The Master was walking through the fields one day when a young man, a troubled look upon his face, approached him.

"On such a beautiful day, it must be difficult to stay so serious," the Master said.

"Is it? I hadn't noticed," the young man said, turning to look around and notice his surroundings. His eyes scanned the landscape, but nothing seemed to register; his mind elsewhere. Watching intently, the Master continued to walk.

"Join me if you like." The Master walked to the edge of a still pond, framed by sycamore trees, their leaves golden orange and about to fall.

"Please sit down," the Master invited, patting the ground next to him. Looking carefully before sitting, the young man brushed the ground to clear a space for himself.

"Now, find a small stone, please," the Master instructed.

"What?"

"A stone. Please find a small stone and throw it in the pond."

Searching around him, the young man grabbed a pebble and threw it as far as he could.

"Tell me what you see," the Master instructed.

Straining his eyes to not miss a single detail, the man looked at the water's surface.

"I see ripples."

"Where did the ripples come from?"

"From the pebble I threw in the pond, Master."

"Please reach your hand into the water and stop the ripples," the Master asked.

Not understanding, the young man stuck his hand in the water as a ripple neared, only to cause more ripples. The young man was now completely baffled. Where was this going? Had he made a mistake in seeking out the Master? After all he was not a student, perhaps he could not be helped? Puzzled, the young man waited.

"Were you able to stop the ripples with your hands?" the Master asked.

"No, of course not."

"Could you have stopped the ripples, then?"

"No, Master. I told you I only caused more ripples."

"What if you had stopped the pebble from entering the water to begin with?" The Master smiled such a beautiful smile; the young man could not be upset.

"Next time you are unhappy with your life, catch the stone before it hits the water. Do not spend time trying to undo what you have done. Rather, change what you are going to do before you do it." The Master looked kindly upon the young man.

"But Master, how will I know what I am going to do before I do it?"

"Take the responsibility for living your own life. If you're working with a doctor to treat an illness, then ask the doctor to help you understand what caused the illness. Do not just treat the ripples. Keep asking questions." The young man stopped, his mind reeling.

"But I came to you to ask you for answers. Are you saying that I know the answers?"

"You may not know the answers right now, but if you ask the right questions, then you shall discover the answers."

"But what are the right questions, Master?"

"There are no wrong questions, only unasked ones. We must ask, for without asking, we cannot receive answers. But it is your responsibility to ask. No one else can do that for you." - Unknown Author

Karma is a Sanskrit word meaning action. However it embraces the whole meaning of living. Thus according to Indian philosophy we are because of our Karma. Thus our Karma or actions or deeds (both good and bad) decide our future in this or the next life. Law of karma occupies a central position in Indian philosophy.

According to some commentators the law of karma is very deterministic. They claim that you are born according to your Karma, things happen to you in your present birth because of your past Karmas etc. According to them because of past Karmas it is not possible for one to change the present life. This however negates the whole basis of Yoga which claims that one can change the Sanskars (memories) and hence ones life. All the four systems of Yoga - Jnana, Raja, Bhakti and Karma teach us to live positively in thought, words and deeds. This helps us in producing positive memories and hence good Karma.

Though karma as a concept originated in India, similar ideas can be found in religions and cultures around the world.

Of late there has been a surge of interest in the field of Spirituality in management. Many contend that it is but a formalization of what till now were isolated, personal experiences that had helped the employees remain "centred" even earlier. Harvard trained Tom Chappell sees two reasons for the move toward increased corporate spirituality. One is employees' need for meaning. They are saying, "In order for me to come to work in this culture day in and day out, I need more than just working by fear. I need to be connecting my life to something greater, and in that connection making meaning of my life", he explains. "We're in an age where a lot of people are looking for more meaning out of not just their personal lives, but their work lives."

Are we trying enough to re-explore the long lost meaning of spiritualistic living ?