It seems our fate is written somewhere (in the stars or in our genes) and whatever you do, we are conditioned by the qualities and defects inherited from our ancestors. Most ancient religions remind us that we are the sum of the experiences of those who came before us.

Karma means "deed", "action", "rite". This is a Sanskrit term used in many Eastern religions. For these religions, the concept of karma is commonly referred to the cycle of causes and consequences of the existence of sentient beings. It is the sum of what an individual has done, is doing or will do. In religions that have adopted the concepts of reincarnation or rebirth, the karmic effects of these actions are expected to affect the different lives of an individual.

Kabbalah is an esoteric tradition of Judaism, presented as the "Oral and Secret Law " given by YHWH (God) to Moses on Mount Sinai, along with the "Written and Public Law " (the Torah). For the modern Kabbalists, Karma is not just a burden which we carry from past lives, but a series of tests that we have chosen just before our birth, the purpose of life being to pass these tests.

I don’t know if reincarnation is a reality or not, but the suggestion that the law of Karma could be considered as a bill "to pay" according to our past actions, is fascinating, especially if one takes into account the heritage of the Karma of our ancestors. According to the Kabbalists, our whole life has been prepared in advance, depending on the qualities and virtues that we should acquire. This requires understanding the Karma as a 'Divine law' which, if we understand the ins and outs, can lead us towards a harmonious and conscious evolution.

I'm not a fan of Kabbalah or of the different religions of the Far East, but I really like the notion of Karma. It is what I experienced.

Rereading the first 16 chapters of my memoirs, It seems to me that all the important decisions I have taken all go in the same direction: to make me what I am today, a serene man, who has dominated all the vicissitudes of life, enjoying every day and having no fear of death.

My thoughts about Karma is are a reflection of an attitude to life that I was not fully aware until now. Each of us is just one link in a long chain. What we received, we must pass to others.

Basically, this is the reason for my desire to write my story. I can only repeat what I wrote as an introduction to my memories; see ‘ Memoirs of a child of the past century’ (autobiography) :

‘My story of soon 83 years of a tempestuous life, a try to understand myself where I come from, an attempt to draw lessons for others from my experiences, my joys and my woes’.

It only remains me to wish you good reading .