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CHAPTER 4
KARMA PHILOSOPHY
(LAW OF MORAL CAUSATION)
(1) Each individual is responsible for his or her own actions. But the whole society is responsible for its 'joint, corporate or collective actions'. So the entire society-all its members and all future generations—has to experience the fruits of the joint actions which the society as a whole might have performed. We, the people of India, had to experience hardships and humiliations of dependence and slavery to which India was subjected owing to internal dissension and mutual fighting in which our fore-fathers indulged. And even after the attainment of political freedom India is still steeped in the traitorous activities of smuggling, black-marketing, corruption, bribery, etc. As a result, the innocent common people of India suffer hardships and harassments under the crushing pressure of poverty and privation.
'As man sows, so does he reap. Our actions are the cause that produce proper effects at proper times. This is the eternal and universal law of karma. Man should make good use of his knowledge of this law at the time of undertaking any activity. If he bears in mind this law that good actions generate good fruits and bad actions generate bad fruits, he will shiver and hesitate to perform bad actions and feel elated to perform good actions. It is of no use to lament and indulge in evil contemplations while experiencing bad fruits of one's own past evil actions. It is like shedding tears over split milk. If at the time of experiencing bitter or unpleasant fruits of one's past evil actions, one repents for what one did in the past, learns a good lesson and resolves not to indulge in such actions in future, then one will surely be benefited.
We can consider ourselves to be really convinced of the truth of the
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