"Note carefully the difference between the law of karma and the law of destiny. The principle
of destiny is but the first part of the law of karma. It does not contradict the law of karma.
A human being’s destiny today is created by one’s past actions. A past action is faitaccompli. One obviously has no control now over things done in the past. Hence, human
beings are said to be a victim of their destiny; this is with reference to their past only. The
law of karma accepts this principle as it applies to life already lived, but expounds further the
principle of self-effort which every human being possesses and which can be applied in the
present irrespective of one’s destiny for moulding one’s future. In fact, these self-efforts
exercised by the individual in the past have created one’s present destiny. It should be
remembered that the future destiny can be changed for the better, or for the worse, by
exercising one’s choice with present self-effort."