HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR DESTINY: Who are you — the examinee or the examiner? Mirra Alfassa’s advice
Mirra Alfassa — known to her followers as The Mother, or La Mère. Spiritual collaborator of Sri Aurobindo / adventure.auroville.com
In one of the states of India lived a wise minister who used to say, «It is the grace of God» in all circumstances. One day, a young prince went hunting and lost a toe. He returned to the palace in unbearable pain.
The minister, witnessing the prince’s agony, nevertheless repeated his words again. The prince got angry but restrained himself because of respect for the king.
A year later, the young man went hunting again. As he was chasing an animal, he got lost in the jungle and was captured by a tribe. Human sacrifice was an important part of that tribe’s religion, and the uninvited guest became the object of the ritual.
When he was already tied to a pole, the tribal leader suddenly discovered that the prince had a defect — a toe on his foot was missing. He ordered the prisoner to be set free.
The prince returned to the palace and told what had happened. The wise man only said: «It is the grace of God».
The story of the Indian prince illustrates the law of the Universe — there is a divine plan for everything. We can imagine that our life is a book in which each thought, word, or deed is a separate sentence. And just as each sentence contributes to the plot of the story, so each action leaves its mark on destiny.
So, karma is a kind of law of maintenance of the plot, where each action has an impact on the next chapter of our lives.
But even if you believe in this cause-and-effect law of the Universe and observe purity of thoughts, words, and deeds, you are still not immune to unexplained losses in life. And when unfavorable events occur, you wonder: «Why did it happen to me?».
«WHY DID IT HAPPEN TO ME?»: EASTERN PHILOSOPHY ON THE CAUSES OF LOSSES
Unexplained losses in life should be perceived as a consequence of a cause that you are not aware of. But there is a reason. Everything that happens to us is not random but is assigned to us and correlated to higher cosmic causes. This means that our life circumstances have a deep meaning and are connected to spiritual growth and evolution.
For one’s own peace of mind, one must accept all events as inevitable — no one can perceive the profound grace of nature. It is important not to waste energy digging for causes — there could be a million of them — but instead to humbly accept the circumstances (not tolerate) and focus on one’s own good thoughts, intentions, and deeds.
Focus on what is up to you. And your destiny will undoubtedly change for the better.
Our future is always predetermined by the past. However, man is used to giving too much importance to actions and underestimating how thoughts and words affect his destiny. This is his mistake.
WHAT IS MORE IMPORTANT — THOUGHTS, WORDS OR DEEDS?
S. N. Goenka, a teacher of the Burmese Vipassana meditation tradition, says in his lectures that thoughts are more important than words and words are more important than deeds. He explains that thought is the primary cause from which the whole process begins. Thoughts are formed in our brains continuously and are a source of negative or positive energy. People are not aware of how much their thoughts ultimately shape their destiny.
Mirra Alfassa (The Mother), one of the most significant spiritual personalities of the twentieth century, an associate of Sri Aurobindo, and co-founder of the religious and philosophical teaching Integral Yoga, says it this way:
«But a bad thought is a bad deed. Some people do not know it, but truly, a bad thought is a bad deed, and if one thinks and wishes harm to someone, well, one is responsible for the misfortunes that come upon him just as much as though one had acted. But the unfortunate thing is that this is not recognized and that never does one intervene in the bad thoughts of people…»
Words amplify our thoughts — this is the next stage of manifesting our inner world.
«There are even people who take great pleasure in inciting the bad thoughts of others. I have known such people (unfortunately far too many) when they have something pleasant to say to somebody, they never miss the opportunity of telling him: «You know, somebody said that about you»… And thus they create as much harm as they think of… But even without speaking, if one has a strong thought and thinks ill of people, one does a bad deed».
Finally, a deed is something that is on the surface, but it is not enough to understand what is going on because you have to look deep down.
A PERSON IS A SET OF THOUGHTS
A person makes a generous contribution to a charity. But perhaps he is driven by a sense of superiority and disregard for those in need, and at the bottom of his heart, he considers them inferior or unworthy. This person is then like a bitter cucumber — beautiful on the outside but toxic on the inside.
Another person, on the contrary, may ignore a request for help, but this does not form their bad karma. A classic example of such refusal is the dialogue from the movie «Heart of a Dog», in which citizen Vyazemskaya offers Professor Preobrazhensky to buy magazines for the benefit of the children of Germany:
— Well, why do you refuse?
— I don’t want to.
— You don’t have sympathy for the German children?
— I do.
— Ah, do you grudge fifty kopecks?
— No.
— Then why?
— I don’t want to.
Brodsky wrote: «A man is the set of his deeds». But it’s more correct to say: «A man is the set of his thoughts». Because they have the primary influence on a man and are the precursor to his actions.
THREE TYPES OF EXAMINERS
Mirra Alfassa believes that our life is a continuous series of «karmic examinations». And a person reaches these exams without prior warning — you need to be prepared for the fact that life will test us at the most unexpected moments.
It is important to realize that every event in our life is an opportunity for growth and development. Therefore, it is necessary to be vigilant and constantly on alert.
There are three groups of examiners:
#1 Nature
If you get to this examiner, the best strategy for overcoming adversity is to demonstrate endurance, flexibility, fearlessness, and cheerfulness.
#2 Spiritual and Divine Powers
If you are facing spiritual challenges, demonstrate confidence, idealism, enthusiasm, eagerness, and sincere dedication.
#3 Hostile Forces
These forces are most skillfully disguised. It requires a state of constant vigilance, sincerity and humility to pass the tests from hostile forces.
«Karmic examinations» can come in many different forms: in the form of difficulties, trials, joyful events, or even simple everyday situations that require us to make decisions or demonstrate our qualities.
Ironically, the most difficult exams in the «karmic university», which are usually considered the most important in life, are the easiest because they catch you being prepared and alert. It’s easier to trip over small stones in your path because they don’t attract attention.
WHO ARE YOU: THE EXAMINER OR THE EXAMINEE
Mirra Alfassa argues that in life, there is a constant interaction between those who test (the examiners) and those who are tested (the examinees). However, this role is not static and can change depending on circumstances and situations.
We can become both examiners and examinees in different areas and at different times in our lives. It is important to realize that each of us has the potential to be both an examiner and an examinee in our destiny and that our response to these tests is determined by our level of awareness, i.e., our capacity for self-awareness and self-reflection.
When we recognize our potential as examiners, we recognize our ability to influence ourselves and the world around us.
At the same time, recognizing ourselves as examiners reminds us that we are also vulnerable and can learn from our mistakes and challenges.
Finally, our level of awareness determines how we feel about these challenges. The more aware we become, the more we understand ourselves and the world around us, the more effectively we can make decisions and overcome obstacles.
LOVE YOUR DESTINY AND DO NOT ACT AS AN EXAMINER
Learn to love your destiny regardless of your circumstances, and destiny will love you.
Mirra Alfassa gives an essential piece of advice:
«Never act as an examiner. While it is helpful to be constantly aware that a person may be taking a very important exam, it is extremely dangerous to imagine that he or she is responsible for setting exams for others.
It is an open door to the most ridiculous and harmful vanity. Such things are under the control of the Supreme Wisdom, not the clueless human will.»
