Among men, each one is himself the cause of his fortune, good or bad. He is himself the builder, the architect. Fate, destiny, pre-determination, the Will of God, - every one of these explanations is toppled by the principle of Karma. God and man can be reconciled and affiliated only on the basis of this Sutra or principle of Karma. When man realises that God has no share in causing his suffering and that he is himself the sole cause, that no blame attaches to any other person, that he is the initiator as well as the beneficiary - the cause and the effect - of his acts, that he is free to shape his future, then he approaches God with a firmer step and a clearer mind.

If at the present time, a man is afflicted by misfortune, it is assuredly the result of acts done by him. Accordingly, man has to believe that happiness and good fortune also lie in his own hands. If he decides, happiness and good fortune can be gained by him.

If a person is pure in spirit now, he himself is the cause. Unless a person yearns, he cannot earn. So, it is clear that the will inherent in man is beyond all stages and conditions, all formations and transformations. The freedom that it represents, is the result of his past acts; it is powerful, infinitely fruitful and supreme.

The next problem is Mukthi or Liberation. The Atma is neither masculine nor feminine; it is not possible to impose these distinctions on It. They are merely physical attributes pertaining to the body. When talking about the Atma, ideas, such as these, are but signs of delusion. They are relevant only when the physical body is under discussion. The discussion of 'age' is also a product of this delusion. The Atma is eternal. This ageless Entity is ever One and Only.

How did the Atma get incarnated? In the Sastras, there is just one explanation. For all this encasement and bondage, there is only one reason - Avidya, Absence of Right Awareness. Through Avidya, man gets bound; so, wisdom is the cure. That alone can take him across. How can this Awareness be accomplished?

There are three ways of acquiring it. The first is through Prema, through Bhakthi, through worship of God in full devotion and dedication, through loving service and adoration directed towards every living being who is but a moving temple of God, for He resides in each of them. The false knowledge, the Avidya can be scattered and the bonds made to fall off; the individual will then be released.