One name for God is time itself, and time is uncertain. Anyone serious about the spiritual path must be comfortable with uncertainty. One name of God is uncertainty, and that is where faith arises. This is where you understand that you can control your karma. Karma means everything, not only your worldly actions but also your spiritual practice, your sadhana. You can control the karma you are doing today and not be driven by the impulses of past karma, overcoming your habits.
You then have to detach from the results or be non-attached and simply observe the outcomes. Over time, you develop an understanding of what’s working and what’s not. Keenly observing your karma and seeing its effects fructify is also part of spiritual living. However, for an average practitioner, it’s hard to grasp the totality of their past karma, so there will always be uncertainty.
Surprises happen because of this uncertainty, and they also occur when we lose touch with our inner selves. Many people work hard and enjoy the fruits of their labor, but they don't meditate or introspect. When introspection is missing, you fall out of tune with your body and what’s happening beneath the surface in your life. Gradually, conditions develop inside and outside the body. When they surface in the manifested realm, you’re surprised. These may manifest as relationship issues, work-related problems, or even diseases.
One beautiful thing that happens as soon as you start meditating is that you become more aware of your inner self. This awareness guides you toward the objective of your meditation. Whether you meditate for good health, abundance, or the realization of God, everything in your life starts to balance, leading you to your goal. In the process, you develop a deeper sense of what’s happening within you. You begin to catch subtle signals of changes within you and your surroundings. These signals act as early warnings that allow you to take corrective action, helping you avoid major surprises in life.
Many people share stories of being hit by surprise miseries or challenges. While we can’t predict all surprises, I have observed that true spiritual seekers experience fewer negative surprises. Due to divine grace, God adjusts our karma in the background, making our spiritual journey more straightforward and easy—though "easy" is a relative term. There are still challenges to overcome, but that journey, despite its challenges, becomes joyous and purposeful.
When challenges arise, you can relate them to your purpose, which fills you with energy and inspiration. There is no prolonged dullness, boredom, or depression. Meditating on this higher intelligence helps you avoid unexpected surprises by staying in tune with the signals from within, from the world outside, from nature, time itself, and from the spiritual and intuitive people around you.