Acharya Prashant explains that external events in the material world are essentially random coincidences rather than predetermined occurrences. He argues that the world is not deterministic because it is a colossal system with too many cause-and-effect nodes and involves the unpredictable element of free will. Therefore, fatalism is a sham, and one cannot predict what will happen next in the external world. While external stimuli are beyond an individual's control, the way one experiences and responds to these events is a matter of personal decision and inner constitution. He clarifies that the inner constitution, which determines whether an event is perceived as good or bad, is built through a life journey of accumulated choices. This internal state is what is commonly referred to as karma. While the external world is probabilistic and random, the inner world is where an individual's authority and potential freedom lie. Acharya Prashant emphasizes that the purpose of life is to gain power over this internal response so that one is not a slave to external situations. To remain uninfluenced by catastrophic external events, one must work hard to develop a strong inner core, which constitutes the true essence of karma.
