Whatever you do will come back to you!

The slightest misery one gives to any living being does return back to him – such is the law of Nature! So, the pain given to other’s bodies will be reflected in the same way to one’s own body indeed.

However, these are all effects of one’s past karmic accounts.

Say, a man drowns in debt and becomes bankrupt. People then call him a bankrupt. But once he clears his debts, would everyone continue to say, he is bankrupt? No! Similarly, people who did severe bad things before are experiencing the effect of their past karma today, and are getting clear of their debt of karma. The binding of bad karma had occurred in the past; for which the person is no more guilty, as of now.

Hence, you help them in whatever you can, without seeing whether they are good or bad people.

If you have the opportunity to help, with all the empathy in your heart, always try to help! If the person already suffering the bad effects goes lower down, they may even end up in the worst and most hated place possible. But inspired with your help, if the person accomplishes good karmas here, then he may become an elevated human being and will live his entire life with happiness!!

Does the tree ever see whether the person plucking its flowers or fruits is good or bad, right or not right, wise or unwise? No, it just gives. It serves even to those who throw a stick at it or hits an axe into it, isn’t it? It selflessly offers its fruits, flowers, leaves, wood, shade and everything it has, for the benefit of all living creatures in this world. And what does it gain for itself out of this?

1. The tree is very happy serving others, which is evident as it grows bigger and stronger, with new flowers blossoming every day and its fruits getting sweeter in larger numbers.
2. Higher life-form. And eventually, when the time comes for it to die, it evolves into a better life form too.

So, here are some of the ways in which you can be of help to such people.

1. Have the true intention to help with whatever you have.

More important than your external actions, is your internal intention to help. This intention should always be present within you. If you comfort someone now, you will definitely be rewarded in future. So help others in whatever way you can and give happiness to everyone!

1. Do not hold a bad opinion for such people.

You can give happiness to others only when you yourself are happy. And you cannot be happy until you have a negative opinion for someone. Who knows the bad karmas may have been created by the other person unintentionally? Or even, the person may have done some bad deed in past, but along with it he may have done many more good deeds too? Also, in this life, while experiencing the effects of past karmas, he may be helping and caring for others, binding good karmas today?

Nature’s law is exact. It makes sure the fruits of both good and bad deeds are experienced. The fruits of bad karmas will be bad and the fruit of good karmas will be good. If you have done any harm just even once, its fruits will still come. If the bad karma were done unintentionally, Nature also makes sure that he receives help. In the law of Nature, it is methodical justice and is absolutely precise! So, if Nature brings you in front of people who seem to suffer horrific crimes, there is no need to be afraid of anything or have any bad opinion in your mind. You just help, and leave the rest to Nature!

1. You may show them a way to deal with this.

People who do bad things do so owing to the circumstances that they are put in. They encounter bad company, progress on a wrong path, and finally end up doing severe bad things, not being aware of the consequences they will have to face, nor having any understanding of its repercussions.

Or owing to the cycle of cause and effect of karmas, it could even be a revenge in operation, for the pain they were subjected to in the past, which today they may not even know.

Now, the process of suffering horrific crimes is a karmic effect and it has to be suffered by that person. But if one repents for his mistakes whole-heartedly in front of God now, then the new karma will become very light. Param Pujya Dadashri reveals that this is the most effective solution for such people, “You should keep doing pratikraman. The amount of pratikraman that you do should be equal to the pain you caused him. If you do pratikraman for any of your actions, seventy five percent of the effect of that act is dissolved. The other twenty-five percent remains like a burnt rope (losing its strength to give any bad effect). In the next life, it will disintegrate easily. By doing pratikraman, karmas can be shaken off in the next life.” Pratikraman means to apologize for one’s mistake before God; and with sincere repentance for the mistake, take a vow to never do this mistake again.

While the karma is discharging, when one does not see the other person at fault and rather repents for his own bad deeds sincerely, then he can escape the consequences of its further effects as the new karmas that may be bound will not be sticky. If one has the knowledge of this theory of karma and the principle of repentance for one’s karmas, it makes a very big difference while experiencing the bad effects in life. So, it will be a great help if you can convince such people that they should be repentant and tell God, “Dear Lord, I am sorry for all the serious bad things I did to be put in such a position today. Please forgive me. I vow that I will never indulge in such things ever again.” Inspire them to do so and decide to obey the laws of the land from now.

1. Help with purity within.

You can help the person by motivating him to develop such flawless vision, when you yourself begin with it, after having understood it well. So, never have a single bad thought about such people. If you happen to have negative thoughts or a bias for such person, and continue to maintain the inner intent of depriving others of any kind of help, you too must do pratikraman, as stated above, so that these thoughts don’t linger in your mind; or else these karmas could affect you adversely.

Practice ahimsa (non-violence) through the mind, body, and speech.

If we want to be helpful to others, our intent should always be that of not hurting any living being. So, daily morning, repeat the following prayer at least 5 times before you start your day, “Oh God, May I not cause the slightest hurt to anyone through my thoughts, my words or my actions.”

1. Understand the theory of karma, still better.

Good and bad deeds are both effects of karma. But whenever you become the doer of the deeds, you bind karma. With good deeds, you bind new good karmas and with bad deeds, you bind new bad karmas. And with Atma Gnan (knowledge of your real Self), you are freed from that doership; and therefore you stop binding new karma. This is called Self-Realization, which happens only when the Gnani, the Enlightened One, makes you aware of your own Pure Self!!!

When you come to Gnani and receive from Him this knowledge of Self-realization, Gnani releases you from all the doership and you stop binding new karmas!!! Thereafter, the effects of the old karmas remain. And when all the effects have been completely experienced, you attain liberation…