By: BK Geeta
Source: The Daily Guardian https://epaper.thedailyguardian.com/view/2671/the-daily-guardian/15
Dated: July 5th, 2025

About 90 per cent of all traffic accidents result from mistakes made by drivers, according to studies. Common driver errors include distraction (like texting or talking on the phone), driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and reckless driving. Drivers make poor decisions or fail to react correctly in countless situations on the road. Different measures and strategies are in place to reduce driver error and prevent road accidents. These include training courses to teach drivers basic safety rules and responsible driving habits. There are also public awareness campaigns to promote safe driving.

But all that is about accidents on the road. What about the ‘accidents’ in our lives? They damage our relationships, our health, our careers, and much more. These ‘accidents’ too result from driver error – loss of control over our thoughts, words, and deeds, acting under the influence of a weakness (such as anger, greed, or pride), and distraction caused by desires. The driver here is the soul, the sentient being who thinks, reasons, and acts. The body is the vehicle, the physical medium through which the soul expresses itself. Just as a car cannot move unless it is started by a driver, the body does not function without the soul. The soul lends life to the body, and consciousness resides in the soul. Ideas, memories, and emotions are rooted in the soul, not the brain. The brain is a physical organ that receives inputs from the sense organs - the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and the skin. These inputs from the senses are unpredictable, and may change every moment. How does the brain respond to them? It is not programmed to react to the inputs. Had that been the case, the response to one kind of sensory input would always be the same. But that does not happen in real life. When confronted again with a situation that we had faced years ago, our response is not necessarily the same – it may be informed by our past experience and could be different. The soul is the intelligent entity that makes the choices which determine how the brain responds to stimuli. Just as a driver decides whether to stop the car or swerve to avoid hitting someone, the soul decides how to respond to different people and circumstances.

But unlike in the case of road accidents, the accidents in our lives are rarely attributed to the driver - the soul. Instead, we look at other people, situations, or even our vehicle, the body, and hold them responsible for our experiences. This is akin to a driver blaming his or her car for an accident, completely absolving themselves of all responsibility. However, this is not surprising. Most people are unaware of the fact that they are souls. The body can be seen and felt, not the soul. So, they think the body is the totality of their existence. The seemingly rationalistic – but rather simplistic – idea that seeing is believing, leads many to ignore or doubt the existence of anything beyond the physical realm. The metaphysical is at best a mystery to them, and at worst a deception. It takes courage, and honesty, to go beyond the physical dimension and explore the field of higher consciousness. The rewards are immense. Recognising our spiritual identity brings understanding, and acceptance, of the law of karma. Our actions are seeds that produce the fruit of our experiences. In other words, all that we go through in life – good or bad – is the result of our own karma. This knowledge encourages us to act responsibly, and wisely, fully aware that the consequences of what we do will surely come to us one day. Every action has an equal and opposite reaction, is a guiding principle for building a happy life. If we ensure that our actions are good, beneficial, charitable, then their karmic return will be of the same quality. When I, the soul, live with this awareness, then the journey of my life is free from accidents. There might be some mishaps on the way, but when I remember that they are the result of karmic accounts from the past, I am able to take them in my stride and continue my journey without fuss. Others can also learn from me the basics of safe ‘driving’, and cruise happily through the journey of life.

BK Geeta is a Rajyoga teacher
at the Brahma Kumaris headquarters in Abu Road, Rajasthan.