Why do we suffer? Many of us burn in the trauma of life only because we do not understand that this drama unfolding on the earth stage is all a result of Karma. If only we truly understood the drama called Karma, we would not suffer the trauma that we experience.
What is Karma?
For those who are not familiar, it is a simple law of cause and effect, of action and reaction. As we sow, so shall we reap. Nothing is happening by chance. There is no serendipity or luck. Everything we receive is a result of what we have given. It is based on the seeds that we plant and the deeds that we do. As we give, we get. Therefore, we must not keep asking why bad things happen to good people. Bad things cannot happen to truly good people, just as apples cannot grow on mango trees. What appears as suffering is often the unfolding of past actions, the consequences of which must be experienced.
Changing Our Perspective
Life becomes easier when we change our understanding, our perspective. Instead of resisting what unfolds, protesting and complaining, we must learn the art of acceptance. What we cannot change or control, we must graciously accept. Every situation, every challenge, every moment of pain is part of a larger unfolding — a drama that is governed by Karma. Trauma, then, is not punishment. It is a process of redemption. It is the settling of past Karma. Karma, we must understand, is reformative, not punitive. When we see life through this lens, our paradigm changes. If negative Karma is being exhausted, then it is not something to resist but something to be grateful for. Hence, we must rejoice when suffering comes our way. It means we are clearing our past negative Karma. And once this is done, positive Karma will naturally begin to bear fruit. What we experience tomorrow depends on what we choose today.
The Power of Choice
Karma is a combination of our past Karma which we bring with us and cannot change, and our present Karma which we create now and can consciously shape. While we may not have control over everything that is happening, we always have control over how we respond and what we do next.
Therefore, our happiness is in our hands (I spell happiness with three Ps because I believe that happiness is a combination of peace, purpose, and pleasure). Our destiny is in our hands. By choosing the right actions, by living with awareness, acceptance, and understanding, we can overcome trauma and make the best of this drama called life. It is best to accept, do our best, and surrender the rest to the Divine, the Supreme Immortal Power we call God. This I call the ABC formula: Accept. Best Effort. Complete Surrender.
Transcending Karma
However, we must go further to transcend Karma — become free from Karma by realizing the truth of who we are: we are not the body, mind, or ego. We are the Soul, a part of Divinity. We are all Souls, Divine beings, manifestations of God. Realization of the truth not only liberates us from misery and suffering as we live but in the moment of death, it also frees us from the Karmic cycle of death and rebirth, from the cycle of pain and suffering.
Authored by: AiR - Atman in Ravi
