The
doctrine of karma is widely accepted by Hindus, Buddhists and many others, but it's often
misunderstood.
Some of those misunderstandings can actually be quite harmful, like to falsely believe
that all your problems are entirely due to bad karma.
This false belief can make you passively submit to terrible situations instead of trying to
improve them.
I've already explained the doctrine of karma in other videos on this channel.
You can find a link below.
But this presentation is different.
It's an attempt to address the most harmful misunderstanding about karma as briefly as
possible.
The rishis, the sages of ancient India, never taught that your past actions can predestine
or predetermine certain events in your life.
Nor did they teach that your life is completely controlled by karma, and nothing can be changed.
Instead, they described karma more like a force that can affect or influence the outcome
of your actions.
Let me explain.
For any action or deed you commit, four different outcomes are possible: you can get what you
want, you can get more than you want, you can get less than you want, or you can get
the opposite of what you want.
For example, if you cross the street to catch a bus, you can get on the bus.
Or, you can get more than you want if a friend in a car sees you and gives you a ride.
Or, you can get less than you want if the bus drives off before you reach it.
Or, you can get halfway across the street and wake up in a hospital room after being
struck by a passing car, the opposite of what you want.
The very same action can have these four different outcomes because many different factors are
involved.
Some factors you can control, like when you cross the street.
Other factors you can't control, like the traffic.
Some factors are known to you, like the bus schedule, but many other factors are unknown.
According to the rishis, those unknown factors include your good and bad karma.
To understand how that karma affects the outcome of your actions, here's a helpful metaphor.
My father taught me how to sail when I was still a child.
I learned that the direction of a sailboat is determined by several factors.
He taught me how to adjust the rudder to set the course and how to adjust the sails to
catch as much wind as possible.
The rudder and sails were under my control, but the strength and direction of the wind
were not.
Sometimes, the wind blew in an unfavorable direction, and at other times, the winds died
out altogether, forcing us to start the small outboard motor installed on the boat.
The wind was an unpredictable and uncontrollable factor that always affected our travel.
Here's the idea.
You can control your actions, like controlling the boat's rudder and sails, but you can't
control or predict the so-called winds of karma.
Wind is a force of nature that can blow in a favorable direction or in an unfavorable
direction.
Karma is also a force of nature, not a physical force, but a subtle, unseen force, a force
that can either help you or hinder you in reaching your goals.
Now, consider this.
Regardless of the direction of the wind, you can sail almost anywhere you want, simply
by adjusting rudder and sails correctly.
In the same way, you can pursue almost any goal in life, regardless of your karma, by
adjusting or redirecting the efforts you make.
For example, suppose you lose your job when you're laid off due to your company's downsizing.
Losing your job could be the result of bad karma.
Yet, you can adjust or compensate for that karma by redirecting your efforts.
You can apply for other jobs and maybe get hired for an even better position.
Regardless of your karma, you can always find a way to compensate for it.
Look at this.
Even when the wind blows directly against you, you can still reach your destination
by sailing in a zig zag path called tacking.
Sure, it takes more time and effort, but you're never helplessly overpowered by the wind.
In the same way, you're never helplessly overpowered by karma.
With careful planning and with persistent effort, you can overcome almost any obstacle.
Sometimes, you'll need the help of others to reach your goals, like in the sailboat,
we sometimes had to use the outboard motor when the winds died away.
So, to quote a common expression, you truly are the captain of your ship.
Like an expert sailor wisely adjusts the rudder and sails according to the wind, you can wisely
adjust your actions to according to the winds of karma.
And by doing so, you can skillfully navigate the challenges of life to reach your goals.