Nicholas
Bodhicitta
II 6 The only God or fortune is previous action. As is the effort so is the fruit, O Rama: this is the meaning of self-effort, and it is also known as fate. What is called fate or divine will is nothing other than the action or self-effort of the past. The present is infinitely more potent than the past. Just as a man can govern a boy, vigorous present actions can control past karma. The evils of yesterday can be remedied by the good actions of today. There is no need to rely on destiny, luck or God. They indeed are fools who are complacent about the bitter fruits of their past actions (which they regard as divine will) and do not engage themselves in self-effort now. A weak and dull-witted man can only see the hand of providence when he is confronted by a powerful adversary and succumbs to him.
If you see that the present self-effort is sometimes thwarted by fortune (or divine will), you should understand that the present self-effort is weaker than past actions. Even the apparent experience of defeat sings the glory of one's own past self-effort.
Sometimes it happens that, without effort, someone receives a great gain. This is certainly not an accident nor some kind of divine act, but the fruit of self-effort in a past birth.
It is important to render the spiritual striving of this life more powerful than the worldly striving of past lives. When failure or loss occurs, one should not yield to vain grief. Rather one must try again and again, until the goal is reached.
If you see that the present self-effort is sometimes thwarted by fortune (or divine will), you should understand that the present self-effort is weaker than past actions. Even the apparent experience of defeat sings the glory of one's own past self-effort.
Sometimes it happens that, without effort, someone receives a great gain. This is certainly not an accident nor some kind of divine act, but the fruit of self-effort in a past birth.
It is important to render the spiritual striving of this life more powerful than the worldly striving of past lives. When failure or loss occurs, one should not yield to vain grief. Rather one must try again and again, until the goal is reached.
