Hard Struggle for Happiness 299
na karma-phala-samyogam
svabhavas tu pravartate
nadatte kasyacit papam
na caiva sukrtam vibhuh
ajianenavrtam jnanam
tena muhyanti jantavah
“The embodied spirit, master of the city of his body,
does not create activities, nor does he induce people
lo act, nor does he create the fruits of action. All
this is enacted by the modes of material nature.
Nor does the Supreme Spirit assume anyone’s sinful
or pious activities. Embodied beings, however, are
bewildered because of the ignorance which covers
their real knowledge.” (Bg. 5.14-15)

It is clear from these passages that the sufferings
of humanity are not to be equated with the pastimes
of the Supreme Being, nor is the Supreme Being
responsible for them. The Lord is never responsible
for anyone’s vices or virtues. By vicious actions, we
are put into more and more distressful conditions,
whereas by pious actions we place ourselves on the
path of happiness. Thus man is the architect of his
own material distress or happiness. The Lord does
not want the living entity to become entangled in the
reactions of activities, be they good or bad. He simply
wants everyone to go back home, back to Godhead.
As long as we are not awakened to our pure eternal
relation with God, we are certainly bewildered in our
actions. Our actions, in respect to right and wrong,
are ail performed on the platform of ignorance. We
must rise to the platform of pure knowledge, which
