Karma Sutra: Dealing with the highs and lows of existence with elegance

When we go through life’s experiences, it naturally leaves an imprint on our unconscious mind.

As the wheel of life turns, we experience the high and the lows, the great and the not all that great stages. Ideal or horrible, managing life requests steady reaction. What's more, it is our temperament (svabhava) which chooses our reaction. When we experience beneficial's encounters, it normally leaves an engraving on our oblivious personality.

Yet, what transforms the engraving into a substance is our reaction to it. When we profoundly relate to a demonstration or a circumstance, that is, whether we think about things literally, be it a misfortune, an illness or achievement, it leaves an enduring effect on us. Positive effect for the most part prompts pomposity and pride and negative effects prompt feelings of dread and fears.

To take the effect personally is a folly. It is our choices that we need to take personally. The choice of either accepting what life is bringing to us with grace and humility or reacting with pride and arrogance.

There’s only so much to be done- once the cause has rolled into its effect, there’s no stopping it- for better or for worse. To save ourselves from further entanglements, we need to work on our nature (svabhava). We need to detach ourselves from the outcome of our actions and follow the middle path, that of maintaining our equipoise.

When we taste success we need to be humble and when we fail in our endeavours we should not cave in to despair.