Can the effects of Karma be avoided?
I have time and again heard about astrologers suggest wearing some stone or doing some puja during unfavourable times. I always wondered if it is possible or logical. Indian Astrology has 12 planets/houses and a lord presiding each planet/house. There are certain rules based on which they predict the events. They say it is science and a good astrologer can predict the events with great accuracy looking at the chart. But when asked for remittance from bad times, the same astrologer would also suggest some remedial puja or havan.
On one hand they say - “This is going to happen, bcos it is WRITTEN in your chart”
Then they say “Do this to avoid that event from happening”
That intrigues me. Either their chart reading is wrong or the remedy is a hogwash! I had been digging and discussing the same for sometime.
I happened to meet our family priest during a puja we conducted at home and asked him the same question. ” How is it possible to avoid the after effects of a wrong doing by doing a puja or havan” and i loved his response. He said ” Suppose a student did something wrong at the school and came home. He knows that the principal is going to get him the next day. There is no way to avoid it. The act is already done and he knows the not-so-good after effect is waiting for him next day. The awareness of the wrong doing has come after doing the act! What would an intelligent boy do?”
He continued, “Suppose he puts some effort to convince his father and he takes along his father to the school next day in his support while walking into the principal’s room!”
Nothing has changed! The act has not changed in the past and the principals anger has not changed.
But obviously, the principal cannot vent it his anger on the boy in his fathers presence, the way he would have done if he had been alone! He would have to tone down his anger or reaction.
That is what doing puja or worshipping the lord of the house would do ! The planet is displeased and is waiting for some bad news/event (This is the result of bad karma done earlier, either in the same birth or previous) When you go and get into the good books of the lord who rules that planet, that planet has to tone down it’s displeasure in his bosses presence! So while it cannot be completely avoided or made favourable..it can definitely be toned down.
The illustration was interesting and apt though the basics logic is not yet complete.
The relationship between lord of the planet (say, subrahmanya, who himself is an assumed entity) and the planet (Saturn). How doing a particular puja or saying a stotra/mantra pleases the so called assumed entity “subrahmanya” and what kind of control he has on the planet by being “lord”. All this is based on the hypothesis that “the location and movement of a planet can predict someone’s life” which itself is scientifically questionable.
But I have come across number of instances where astrologers have predicted some unprobable event and it happened: While we can see that astrology is working, we dont know the “why and how” . The laws of gravity existed even before
Astrology is a riddle where there is ample material and equations to predict the event based on scientifically correct location of planets, but there is still not enough “scientific” proof of reason for the intellect. It may be because of lack of a generic fit-all equation that can be verified with different sets of measured inputs and predicted vs actually measured outputs. Whether it is science or art or myth is a point of debate and shall continue to be so till we unravel a few more mysteries of the cosmos.
My belief is that we have the freedom to create our future in that all of our thoughts and words and actions will have a consequence in the same way that a stone thrown into the water will cause ripples. So if I shout at somebody and he goes out in a disturbed state of mind , drives a car and runs over a pedestrain , then a big part of the responsibility of that event would lie with me , although I may not be aware of the connection at all. I believe nature is so designed that the cycle gets completed and what we experience as bad spells or good fortune is just the results of our own doing. Well, that is my belief. wouldn”t be able to authenticate it at all. For me therefore, no astrologer need come in as a middle man, for he really has no role.
1The proximity of planets and stars must be having a physical influence on our planet and its inhabitants just as the moon causes the tides in the ocean. I”ve heard it said that the moon can affect our moods. Though one wouldn”t know how that actually comes about, it is possible that the gravity of the moon causes some realigning of our chemical components thereby affecting our disposition and that in turn may influence the way we act….we may be in a peaceful frame of mind or agitated etc. The consequences of our actions in a particular frame of mind could then indirectly be attributed to the moon, I guess. Apart from that it is difficult to believe that they can influence the course of events in an individual’’s day to day life. May be some exceptionally extroadinary human beings have the power to tune in to dimensions in ways that we are incapable of. Unless one is personally aware of such endowmwnts in a person, it would remain a story for me.
2We should not take astrology to extremes, and we should not have blind faith in it, and it should help us rather than chain us. In a way, it helps maintain ”balance” in social life. And the correct predictions made by astrologers and janm kundalis will keep astrology alive for long time. For those who don”t believe in their own religion, who would do anything to gain easy money and power, and who dont believe in our own Hindu Gods, it is futile to expect that they would believe or practice astrology… (Rahul)
3“If you want your nation to live, keep away from all these things. The only test of good things is that they make us strong. Good is life, evil is death. These superstitious ideas are springing like mushrooms in your country, and women wanting in logical analysis of things are ready to believe them.” => This para explains the context in which he was speaking. He wanted our nation to be strong, independent, and powerful again. He wanted Hindus to be rishis again, to realise the power within. Astrology, along with many other superstitions were making Hindus remain chained in customs and people were exploiting others in its name. So he denounced astrology and asked us not to remain sticked to it. If we see his sayings in the larger context, along with his other statements, it becomes clear. Anyway, I will believe what I have seen and experienced. This is what Swami Vivekanda wanted us to…
4“So what is the use of going to stars for explanation? They may have a little influence; but it is our duty to ignore them rather than hearken to them and make ourselves nervous. This I lay down as the first essential in all I teach: anything that brings spiritual, mental, or physical weakness, touch it not with the toes of your feet. ” => Here, he explains how to “handle” astrology. What if we come to know that something wrong is going to happen? Many a time, it is better, to just ignore it and move ahead. Let us not make astrologory or its predictions, our weakness. “It is always a manifestation of strength, and all these ideas such as astrology, although there may be a grain of truth in them, should be avoided.” => He indicates, that there may be truth in astrology. So let us not simply laugh over anyone who believes in astrology. (contd..)
