A Trio of Zen Buddhist Stories: the Roshi, the Japanese Castaway, Escape from Exile Island

So there you have it; three tragic stories, two ending in death, all three of an exitential mode. What does it all mean? Is one's life guided by some supernatural force? Or is it the individual's Karma which is the driving force of our actions? According to karma theory every action has a consequence which will come to fruition in either this or a future life; thus morally good acts will have positive consequences, whereas bad acts will produce negative results.