Hello and welcome to episode 93 of The Ask Sri Vishwanath Show. Today I want to talk about destiny. Why things happen for a reason and how you can turn unpleasant experiences into wonderful ones.
Today’s question comes from Vita and she asks “the great ones say that everything happens for a reason but How can something good come from these bad events?”
Thanks for the question. Yes you are right it can be hard to see the joy when the hammer comes down and creates destruction. It is very hard for us not to react immediately to bad situations.
The king and the minister
I want to share a story told by Ram Krishna, the greatest being to ever walk this earth. One day a king and his wise minister went hunting. While hunting the king cut his finger so badly that he could not hold or carry anything. The minister told him not to worry, that everything happens for a reason so there was also a reason for this to happen. The king was still so angry. He was so angry that he grabbed the minister and threw him into a nearby well.
The king stared down the well and asked the minister if he still thought everything happens for a reason. The minister was in a lot of pain but he shouted back yes, even this happened for a reason and there is divine providence in it.
On the journey back the king was stopped by people looking for a sacrifice to the Gods. The king was terrified. Just as the tribesman was about to kill him he noticed he kings hand was badly damaged. The tribe had a rule that anyone who was cut or infected in anyway could not be used as a sacrifice so they gave him a good beating and set him free.
Reason
The king was happy to be free but at the same time he felt so bad for pushing the minister into the well. He went back to the well and told the minister the story and he apologised for what he had done to him. The minister told him not to be sorry because if he had not pushed him in the well he would have gone with him and he would have been sacrificed. By pushing him into the well both lives were saved. This is why everything happens for a reason.
We are not prepared for these bad things to happen so we tend to stay within our comfort zones. This is natural behaviour. No one wants pain so we try to stay away from it. There is a saying that fits well. In the end everything will be alright and if it’s not then it is not the end yet. Always keep that in the back of your mind. Destruction can be the beginning of a new found faith.
I can tell you from my personal that whenever there was a painful event I have performed a thousand times better. When I lost my job I was very upset. I was a good worker but for whatever reason they had to let me go. It was then that I started my online work. If I was still in this job then I would never have started any of this. This destruction was a new beginning for me. I got so much success out of it that it was almost hard to believe. When I was in the US I was so stressed all the time but when I came back to start my online work I immediately felt calm and serene. It just felt so right. It has been a wonderful experience.
We should know that bad things happen because of our reactions to these events. Krishna says “The sage neither hates light, action, delusion when they appear nor seek them when they disappear. Seated as if indifferent he is not disturbed by constituents. He stirs not, is of steadfast resolve holding that constituents alone prevail.”
Gunas
Everything happens because of the gunas, sattvic, rajasic and tamasic. They push thoughts to the surface and then we choose from those thoughts and then an event happens. We are putting our minds out 24 hours a day for so many lifetimes that we forget that we can easily destroy pain and pleasure. The ocean can always be detached from the wave and our consciousness should always be detached from our thoughts. All it takes is practice and you can watch the other episodes for more detail on how to do this. All you need to do is meditate on this verse. “Him the weapons cannot cut, fire cannot burn, water cannot wet, wind cannot dry . The self cannot be cut, dried, burned or wetted…Eternal, all pervasive, stable, immovable, everlasting the Self Reigns”.
Write that verse down and meditate on it every morning. It will help you so much. By meditating on this verse your consciousness will become detached from your thoughts and you will be unaffected by the events happening around you. If you do it every day for one month you will see a huge change. You will become so powerful. This is the power of these words. We have almost no control over what happens around us but we do have control of ourselves and we have the power to dissolve all of these thoughts by withdrawing into the consciousness.
We don’t need self-effort or willpower or any of that. That’s only an illusion. All we need is the knowledge of the consciousness. Allow your mind to rest on jiva because it is always in a state of bliss. Allow your mind to fall back on it. Do this and you will be so happy all the time. Bad thoughts only happen through attachments so draw your mind in.
There are always new things to be learned that can help you like how to meditate, pray and withdraw into your consciousness. You can embrace your consciousness. You just need to have the right attitude. You need to really want it. Don’t be afraid of destruction. It could be a new beginning for you.
I hope I answered your question. Remember you keep asking questions and I’ll keep answering them.