By In this grand universe, our existence is bound by certain governing principles or laws. Each and every occurrence, as random as it may seem, falls under their purview. Out of these, one such law is the Law of Causation.
Through the medium of Shrimad Bhagavad Gita and Lord Buddha’s Dhammapada, Sri Guru as talked about this notion in great depth. And now, with Lord Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s Japji Sahib, Sri Guru gives us yet another insight into this universal law.
What is Law of Causation?
Sri Guru explains this law in simple terms, through these 3 principles:
- To every effect, there is a cause.
- There is an inseparable relation between the effect and its cause.
- To remove the effect, you must eliminate the cause.
Be it any circumstance in life, we generally tend to focus on the effect, that is, the result or outcome. Very rarely do we make an attempt to find and understand its underlying cause, which invokes feelings of anxiety, hatred, enmity, discomfort etc. This is why identifying the right cause is of such importance. And spirituality enables us to build a mindset so that we look at the effect with an aim to identify the right cause.
What is the right cause?
We always assume there are multiple causes to any effect. But in truth, there is only one core cause. Sure, there may be multiple peripheral causes, but the central cause is one. And that core (right) cause will always be inside us, while the peripheral causes can be outside.
Thus, to change an effect, we must discover and change the right cause which is associated with us and us only. This is why spirituality lays emphasis on bringing about a transformation within us.
An intriguing extension to the Law of Causation is Free Will – the ability to choose which cause to eliminate. It is an ability that each one of us possesses. But to what extent can we exercise our free will? How much influence does destiny have on the cause and effect? Can we prevent certain situations from happening in the future? For this, we need to understand the basic difference between Free Will and Destiny.
| Destiny | Free Will |
| It is responsible for what we get in the Present. | It is responsible for how we react to what we have got. |
| Our present destiny is made up of past self-efforts. | Our present free will creates our future destiny. |
| The present destiny cannot be altered. | Future destiny can be altered through the right application of the law of Free Will, i.e. by choosing the cause associated with us (and not others) |
| With respect to destiny, human beings are slaves of the past. | With free will, human beings can be masters of their future! |
| Destiny does not take into account our current status of intellect, devotion, charity, rituals etc. Good efforts of today do not affect the destiny of today. | Free will is born out of our present status of intellect and devotion. Satsang, Bhakti, Meditation help to strengthen our Free Will by which we are able to choose the right cause behind an effect. |
| Destiny can only create situations. | Free Will determines our reactions, feelings, emotions and moods in response to the situations. |
In a world where people are constantly distressed about how to deal with unfavourable situations happening to them, Free Will is an important tool to identify the right cause. It has the power to free us from our ignorance, expectations and attachments. It is an ability given to all of us and one which we must learn to utilise well.
Written & Dedicated by Shikha Goel
Bliss of Wisdom is a blog for seekers who are in search of their real self. It is published by Shrimad Rajchandra Mission Delhi – a spiritual revolutionary movement founded by Sri Guru. She is a spiritual Master who has transformed innumerable lives through her logical explanations and effective meditation techniques. To know more visit srmdelhi.org.
