How to change your Karmic destiny

Cleansing of Karma’s
How to change your Karmic destiny

Friends, man is the only creature in this Karma oriented universe who has the right to Karma. Karma has 03 divisions – Sanchit [1], Prarabdha [2] and Kriyamana [3] Karma. Sanchit Karma (accumulated Karma) and Prarabdha Karma (Inherited as fruits of previous karma) are such arrows which have already been released by man. Good or evil whatever Karma has been done is done. We cannot return to the past to rectify our misdeeds. If we can do something, it is only in relation to the Kriyamana Karma (the present Karma in action). Accumulated Karma stands accumulated. We have not started reaping the fruits of them as yet. But we start reaping the fruits of the inherited Karma from the beginning of our lives. Hence, we can do something now in the present so that we remove the bitterness or increase the sweetness due to us for our inherited Karma. The special Karma done for this purpose is also known as penance or purification of Karma.

Is our birth, in this trouble-infested world a result of the influence of supernatural entity or are we ourselves responsible for it? It is said in our Shastras that both birth and death are connected with intense pain. But what should we do so that we can escape from the pain that we have to suffer in life between birth and death? This is an important question. When we know the right answer to this, then only can we make ourselves happy and joyous.

The great souls who have taken birth on this earth from time to time for the purpose of social welfare, have prescribed some ways to balance the present life and the life beyond keeping in mind the contemporary environment. It is clear from this prescription that man’s present life is very important and the most important part is man’s present Karma in action. Those people who believe in such a faith where there is no belief in reincarnation, the present life becomes even more important for them because this life is the only opportunity to dispense Karma and man will be rewarded or punished after life based on this Karma only. Those who believe in reincarnation, they do not hesitate to accept that the cycle of Karma keeps following man for many births for dispensing rewards and punishments according to the Karma. Every creature has to suffer one part of the accumulated Karma as the inherited Karma. Since man has got the right to Karma, he can purify himself through penance so that he can get rid of pain and suffering due to him through inherited Karma.

Lord Buddha propagated four cardinal truths. Out of these four – Karma, reaping the fruits of Karma, Karma done to alleviate suffering and aiming for Salvation – all are related to Karma. One may belong to any caste, creed or religion, may believe in heaven or hell, may accept or not the concept of rebirth – it makes no difference. Every man has to accept Karma. Hence, even if we deny the concept of rebirth for sometime, we cannot deny that every creature has to reap the fruits of Karma in the present birth. Those who believe in rebirths, they know that when one takes birth to reap the fruits of Karma, it is known as inherited Karma. This is nothing but a part of accumulated Karma which has to be suffered in the present life.