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Chapter 12: Guru's Explanation of the Soul Bearing the Consequences
Explanation & Discussion:
The pupil had pointed out the necessity of God as a dispenser of good or bad consequences and had asked, "Who would extend the appropriate consequences in absence of such a dispenser?" As a matter of fact, every action has its outcome, and no dispenser is required for that purpose. Whatever is being done, the consequences follow automatically. If one consumes poison, he faces the consequence of death; while by consuming sugar, he gets consequent energy. As another illustration, if one touches fire, he gets burnt; and if he touches snow, he would feel the sense of cold. These illustrations pertain to the objects of taste and touch, but the rule applies to every object and every situation. It can therefore be said that every conscious or unconscious activity has its consequence. The only difference is that the lifeless matter does not have the capability to experience the consequences, while the conscious soul does.
If one minutely observes, he can make out that every situation is the consequence of some operative Karma, and such Karma is stripped off after the consequences have been borne. If one keeps that in mind, he would bear those consequences with equanimity and would thereby avoid the new bondage of Karma. Attainment of the right perception would then be within easy reach. If consequence is kept in view, it would be hard for any one to indulge in vile thinking or wicked activities. The resultant consequence would scare him away from that. People would then tend to be virtuous, and happiness would prevail everywhere.
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