Swamiji says …
” ‘Karma pradhaan hai …’ You must remember that every action… ‘karma’ of yours is being witnessed,
weighed, analysed and evaluated by your family members, acquaintances, friends, by the society in which you live and above all…by your ever-watchful Creator. The importance and consequences of your ‘karma’ cannot be ignored and over-ruled, even for a second, as it is your ‘karma’, that makes you or breaks you, makes you scale loftiest heights or fall into a pit of doom and despair.”
“The ‘sanskaars’ or values that have been instilled in you by your parents , go a long way and play a definitive role in making you the person that you are today. ‘Sanskaars’ that have been passed from one generation to the next … that our forefathers have learnt from ‘anant anadi sanatan dharma.’ However, you must be honest with yourself and ask yourself whether you have made a genuine effort to imbibe the values that had been imparted to you by them. Once you experience the unparalleled joy of leading a simple life…of living in a ‘pure’ environment, knowing your limits and living within certain means, exercising self-restraint, sacrifice willingly for others, serve anyone and anybody selflessly , look for every opportunity to help others – you certainly evolve into a better human being… one who is humble, grounded, stable and at peace with himself. When you live a life like this, your ‘karma’ too is naturally good, selfless, compassionate and considerate… and people laud you, respect you and remember YOU for your truly good ‘karma’. It is your ‘karma’ that has quietly spoken volumes about you. Isn’t it a relief to have no strings of deceit and falsehood attached anywhere to your name?”
” When you give it a serious thought , you might ponder whether it is really possible for you to accumulate unlimited wealth and live a life of ostentation and luxury without carrying the unforgiving baggage of compromising your values and principles. And if you find yourself in a situation like this, you will realise that you are more than eager to jump from your boat of sincerity and integrity without giving anything a second thought …and cling to a lifeboat of dishonesty and untruth… without any sign of remorse. The acts of omission and commission that are involved in becoming wealthy and rich overnight, will undoubtedly require you to walk on a path that is twisted and convoluted … riddled with greed, avarice, underhand dealings and wrongdoings. But you are more than ready to do anything to make some quick money. Just try and visualise the ‘karma’ that goes into making you something like this! Crafty, cunning, ruthless. The ‘so called’ respect, appreciation and laurels that you see coming your way… is not for the Real ‘YOU’ … but for the ‘maya’ that you possess … your wealth, your power and status. The Real You is lost somewhere in the glitter of the Unreal ‘maya’.”
“On reading books and epics you find the names of the rich and the powerful mentioned…but there is no mention,at all, of the ordinary, poor souls who had fought courageously and died in battle … nameless soldiers and distraught subjects. However, one name that has withstood the passage of time, is that of Sudama, the poorest of the poor, who was Lord Krishna’s best friend and comrade in arms. The Lord couldn’t live without His friend. It was not riches and affluence that made Sudama carve a name for himself for eternity, but his values, traits and ‘karma’ that drew the Lord towards him and made Him bridge the imaginary gulf between high and low status, between riches and poverty, as the Lord too had felt dwarfed by the purity and piety of Sudama’s ‘karma’.