“We all come into this world to be educated and entertained,” Paramhansa Yogananda once observed—then he added with a wry smile, “but how few are either educated or entertained!”

We each have many lessons to learn from life, and karma is among our primary teachers. Will we fear and resent this teacher’s firm hand, or welcome it with gratitude for the important lessons it has to offer us?

My first-grade teacher, Mrs. Class, was not what one would call warm and fuzzy. She was a strict, often extremely stern disciplinarian, and like most of the children in her class, I was intimidated by her.

One day I got into some kind of trouble—I don’t recall exactly what I did—but my mother was called in for a parent-teacher conference. In that meeting it was decided that, as a punishment, I would be detained after school for a week to do various chores in the classroom.

As the first day of my discipline approached, I felt anxious: I would be spending a lot of time alone with someone who seemed very scary to me—for the whole week!

But to my surprise, in this one-on-one setting, she turned out to be warm and even friendly. As I wiped the blackboards, she shared stories from her past and asked questions about my own life and family. She showed a genuine interest in me and what I had to say.

By the end of the week, we had become fast friends. On the last day of my detention, rather than giving me chores to do, she pulled out several records she had brought from home, and we listened to them on a portable record player. I still remember that we both chose as our favorite—We’ll Sing in the Sunshine by Gale Garnett—a surprisingly hippie-ish folk song.

Though she remained strict in her teaching style, my heart had warmed to her. I was no longer afraid; and knowing she wanted to help me learn and grow, I found myself more open—more malleable to her teaching.

My grades improved, and through her guidance I developed more confidence and inner strength—qualities I sorely needed in the rough neighborhood and school environment of my childhood. I am grateful to Mrs. Class for helping me find my way during that difficult period in my life.

Just as my unexpected friendship with that teacher helped me to learn more in first grade, so too can befriending our divine teacher—karma—help us learn and grow through life’s most challenging lessons and tests.

As we become more open and welcoming to the lessons that karma has to teach us, we will find that life’s challenges become easier to manage and less painful. By living more fully in God’s joy—something karma teaches us to do—we rise to a higher state of consciousness, and from that height we gain a new perspective on our difficulties.

Yogananda said, “Whatever comes of its own, let it come.” He taught that the devotee should see everything that happens in life, whether pleasant or unpleasant, as a gift from God and Guru—a gift meant to guide us into greater understanding and joy. Seen in this light, karma loses its sharp edge and truly becomes a welcomed teacher and friend in our lives.

Karma teaches us which actions lead to happiness and joy—and which do not. It also teaches us how to rise above the trials and tribulations we encounter. In recent years, I’ve faced a health challenge that has left me often feeling fatigued and weak, and at times struggling with shortness of breath.

Last year I visited a friend from Ananda Village—a wise and saintly soul who has meditated and practiced Yogananda’s teachings for many decades. Having lived with a similar illness for over twenty years he offered me guidance—both practical and spiritual—on how to meet the challenges of my condition.

At the end of our long conversation, he said, “You don’t really know when this karma will shift; it might be with you for only a short time, or it might last many years. Therefore, you need to work on raising your consciousness to the point where it no longer matters whether or not you are free of this affliction.”

I’ve taken his advice to heart and, to the best of my ability, have tried to follow it closely. Though I still have much to perfect in this practice, I have found that my inner joy—rather than diminishing—has steadily grown throughout the course of my illness.

When we face each challenge that comes to us with courage, an open heart, and a cheerful smile, we naturally find ourselves growing in spiritual understanding.

“In working out karma, so long as you are still afraid of it you won’t yet be completely free. Karma is best worked out by meeting pleasantly every test that comes and by accepting courageously any hardship that your tests impose.” — Paramhansa Yogananda

Swami Kriyananda offers the following affirmation and prayer to help us calmly face the trials brought on by our karma:

Swami Kriyananda

Affirmation: Though the winds of difficulties howl around me, I stand forever calmly at the center of life’s storms.

Prayer: With Thee beside me, I know that the tides of trouble can never sweep me away. Hold fast my hand, Lord; never let me go

With God and Guru beside us, there are no challenges we cannot calmly face. Let us welcome the tests and trials that karma brings—seeing them as divine gifts meant to guide us towards a state of eternal peace and joy.

If you feel to share a reflection from your own journey, we’d love to hear from you—please leave a reply below.

OM Shanti Shanti,

Suryadas