We have a question from Srikanth
If all this physical world is just an illusion as mentioned in hindu texts, Why does other part of hindu texts deals with changing the destiny of this illusionary and temporary physical world?
I refer to the astrology part of hindu texts which deals with prediction of future and changing the destiny. Why do ancient sages shed knowledge about astrology though they know this is just an illusion?
It’s not just astrologers who follow this behaviour.
- The Doctor knows that you are going to die some day. But he still cures your disease or tries to save you.
- The Soldier knows that his country is going to lose the war or that him not firing a bullet and killing an enemy soldier who is just like him, won’t make much difference. But he still fires that bullet.
- When casting the vote in general elections, you know very well that all of this is an organised scam for power and political propaganda. But you do cast your vote in favour of someone you don’t even know and give him the authority to rule you.
- The street sweeper knows that once he has done his job, some people will still make the neighbourhood dirty and he will have to do it all over again next morning. But he never stops doing his thing.
- You know that the money you are storing in bank is not “stored” and the bank reaps all the profit with your money and gives you only the inflation adjusted amount with a sweet name of “Interest”. But you keep your money with the bank, anyway.
- The teacher knows that whatever he wrote on the board will be forgotten within a day and nobody cares about that long equation and solving a question he explained for hours. But he still does his job.
- You yourself know that very few people care about you (your parents, brothers, sisters or maybe one or two close friends). But you keep seeking attention from people who really don’t matter in your life.
- I know that very few people will read this piece and of the very few people who read it, maybe none will understand. But I will still write it.
The result has no influence on Karma (and vice versa)
The result cannot influence Karma.
Result is there in its place, karma is there in its place. Both are mutually exclusive. This assumption that even though I know that X is going to happen, then why should I do Y, does not hold when X is karma and Y is result.
I know I am going to die someday. Then why live? Why study? Why suffer? Why work? Die today. What’s the point of living when I am going to die someday? What’s the point of learning when I am going to forget everything someday? What’s the point of enjoying when I am going to suffer some day?
If X is true in your life, be rest assured, the opposite of X is also true and it will hit you in due time.
This is the beauty of life.
If you live, you will die. If you are happy, you will be sad. If you are winning, you will lose. If you love, you will hate. If you have friends, you will have enemies. And so on.
So you may wonder –
Why have friends when I have enemies also? Let me remove both friends and enemies. Why be sad and happy? Let’s remove both.
You cannot do that. You can only have access to both or none but you cannot have access to only one end of a Pole.
Astrology is not about changing destiny
Like I have previously said, everything happening to you is not pre-determined. Astrology never says that whatever is happening and whatever that is going to happen is set in stone. What astrology tells you is the possibility or chances of happening something.
Destiny is a function of Karma. So in reality, nobody has control over his/her destiny since Karma is ever changing and through this perpetual change, destiny also changes routes. Astrology can only tell you which route will be most effective for you.
Just like the doctor tells you – you have low blood pressure, take these pills when you climb a mountain. Your mom tells you – today it might rain, carry that umbrella with you. Your spouse puts a blanket on you when it gets too cold. Why?
It is simply because the probability of you suffering while climbing a mountain with low blood pressure, or getting wet in the rain or sleeping without a blanket is high. Hence, this effort to reduce that suffering.
Of course, this physical world is just an illusion. Astrology can tell you which path may work for you and which path may not work for you. However, if cannot tell you what lies at the end of both paths.
Examples – If you have Sun and Mercury sitting in the house of Aries, there is a high chance that you will hold the position of an administrator in public sector and will be very successful at it. In that case, it is a good idea to try your luck in the public sector and see what happens. Since your position (potential energy) has a specific configuration in the force field (universe), it is indeed a good idea to make the best out of your position, to go in a direction where you will yield maximum through put.
If you have Mars in the 4th, 7th, 10th or 12th house, you should marry someone who also has Mars in any one of the above houses. Again, if you have Saturn and Mars both in the 7th house, you should never marry someone who does not have Mars in 4th, 7th, 10th or 12 house. If you abide by this, the chances of a blissful marriage is high. This notion is put after thousands of years of study and statistical analysis which Indian sages prepared for generations and generations.
Of course you can refute this theory saying that you don’t believe all this. But this decision to refute something is not driven by knowledge of that subject but simple bias towards your own perception about something.
However, an astrologer cannot tell you the result of your marriage. He can only guide you and tell you what might work best for you in a given set of conditions, rest everything depends on your karma (which is continuously changing)
An astrologer cannot tell you which job you should crack. He can only tell you which type of job will be suitable for you where you can yield optimum results.
Again, this physical world is an illusion. But human thirst of knowledge and the ability to understand how something works will never cease. This also includes “Future”, men will always have this urge to know what lies “ahead” of us and he will keep on digging.
Its because he can think, he can calculate, he can store, he can communicate, he can analyse and he can brainstorm.