If at present you are pure in spirit, then it is you yourself who have caused it. If you are afflicted by misfortune, again it is assuredly the result of acts done by you. Hence, you must realize that your happiness and good fortune lie in your own hands; it depends on your decision. Unless you yearn, you cannot earn. So, it is clear that the will inherent in you is beyond all situations and conditions, all formations and transformations. The freedom that it represents is the result of your past acts. It is powerful, supreme and infinitely fruitful.
– Sathya Sai Vahini, Chap 7: "The Avatar as a Guru".