Answer
Although this question was asked by a devotee regarding his personal problem, my answer is addressed to all the devotees present in this group, not just to the one who asked the question. Dikshit ji will certainly receive some guidance from this answer as well.
We all know from experience that when there is transparency in any matter, our confidence is stronger and we feel more assured. But when something is shrouded in fog, we feel anxiety, fear, and apprehension. Most of us feel anxious and remain full of apprehension because we do not have a clear and transparent understanding of the natural principles governing life. Today, let me explain to all of you the principles that govern life, based on the Bhagavad Gita. If you understand these properly, you will feel more assured in life and experience greater peace.
The events that occur in each of our lives — the joys and sorrows that come to us — are primarily the result of our own actions (karma) in this life and in previous births. Whatever suffering we caused others in the past comes back to us in equal measure, sooner or later. The karma we are performing right now — some of its fruits will come to us in this very life, and whatever remains, good or bad, will be determined across many future births.
God's direct intervention in this is very minimal. It is not God who runs the world; it is Prakriti (Nature) that does so under His presidency — it is the laws of Nature that operate. Prakriti is subordinate to the Lord and derives all its power from Him. However, the Lord remains a witness. In 99.999% of cases, things proceed according to the laws of Nature. The law of karma is itself a law of Nature. The law of karma means that whatever good or bad you do will return to you in corresponding good or bad form, in this life and in future lives. If you hurt others' feelings or caused suffering to others, your feelings will be hurt too and someone will cause you suffering as well. If someone committed murder or got someone killed, tragic accidents will befall members of their own family too. If you treated people with kindness and spoke gently, gentleness will enter your own life as well. The fruits of your good and bad deeds are not delivered only in this life — they continue across many future births. Therefore, whatever is happening in someone's life today is the consequence of their own past actions, whether those actions were performed in this life or in previous births.
Thus, a person who understands this does two things. First, he bears those sufferings with the understanding that "this must be the fruit of my own karma, and no 'injustice' is being done to me by Nature or by God." This feeling of acceptance, this acceptance of the philosophy, provides great support and peace in life. It also brings transformation in life. Therefore, one should learn to accept life's sorrows with equanimity. But this does not mean that one should make no effort to alleviate those sorrows. If illness comes, one should immediately seek treatment and try to overcome the illness.
The second result of understanding this philosophy of life should be that we begin, from today, to reflect on what we are doing wrong and what we are doing right. The best way to think about this is to consider how much suffering we are distributing among people or how much suffering we are creating — for our family members, children, spouse, parents — and how much happiness we are bringing to the people around us in our family and society. After such reflection, one should change one's character and conduct, and as far as possible, one should not cause suffering to anyone — not even to any creature. One should make an effort to bring happiness to every being and every person, as far as possible. And the simplest things one can do are to speak gently, to refrain from anger, to render small acts of help to people — helping someone cross the road, gathering all the old clothes in one's home that are no longer of use and distributing them. You can find countless such examples yourself. If you are employed, do not harass or exploit a poor person and cause them suffering. Fulfill your duty toward them with love and compassion. By doing this, your future life will become very beautiful. Then you will ask, "Very well, I shall do all this, but what about the sins I have already committed in previous births or in this very life — how do I become free from their effects?"
The biggest obstacle in doing this is that a person does not even feel that he has ever done anything wrong or is doing anything wrong, or that he has been causing or is causing suffering to others. This psychological tendency is present in almost all human beings. To overcome this psychological tendency, each person must make an effort on their own — they must ask the people around them, their family members, what they think, what they are doing wrong, and so on. For example, it may not occur to you that where you could have caught the mice and released them outside, you instead poisoned and killed them — and that act caused great suffering to the mice. But you will have to bear the consequences of killing those mice. This is the law of karma. Whether you gave your servant proper facilities or not, whether you kept him in suffering or not — perhaps, without honest reflection and introspection, this truth may not be apparent to you.