A family stands at a crossroad. To the left is a dark and rocky future which the deva in the clouds is advising against. To the right is a brighter path. A small decision here will have lifelong impact.
CONSIDER THE CONSEQUENCES: This well-to-do lady could easily afford the outfit in the department store. Yet, in a moment of weakness, she chose to steal it. The store’s security guard caught her, and soon she faces a day in court. Every choice we make plants a seed whose results inevitably return to us.
SEEK DIVINE GUIDANCE: Facing difficult karmas, this devotee turns to Lord Ganesha. By sincerely worshiping Him, we find that confusion gives way to simplicity, and tangled problems become manageable.
MITIGATE PAST KARMA: In a fit of anger, a father has beaten his son earlier in the day, forgetting his vow to his guru never to strike the child again. Now, filled with genuine remorse, he fasts at dinner in a self-imposed penance, seeking forgiveness and cleansing his heart of regret.
DON’T RETALIATE: The protest march led by Gandhi on May 21, 1930, is attacked by police. The injured protestors did not retaliate or defend themselves, but allowed the injustice of the attack against them recoil against the administration that ordered it. It helped to free India years later.
The monks are working on the final stages of editing and designing the next Educational Insight for Hinduism Today, a 14-page feature on how to handle karmas in our life. It has Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami’s deep insights into the art and science of dealing with karma, something we can all benefit from. Satguru gives ten basic precepts. We share here a few of them, along with the art that attends the precept.