What is karma? · Lesson 3 of 5
Karma is not fate
Some people say, "It's my karma," as if everything is already decided and there is nothing they can do. That is a misunderstanding.
Yes, our past actions shape where we are today. A student who didn't study for months will find the final exam hard. That is karma. But it is not the end of the story.
In the Gita, Krishna says something very hopeful: lift yourself up by your own effort, and don't let yourself sink down. Your own mind can be your best friend, or your worst enemy.
This means you are not stuck. Your past choices brought you here, but your choices today decide where you go next. Today's actions become tomorrow's karma.
Think of a grandparent who decides at seventy to learn to use a smartphone so they can video-call their grandchildren. Or a teenager who has struggled in math and decides to ask the teacher for help. Both are lifting themselves up.
So when something hard happens, the better question isn't "Why is this my karma?" It's "What can I do now?"
उद्धरेदात्मनाऽऽत्मानं नात्मानमवसादयेत्। आत्मैव ह्यात्मनो बन्धुरात्मैव रिपुरात्मनः ॥
uddhared ātmanātmānaṁ nātmānam avasādayet ātmaiva hyātmano bandhur ātmaiva ripur ātmanaḥ
Let him raise the self by the Self and not let the self become depressed; for verily is the Self the friend of the self, and also the Self the self's enemy;
In plain words: Krishna says you must lift yourself up with your own higher self and not let yourself sink down. Your own mind can be your best friend or your worst enemy.
Ask the Swami about this lesson
A quick question while you read