Re-directing Prarabdha Karma impact
[2nd President and Spiritual Head: the Ramakrishna Centre of South Africa]
[now a Centre of the international Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission]
DAILY READINGS
Selected from Mother Radha's recordings of Swamiji.
Day 925
The discussion on prarabdha karma [the karma, destiny, that needs to be worked out in this birth] continues from Day 922 and 924
If I'm driving a tractor [farming machine] and it gets out of control, what will I do? I'll shout, 'Run out the way. Run up the hill.' I'll try to clear a path. In the meantime the tractor will come under control and eventually stop. But I can't just hold it [in one position without taking action.
So as long as I can't hold the prarabdha [in check, under control] I better make [a] clear [path or channel] for it. And don't take it into dangerous places.
That's why when the arrow was shot by Rama at the crow, the crow couldn't do a thing. He couldn't stop it. What could he do now? He had to clear the path for that arrow. He kept clearing it by running away from it until eventually it [the karma] came to him. Then, instead of taking a whole life, it compromised, it took one eye. But still the crow won – because it could still see God with that one eye. It was that arrow [karma] that took him there [to God's feet].
The crow knew how to guide it [the karma]. Otherwise that crow would have been killed – gone somewhere else. But he knew how to install It [God]. It's the same with prarabdha. If it comes into operation, install God [in your thoughts and life] and carry on. Who cares about it?
You are giving the other man a chance to run a little bit and at the same time you are doing a little running yourself. So run. But you know where you are going to go – to Rama's feet again. Even if it destroys one part [of the body], who cares?
Devotee: Narada told him [the crow] that his salvation lay at Rama's feet.
Swamiji: Right. That's the guru [spiritual preceptor, God in human form as teacher]. That's meeting the guru. But he installed it [the guru in place of the bad thoughts] by running [creating physical exhaustion and substituting the lower thought with a higher one]. He didn't go somewhere where he could do something wrong [he consciously kept himself outside the range of a fall]. Prarabdha had to chase him. Prarabdha was actually bearing fruit [acting out, fulfilling] by [attempting to] kill him. But it didn't kill him. So we can also be 'not killed'.
1) Care should be taken by the reader to understand and take Swamiji's words in these postings, in context. Every teaching or instruction that he gave was specific to the people who were with Swamiji at the time.
2) Mouse-over the words highlighted in red in the posting for further explanation or links.
There are currently available, over 100 different CDs or DVDs with mp3 files, of Swamiji speaking. Please email timhoare@webmail.co.za to order.
Click HERE for the second website on Swamiji's life and teachings.
For more about the Holy Trinity, and also the founding Swamis of the Ramakrishna Centre of South Africa, please mouse over their names below:
Sri Ramakrishna Sri Sarada Devi Swami Vivekananda
Swami Nischalananda Swami Shivapadananda
The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna - read online
Reference websites – please mouse over the name and click to connect:
Ramakrishna Math and Mission Ramakrishna Centre of South Africa Ramakrishna Dham