Destiny Is Not An Accident!

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-Swami Chinmayananda

One life is given to all of us by the Almighty. He has also given us the power and freedom to make or mar our life. The former is the conscious choice of the wise while the latter is the unintelligent preoccupation of the foolish.

Time utilized, thoughts entertained, words spoken, actions performed, all add up to decide our future. It is so well said that when you sow a thought, you reap an act; sow an act and you reap a habit; sow a habit and you reap a character; sow a character and you reap your destiny!

Destiny is not an accident, nor is it something that you wish for.

Destiny is that which you design - hour by hour, day by day.

Hence the contents of each moment lived becomes equally important.

A traveler, after walking a long distance through a desert in the hot sun, in the month of summer, was greatly delighted to see a lonely shady tree amidst the burning sands. Tired, exhausted and hungry, he lied down under the tree stretching his limbs with a sigh of relief. Hardly did he know that the tree was Kalpavrksha, the wish fulfilling tree. As he was enjoying the cool shade of that divine tree, a thought passed through his mind, "How comfortable it would be to lie down, if only I had a soft bed and a cushioning pillow ..."

No sooner than he thought thus that he found himself on a soft luxurious bed. Completely amazed, he was unable to believe his eyes.

Pushing his luck further, he thought, "I f only I had a satisfying delicious meal to drive away my hunger. . . "

Within no time, a banquet was spread before him! Though totally wonder struck, the traveler was quite p leased with the turn of the events.

After a good sumptuous meal, fully satisfied, as he was getting ready for a nap, a passing thought escaped his mind, "What if a tiger comes and attacks me..." Out of nowhere came a ferocious tiger and tore him into pieces.

God's perfection can be seen in and through His unerring laws.

Every good, noble and pure thought entertained, is rewarded immediately with a quiet and peaceful mind. The reverse is also equally true. As Pujya Gurudev has nicely put it, we are rewarded or punished not for our actions, but by them!

Nothing goes unobserved or unaccounted. When such is the case, adopting a simple, clean and straight forward life style is the easiest way to happiness and blessedness.

But, in our present state such a life style appears difficult to us only because we were never trained to live so. No horse gets anywhere until it is harnessed; No stream of gas drives anything until it is tunneled; No life ever grows great until it is focused, dedicated and disciplined. It is rightly said that success is the good fortune that comes from aspiration, desperation, perspiration, and inspiration!

Like destiny, happiness is also not an accident, nor is it something born out of circumstances. Happiness comes only to those who choose to live their life consistent with their higher values and deepest convictions.

Yesterday is a history; Tomorrow is a mystery; Today is a gift;

That's why we call it a 'Present!'

Let us make use of every moment that life presents to us and carve out of it a better future.

Let us cease to be mere creatures of circumstances, but instead wake up to become the Creators of our circumstances.