines of our hands and the strength we
have we been blessed with, to determine our destiny.

When will man realize that life is not all about luck?We must use Karma
to pluck our destiny.Raj believed in all these fairy tales.He surrendered his life
to fortune-tellers.Thus he lost control of his life.Instead of realizing that our life
depends on our own actions, our own karma, he wasted his life believing in
these musteries.He would spend hours gazing up and walking ahead to make his
dreams come true.How can we look at a crystal ball and discover our
future?How can a parrot pick up a card from a pack of printed destinies to
reveal our future?Raj continued to lament about his bad luck as years passed,
surrendering to fortune-tellers.He lived his life believing in horoscopes, rather
than in Karma.One day he died.
 Should we live like Raj and let our life be controlled by myths and
superstition? Should we not realize the science behind the Law of Karma? Is it
difficult to understand that it is action that controls reaction , nothing else?This
entire universe is unfolding moment by moment, not by chanche, but bby choice
of our actions.Everything that happens in this life is like a boomerang.Don’t we
see that what goes around comes around Still, we want to believe in astrology, in
palmistry,in fortune-tellers and crystal balls and we lose control of our llife
believing in all these mysteries .When will we realize that life is not all about
luck?It is all about Karma .When will we take charge of our life, rather than
handing it over to fortune-tellers?

Many people belive whatever happens is luck,

They don’t realize the seed they plant is the
fruit they will pluck
 DO THOUGHTS CREATE KARMA ?
8
CHAPTER

Many people wonder about evil thoughts becomibgs sins. There is no doubt that
thoughts are very powerful. Thoughts create feelings can become acyions. But
thoughts by themselves do not create bad Karma. They are not capable of
interfering with the Karmic Law.

While many in the world believe that bad thoughts are equal to bad Karma, let
us understand the simple logic. We get thousands of thoughts every day.
Thoughts are beyond our control. If we permit these thoughts to become actions,
they become Karma, both good and bad.However, we have been given the gift
of intellect. The intellect is that domain which discriminates thoughts. It is that
aspect of our life that permits us to choose what to do and what not to do. It is
only a human being that has been given this free will, this choice and intellect. If
we do not use this gift and we become a slave of our mind, then we are sure to
let our evil thoughts become bad deeds which will plant the seeds to a miserable
Destiny.

Kamala had a crooked mind. She would not only become jealous about her
friend’s succes, but she would take revenge at the slightest opportunity to get
even. Her mind motivated her to do these evil deeds and Kamala suffered. Every
evil dees, every sin, because a Karma that was recorded in her Karmic account.
The Law of Karma makes no mistakes. She had to pray back for every bad deed.

Everybody could see Kamala suffer. But Shamala, her friend, had learned the
art of not letting her vevil thoughts become sins.

Whenever a bad thought appeared, she would shoot it down with her intellect.
Because there were no bad actions in Shamala’s life, there was no bad Karma
recorded. She lived a happy and peaceful life.