Sri Sri Ravi Shankar (spiritual guru and founder of Art of Living). Karma is the actions of our past lives that influence our present experiences. For example, if you have had a conflict with someone in your past life, that same person can come in this life as a son, daughter-in-law or mother-in-law to settle the old account of karma. Whether the dues are positive or negative, you have to face them all. It is like repaying the old debt that is due from past experiences. We form relationships, live in families, get married, sometimes face separation. What happens outside in this world is like a pre-made movie. The real game is happening behind it, which we call karma.

Some karmas can be changed, but some karmas cannot be changed. When you make halwa, if there is less ghee or sugar, you can add more and if any ingredient is more, it can be balanced, but once the halwa is cooked, it cannot be corrected. Milk turns into sour or sweet curd, sour curd can be made sweet, but curd cannot be changed back into milk.

The karma that is manifesting and whose effects have started showing is Prarabdha Karma. You cannot change Prarabdha Karma, because it has started happening in the present. Sanchit Karma is the result of past karmas. It remains as latent tendencies within the mind. Sanchit Karma can be corrected by spiritual practice before it manifests. The future consequences of the actions we do are called Aagami Karma. For example, if you have committed a crime, you may not be caught today, but you live with the fear that someday you may be caught. When the impression on the mind is erased, you are free from karma. Satsang, yoga and meditation burn the seeds of negative karma before they germinate.

Karma unites people and it separates them. It makes some people strong and some people weak. Karma makes some people rich and some people poor. All the conflicts in this world are the bondages of karma. Karma is beyond all logic. This understanding lifts you up and does not let you get entangled in events or people. It helps you travel towards your soul. Only human life has the potential to be free from the bondages of karma and only a few thousand people want to be free from it. One cannot be freed from the bondages of karma by doing something, only by grace can one be freed from the bondages of karma.

There is a saying, 'Gahana Karmano Gati:' which means the course of karmas is unique. The more you understand this, the more you are surprised. A wise person will choose to resolve karmas in this life itself rather than delaying it to the next life, because delaying it may lead to further complications. If you always receive praise and never face criticism, you remain weak, because mere expansion without any challenge makes your consciousness powerless.

When someone praises you, you feel your consciousness is expanding, but when someone insults you, you get narrowed down. You should actually thank those people who have created challenges in your life, because they help strengthen your consciousness. For example, you want your parents, husband or friends to behave in a particular way, but in reality they behave according to their nature and past experiences.

Instead of getting upset by their behavior, understand that you cannot control others, but you can control your reaction. Even if others behave badly, you can witness it without affecting your inner peace. Distance yourself from negative people if necessary, but remind yourself that your consciousness is very strong and remains unaffected by external challenges. You should focus on maintaining your inner peace and firmness of spirit.