QUESTIONER: “Sir, how can one escape Prarabdha? The effect of action performed in previous births?”
Sri Ramakrishna: “No doubt a man experiences a little of the effect; but much of it is cancelled by the power of God’s name. A man was born blind of an eye.
This was his punishment for a certain misdeed he had committed in his past birth, and the punishment was to remain with him for six more births. He, however, took a bath in the Ganges, which gives one liberation.
This meritorious action could not cure his blindness, but it saved him from his future births.”
Disciple: Can the effect of Karma be made null and void? The Scriptures say that knowledge alone can destroy Karma. Still one must reap the result of Prarabdha Karma.
Mother: The result of Karma is inevitable. But by repeating the Name of God, you can lessen its intensity. If you were destined to have a wound as wide as a ploughshare, you will get a pin-prick at least. The effect of Karma can be counteracted to a great extent by Japa and austerities. This was the case with king Suratha. He had worshipped the Goddess by slaughtering a lakh of goats. Later on, these hundred thousand goats killed the king with one stroke of the sword; he did not have to be born a hundred thousand times. That was because he had worshipped the Divine Mother. Chanting God’s holy Name lessens the intensity of Karmic effects.
Disciple: Is the effect of Karma destroyed by austerities and Japa?
Mother: Why not? It is good to do the right kind of work. One feels happy in doing good and one suffers by doing evil.
The Second Arrow of Suffering
Imagine you’re walking through a serene forest, the dappled sunlight filtering through the leaves. Suddenly, thwack! An arrow pierces your arm. Ouch! The pain is real, immediate, and intense—the first arrow. But wait, there’s more. Your mind kicks into overdrive: “What if it’s infected? What if I can’t make it back? What about my family?” The second arrow arrives, not physically but mentally. It’s the story you tell yourself about the pain—the suffering.
The Buddha himself shared this parable. He likened the first arrow to physical pain—the raw, unfiltered sensation. But the second arrow? That’s our mind’s reaction, the stories we weave around the pain. It’s the “what ifs” and “why me?” that amplify our suffering.
The remedy for weakness is not brooding over weakness, but thinking of strength.
– Swami Vivekananda
By taking care of the second arrow we can forget or minimize the effects of first arrow and it also helps us improve our future conditions.
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Admin Notes:
- For example, if there are so many thorns in our path that we may not be able to get rid of them, we can shield ourselves from the thorns (our past karmas) by donning footwear.
- Similarly, we can’t stop the rain, but by using an umbrella of Lord’s name, we can protect ourselves from the rain of Karmas.