Book Title: Practice of Karma Yoga
Author(s): Swami Sivananda
Publisher: Divine Life Society

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Page 219
________________ KARMA AND REINCARNATION and unhappy world, do thou worship Me. Fix thy mind on Me, be devoted to Me, sacrifice unto Me, bow down to Me, having thus united thy whole self in Me, taking Me as the supreme goal, thou shalı come to Me " Ch. IX-30-34. 6. SECRETS OF KARMA Karma is the sum-total of works-good, bad and mixed—which an individual performs during his life. It is the collective totality of man's actions. It is these actions that determine his future existence. There is double retribution or reward for man's virtuous actions. He gets a good birth with suitable surroundings, environments and opportunities for his good actions this is one reward. Another reward is that he gets a place in the abode of heaven also. But after the consummation of happiness he is sure to be hurled back to this physical plane. Lord Krishna says in the Gita: "They, having enjoyed the spacious heaven world, their holiness withered, come back to this world of death Following the virtues enjoined by the three (Vedas) and desiring objects of desires, they attain to the state of coming and going.” It is very difficult to say what Karma brings forth a particular disease Is it a single Karma or a combination of several Karmas that brings epilepsy? The sages declare that the theft of a golden necklace brings Scrofula in the neck in the next birth. They say that 215

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