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along the Marine Drive. He noticed a forlorn-looking foreign girl and greeted her with a friendly "Hello!" She was glad for the greeting because, as she explained to him, "I have lost faith in humanity. Ever since I came to India, I have come across the wrong peopje and have been robbed of nearly all my money. Now I cannot even afford to stay in a hotel."
Gurudev arranged for Sorella to stay at one of his students' homes until she regained her peace. She requested to study meditation with him. He helped her to understand why she was finding herself in this predicament.
"Whatever we send out returns to us. We receive what we give. If we give out fear or hatred, that is what we get back. Send out love and friendliness and that will return to you."
"Then what happened to me, the thievery and other things, was because of my own invitation?" she asked.
"Yes, this world mirrors back our own reflection. Now you start building positive thoughts and self-appreciation. Your life will change.'
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"What determines whether or not we can erase an action we have done in the past? Is this possible?"
Gurudev answered, "We have the power to erase the past, depending on different things. Certain kinds of karmas are very sticky, like permanent glue, almost impossible to erase. Their density is determined by how intensely one has put one's heart into the act. For example, in certain restaurants, they keep snakes and other small creatures in glass boxes. People point to their choice, watch it being fried before their eyes, and cherish the food with praise and gusto while they eat. The taste so absorbs them that they are blind to the pain they caused to a life."
Sorella asked, "What if the person realizes that he has been holding the wrong attitude and regrets the act?"
"That brings a hopeful point. I met someone who felt great regret at having been an instrument in war as a recruiting officer. Had he known of the philosophy of non-violence, he said he would have worked in that direction. By acknowledging his past ignorance, he was able to move on from the guilt, do something to serve, protect, and help life, and erase the vibrations of violence. But I met another man who had been a
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