Generally, when someone says it has happened for a reason or everything happens for a reason, it means the law of cause and effect is at play; primarily it has to do with karma!

So, let us explore the science of karma:

Seed of karma (the cause) — This is in the form of our inner intent we’ve made in the past life. So, everything that happens in our current life is a result of our past life deeds.

For example, in the past life, you intended that ‘may nice temples/churches be built; and if possible, I would like to donate for this cause’. It is only in your intention right now; you have not donated a single penny as yet. With such inner intent, you sow the seed of good karma.

Fruit of karma (The effect of cause made). This is in the form of our physical deeds in this life i.e. our thoughts, words and actions; all of these are all called physical deeds. They happen naturally based on your past karma.

Subsequently, in this life, when the construction of a temple/church is being planned nearby, and trustees approach you for some contribution, you immediately say, “Yes, I certainly want to give for this cause.” Your physical thought, speech and action that happen in this regard is an effect of your past karma (your inner intent during the past life). You had sown a seed in the past life that bears its fruit in this life.

Fruits of physical deeds (An effect of effect). This is in the form of reward or punishment for our deeds. We get the result of our physical karma in this life itself. Good karma will bear good fruits, bad karma will bear bad fruits in this life itself.

For your physical karma of donation, people will praise you and respect you, “Oh you are such a generous donor.” etc. And based on your present inner intent at the time of experiencing the fruits of karma, new seeds of karma are sown. For example, after donating, if you feel, “Nowadays, people deceive in the name of charity. I should not have donated any amount for this cause.” Owing to this intent now, you will not be able to donate in your next life.

Hence, intent and action are two different things. The intent happened in the past life, the fruit of intent comes in the form of our actions in this life, and the result of this action comes in this life itself. Therefore, people say everything happens for a reason.

The reason for the continuous suffering that we experience in this life and our future lives is our own intent, the effects of which we suffer through karma. And the only way to escape from the vicious cycle of cause and effect of karma is to find the answer to ‘who am I’ in all of this.

In reality, every living being is a pure Soul. This pure Soul is our real self. The Soul is totally separate from the body complex. Once we come into the nature of the real Self, no new karma will bind. This happens when the enlightened being (Gnani) makes us aware of our true Self. After that, new karmas do not bind and old karmas continue to unfold at their respective time and finish. When all karmas finish, we attain ultimate liberation from the bondage of karma forever.