My sincere greetings to the Ananda Sangha on this festive season. I have recently started my spiritual journey. There is only one thing which is still troubling me. In the past I had an abortion, and this guilt keep surfacing at all time. I wish to have your kind advice. How can I pray on this and how will this work on my karma?
Many thanks
Warm Regards
—Prema, Mauritius
Dear Prema,
Krishna, in the much loved Bhagavad Gita, reassures Arjuna on the eve of the great battle of Kurukshetra that our souls are eternal. There is no death to the soul. Swami Sri Yukteswar, also, encourages us to let go of the past, for we all have engaged in actions that we, now, more aware spiritually, regret.
The child whose potential birth was taken away by the decision to abort will have other opportunities to be re-born. As difficult as this is to say and as impossible as it is to know fully, this child too must have had the karma to have its potential rebirth ended so early. But this is “not forever.” It may actually induce in that soul a greater determination and will to live. Who can say?
Carry on with your journey in this life. For no one can truly say “I’ve made no mistakes, no actions that I now regret.” From saints to artists to inventors and scientists, life is full of ups and downs in our perception, decisions, and actions.
Be of good cheer. Pray, if you feel to, to this child who may already have been re-born. You can offer your love, and, yes your apologies if you feel you should to the soul of this child. But be content and comforted in your heart. As Ananda’s founder would sometimes say to console us: “We’re all doing the best we can.”
The silver lining is that this can add to your own determination to be free; to act dharmically; to be wiser in your decisions and more compassionate with respect to others and their shortcomings.
Joy is the light of your soul. Affirm even mindedness and cheerfulness knowing that if you act now in the right way, all things will improve. God is ever with you; is YOU!
Blessings and joy,
Nayaswami Hriman
