We have to struggle through many a difficulty in this life. We come
across both friends and enemies. The enemy of course directly shows
antagonism, but sometimes even the friends work like our enemies
behind our back. The truth is, whoever does a beneficent act is a
friend and whoever inflicts harm is an enemy. But if we delve deep, we
find that in this whole wide world, there is neither any friend nor a
foe. It is our own karmas which fructify in the form of friends and
enemies. The fruit of some of our karmas are obtained instantly, while
that of others continues to issue over several lives. These take the
shape of our destiny. It is through our own karmas, which have begun
to yield by way of destiny; people bring us tensions and harm us
acting inimically. Then a sense of enmity is roused in us, we burn
with a growing desire to seek revenge and we are filled with tension.
When caught in such
situation, remember the chaupai (four-syllabled verse) of Tulasidas:
Kaahu Na Kou Sukh Dukh Kar Daataa,
Nijakrit Karam Bhoga Sabu Bhraataa.
(Doha 91, Chaupai 2, Ayodhya Kanda)
[Nobody in this world is capable of giving happiness or sorrow to
another. Everything is the fruition of one's own deeds.]
As soon as we think that all our sorrow is self-created destiny; that
we are ourselves responsible for it, our tension disappears and our
minds are naturally filled with strength and courage. We stop blaming
others and calmly endure the sorrow. The fruits of karmas are
inevitable; they have to be endured anyway. There is no way to escape
one's karma. Lord Krishna declares in Srimad Bhagawat--
Avashyameva Bhoktavyam Kritam Karma Shubhashubham
[One has to reap the fruits of one's actions, both virtuous and
sinful.]
It is better to take refuge with God's Name during moments of grief
and reap the fruits of one's karma earnestly. This way, we will surely
have to go through sorrow but our tension will be curtailed to a great
extent and even the experience of sorrow will be considerably reduced.
From ART OF OVERCOMING STRESS & GAINING PEACE OF MIND by KINKAR
VITTHAL RAMANUJA
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