Question:

It is said that we are living our thoughts and that we are responsible for our thoughts. During the last few months thoughts came to me of what we would do if we were in a difficult situation & now that has happened. So now I am here wondering, was it me and my fear-based thoughts that got us where we are today? Were my thoughts the ones that manifested this situation today? Or was it that, we are supposed to be going through this rough patch and that was our karma and we had no choice but to go through it. I am confused.

Answer:

There are 2 main types of Past Karmas.

1) Those that you created in the past lives: 

These will come your way & you do not understand what you did so wrong that such a situation arose. For e.g. A new person enters your life – colleague, neighbor, etc. and for no reason, this person is always taunting you indirectly and you keep getting hurt. You just do not know what you did to this person as you hardly know him/her. This is just an example, relate it to any surprising events that have happened to you (good or bad). This is probably because of a past karma with that soul. Therefore, it is best to just complete the debit/credits without creating new karma with this person. Every karma has an expiration date, he will soon leave your life.

2) Those that you created in the past of this lifetime:

For e.g., If you had a Dvesha for a certain trait of your family member. Because your thoughts were focused on not becoming like him, you were indirectly feeding that trait to develop in you. In Hindi, there is a saying ‘jaisi mati waisi gati’. This second type of karma is the one that really shapes your life. So be very careful what you think. Because your thoughts will materialize sooner or later. That is why Ashtavakra says – be a witness/sakshi to all your thoughts.

Yes, it requires effort and only the brave can walk this path of knowledge. So keep moving. Charetveti!

So what to do if a negative thought arises?

1) If negative thoughts arise, first become aware that I am thinking negative.
2) Remind yourself that you shape your life with your thoughts.
3) Smile at the immaturity of the mind and surrender that thought to God/Inner Guru.
4) Open your arms to all that comes, however strong is the storm, it cannot kill me, I am bigger than the storm.