How can we minimize our past karma’s impact on us?
Answer Podcast
Transcript
This is an AI-generated transcript and may contain some errors.
How can we minimize the impact of the previous karma that we have done? So the thing is that we should know that the previous karma that determines what happens to us, that doesn’t determine how I respond to it. So we can say, destiny is like a weather forecast. Say, if it is a stormy weather, and if at that time I am driving a car, and say I am half drunk, I am driving at a high speed, the probability of an accident becomes much more.
But the stormy weather is there. I know stormy weather is there. So I am sober, I am careful.
The probability of an accident becomes much lower. So like that, whatever karma we may have done in the past, that will give us some hostile circumstances in our future. But how we respond to them is right now entirely up to us.
So if we become spiritually grounded right now, then we will be able to choose wisely. Even if there is difficulty we are going through, we won’t overreact. Many times we will observe that we face a problem, and our reaction to the problem multiplies the problem.
Sometimes somebody speaks something harshly to us, and we just blast back at them. And then what could be a small misunderstanding that could have been resolved, that becomes like a world war between two people. So it is often our reaction to the problem that aggravates the problem.
So when we become spiritually minded, the problem will still come. That’s the result of our karma. So the adverse destiny will come to us.
But adverse destiny is like hostile weather. How we respond to it is still up to us. So by becoming spiritually minded, then we can minimize our own impulsive knee-jerk reactions.
And the problem will come, but we won’t aggravate the problem. We will minimize the complications that may result because of the problem. That’s one aspect from our side.
Another point is that ultimately this whole system of karmic justice, its purpose is not to punish. Its purpose is to reform. So just like sometimes a particular sentence may be given to somebody, if that person is very well behaved with their conduct.
Somebody may told you have to do 100 hours of community service because of some indiscretion you have done. But if they are well behaved, 50 hours is enough. You have acquitted yourself properly.
So like that the whole point of this whole system of karmic justice, it is not punishment. It is reformation. So when we pray, when we practice bhakti, this we can go beyond the system of cause and effect.
Krishna says in the Bhagavad Gita, in the conclusion, He says that you just surrender to Me. That whatever sinful reactions may come, I will free you from them. So we can, both by our choice of becoming spiritual, improve our own responses so that we can minimize the reactions and we can also invoke the higher power of mercy.
There is the principle of justice, but higher than the principle of justice is mercy. If we invoke the power of mercy, then by God’s grace, whatever problems we are getting, that can also be minimized. Does that answer your question? Any other questions? Yes, please.