Vishen: What is karma and why did you write this book?
Sadhguru: Karma means action. Whose action? My action. Whose responsibility? My responsibility. Karma is the most dynamic way to exist. In the sense – Karma essentially means – when you say my life is my karma – it means my life is my making.
The moment you see it’s my karma, your successes and your failures are yours
The moment you see it’s my karma, your successes and your failures are yours. The moment you see it is all yours, you will do the best you can. When you leave your destiny from your hands, and think it just happens to you, we can call that fate. So crafting your destiny is possible. Only possible for one who sees my life is my Karma, whether he he or she uses that word or not. In so many ways human beings around the world have realised, that it is their thought, their emotion, their actions, their focus and orientation within themselves, which gets them where they want to go. Others think it is happening from somewhere else.
So those who think it will happen from somewhere else, will live accidental lives. And they always have somebody else to blame for things that did not happen in their lives. For things that they are not, they think it’s because of somebody. You could be in the best place, and be absolutely miserable. You can live in a palace, and be horrendously miserable. You can live on the street, and be exuberantly joyful. Both are possible.
Human experience is caused from within. Pain and pleasure, joy and misery, agony and ecstasy happens from within us
Human experience is caused from within. Pain and pleasure, joy and misery, agony and ecstasy happens from within us. So, when it is happening from within us, at least what is happening from within us, must happen my way. What is happening from within me, must happen my way. What is around me is not all mine. Everybody has their piece in it. Maybe I also have a piece. I can push for a bigger piece, but that’s it. There is never going to be any time for any human being, where the external situations will be 100% the way you want it. It never ever will happen.
But what is within me must be hundred percent the way I want. Otherwise I’m a lost case. This is what Karma means. That you take charge of all that you can take charge. There are a few things that won’t happen. In our lives, if we do not do what we cannot do that’s not the issue, but if we do not do what we can do we are a disaster. Once you see my life is my Karma, you will not be such a disaster. That is the important aspect.
