We have another question from Karthick
Everything that’s happening to us, is it pre-determined? Is astrology for real? If things are already determined why should i suffer for something that i am not responsible for?
Everything that’s happening to you is not pre-determined. However, the potential is “Pre-determined” to some extent. To be more precise, the “Potential” is earned by the soul as it evolves.
Every soul carries some potential. You must have read about Potential energy in School. Every soul has some potential energy associated with it – the energy stored in the soul due to its position in a force field or that a soul has due to the configuration of its parts.
This universe is that force field and we are basically a container which preserves an energy form. This energy form goes through millions and billions of transformations, it takes up different bodies, shapes and forms during its evolution. What you are today is nothing but a result of this transformation which you have went through for millions of years.
So your soul has a potential associated with it which is a direct reflection of your evolution journey. There are things that you can do better than your friends. For example, I am good at “running” and can leisurely beat any of my friends. This shows that my soul has some potential related to “Sprint”, it is a reflection of how my soul has evolved in these years.
In the next phase of this soul’s evolution, it may take up the body of a tortoise and what this soul performs in this life birth will be preserved as “Karma” for the next birth. The life of that Tortoise is not pre-determined. It may die or maybe eaten up by a predator. Noone knows what will happen to that life form. However, if my soul gathers the “Karma” of running in this present birth, it will be preserved in the soul and it might so happen that the tortoise will be able to run a bit faster, compared to its peers. This is because the soul has already acquired that “Potential” in its previous birth and knows how to make the best out of a container (the physical body of the tortoise).
So whatever is happening to you is not pre-determined. However, the potential of a soul in any given life form is pre-determined. The life form may identify that potential or may not, it depends.
Is Astrology real?
Coming to the next part of your question, Yes astrology is for real.
Events can be predicted to accurate detail. You see scientists, doctors, geologists and experts predict different things – weather, market situations, condition of your liver, stock market positions, price index, who is going to win the election and so many other things. If these things can be predicted, life events can also be predicted.
What is life? Life is nothing but the journey of a soul from Point A to Point B.
The soul is moving since millions of years. It’s just that in this life of yours, it will move from point A to point B in a unique way. That’s what life is all about.
Now Astrology is a science which predicts important events in the course of this journey. Things like significant years, the crest, the trough, the rise, the fall, the turbulent years, the smooth ones. Astrology also predicts the potential of your soul through different data points – your rashi, planetary positions and other things. An expert can predict the nature and color of your soul in this life form.
How it is predicted is a different question altogether. You can ask a stock market expert how they predict market crashes and he will give you the same answer that an expert astrologer will give – years of study of statistical data. The pundits have studied the behaviour of specific souls and have jotted down several principles that govern the journey under given set of circumstances. Based on these principles, predictions are made.
I have myself studied astrology to some extent and I know that this branch of science is not fiction. Things, events, character and the coarse of the journey can be predicted. But for the veracity of the prediction, you will need to visit a learned astrologer who knows what he is doing. Most people who claim to be astrologers are actually business men, not scholars.
Why should I suffer for something that I am not responsible for?
What is the definition of suffering?
What you are referring to suffering is just your own interpretation of something. And that interpretation is coming from the assumptions that your brain has set in stone. The brain has set these assumptions through a limited purview.
Let’s do a simple math.
- You think the suffering should be withdrawn since you are not responsible for it. Then one can contemplate – you are not responsible for your birth. But you are living. Why are you living when you are not responsible for your birth? You should stop living then.
- Everyday you drink water. But you are not responsible for the “Need of water”, it is the body that is responsible for the “Need” and forces you to drink water. You should stop drinking water and let the body figure out its own needs (remember – you are not the body).
- Everyday you sleep. But you are not responsible for that event. So you should stop sleeping then or by some means try to remove that event from your life.
- You were born naked, you are not responsible for that custom of wearing clothes which everyone follows. Why are you wearing clothes then? You should stop wearing clothes since you are not responsible for that custom someone else has built.
As we can see, you do a lot of things which you are not at all responsible for. But you don’t question those things at all. Because in your purview, those things are not “sufferings”. You define what “suffering” is and then start questioning it. It is much more worthwhile to question the definition first and you will get your answer.
There are billions of people in this planet and each one has several sufferings. So in total, there are trillions of sufferings in this planet. Where from these sufferings came into existence? These so called “sufferings” came into existence through personal definitions and only that specific person can question the definition and find a way out.
In reality, you aren’t suffering at all. Even if you are lying on your death bed, you aren’t suffering. It’s just that your soul is getting ready to embark on a new journey. That’s all there is and that’s all there will be.
Related – Why do we suffer?