39. Human effort
It is karma that determines all the events of your life in the present. Karma is information about your thoughts, words, and actions that you have done in the past. It is important to understand that a thought saturated with the strongest emotion also creates karma. Any word spoken with strong intention creates karma because the word has great power.
Basically, there is no positive or negative karma. Karma is just information and it is neutral. People, in contact with the events of life give assessments and call these events good or bad. Most often, human appraisal categories are sometimes based on a superficial understanding of the situation.
If you have difficulties, trials, and crises, most likely you will declare all of these things are the result of bad karma. Looking back a few years later, it may turn out that the crises were actually blessings.
If you are currently suffering from illnesses, this can help you start intensive yoga and tai chi practices. If you are currently in the process of a divorce, this may help you to create a healthier and happier family in the future. If today you are experiencing bankruptcy, then in the near future, you will be able to start a better and more successful project.
Communication with the Avatar has a strong influence on karmic processes. For example, you have accumulated karma according to which you must suffer over the next few lives, but Sathya Sai Baba can reduce this to a few years. Yes, you suffer, but not for a few lifetimes, only for a few years.
People sometimes expected that Sathya Sai Baba should solve all of their life’s difficulties and hardships for them. Over the years, I have watched a large number of people come to Sathya Sai Baba for help and healing. I have seen this mistake made by a huge number of people. They were waiting for the great Sathya Sai Baba to solve their problems, moreover, instantly; yet, in these cases people were not ready to make any efforts of their own.
People came to the «omnipotent» Sathya Sai Baba and were sure he would instantly solve all of their struggles. Some naively assumed if they came to the ashram, then automatically he should help.
Sometimes people came to the ashram with tremendous pride. We even joked that it was not Sathya Sai Baba giving them Darshan, but they were giving Sathya Sai Baba Darshan. Some thought that if they came to Sathya Sai Baba, then he simply had to do everything for them.
The way your life looks now is the result of your karma. Why do you think that someone, such as Sathya Sai Baba, should correct for you what was done by you? Of course, he was born into this world in order to help everyone who is open to accepting his help. However, your steps are always yours, and only you must take them.