5“I have seen some astrologers who predicted wonderful things; but I have no reason to believe they predicted them only from the stars, or anything of that sort. In many cases it is simply mind reading. Sometimes wonderful predictions are made, but in many cases it is arrant trash.” => Even Vivekanda accepts that there are astrologers who predict wonderful things. For his suspicion that they won’t have predicted only from the stars, we can question him: how can they predict accurately the future in this way? When they would read mind, mind would contain information only about the past and present. Is there any way we can read others’ minds and know the future? “Let stars come, what harm is there? If a star disturbs my life, it would not be worth a cent. You will find that astrology and all these mystical things are becoming prominent in our minds, we should see a physician, take good food and rest.” => Again, he is warning against astro. as superstition…
6Vivekanda’’s words: “Excessive attention to the minutiae of astrology is one of the superstitious, which has hurt the Hindus very much.” => Note that he has said “excessive attention to ..” and not astrology itself. “I think the Greeks first took astrology to India and took from the Hindus the science of astronomy and carried it back with them to Europe. Because in India you will find old altars, made according to a certain geometrical plan, and certain things had to be done when the stars were in when certain positions, therefore I think the Greeks gave the Hindus astrology, and the Hindus gave them astronomy.” => He says astrology came to India from outside. Anyways this doesn”t affect its validity. Something can”t be false only because it came from outside. ” (contd..)
7Similarly, his criticism was against the tendency of priests to control others and gain power in the name of religion, and not against “priests” as a profession, or priests as a class. How can it be, when his own Guru Ramkrishna Paramhansa had served as a priest in the Kali temple in Belur?
8Today, we are free. If we don’t want to believe in astrology, we can decide not to practice it. Of course when we think about spirituality, astrology doesn’t fit into it. When this body and this world don’t matter at all, then how come astrology matter when we are on spiritual plain? In any case, Swami Vivekananda would have hated us to take his words as the final verdict, make a bible out of his speeches, and not to apply our own minds and reasoning. For astrology, I have seen good astrologers saying all truths, without any falsehood or design. How can astrology be wrong then? For something that is in front of our eyes, how can we ignore it just because some astrologers are not efficient?
9One, there is difference between fortune-telling and astrology. Secondly, there is no power or knowledge which has not been misused and abused by selfish people. It would be useless to cite the corruptions done in the name of astrology, because we all know it has been done. But we should understand that it is not because of astrology itself, but because of our own weakness towards astrology. We can’t blame fire for burning our house, if we don’t know how to handle it. Swami Vivekananda tells that we should have no ‘blind faith’. So no ‘blind faith’ in astrology too. His statements should be read in the context he is speaking. He wanted Indians to get free from the clutches of misery, lack of education, poverty, and most important for that time: superstition. His criticism was against the way astrology was being misused to affect people.
10“There is no mystery in religion. Is there any mystery in the Vedanta, or in the Vedas, or in the Samhitâs, or in the Puranas? What secret societies did the sages of yore establish to preach their religion? What sleight-of-hand tricks are there recorded as used by them to bring their grand truths to humanity? Mystery mongering and superstition are always signs of weakness. These are always signs of degradation and of death. Therefore beware of them; be strong, and stand on your own feet. Great things are there, most marvellous things. We may call them supernatural things so far as our ideas of nature go, but not one of these things is a mystery. …….Shame on humanity that strong men should spend their time on these superstitions, spend all their time in inventing allegories to explain the most rotten superstitions of the world. Be bold; do not try to explain everything that way.” — V
11Sahiti, have you been reading our V or not ?. Here’’s something from him..:)
12“Throughout the history of the world, this priestly tendency has cropped up again and again — this tremendous thirst for power, this tiger-like thirst, seems a part of human nature. The priests dominate you, lay down a thousand rules for you. They describe simple truths in roundabout ways. They tell you stories to support their own superior position. If you want to thrive in this life or go to heaven after death, you have to pass through their hands. You have to perform all kinds of ceremonies and rituals. All this has made life so complicated and has so confused the brain that if I give you plain words, you will go home unsatisfied….The less you understand, the better you feel! The prophets have been giving warnings against the priests and their superstitions and machinations; but the vast mass of people have not yet learnt to heed these warnings — education is yet to come to them. ” - V
Somewhere I am reminded of a phenomenon called Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), also known as winter depression. It can now be understood and everyone will agree on this… But when the very thing will be said in Hinduism, some of us will call it a myth… Anyways, this was a very good piece… Keep writing… (Rahul)
13…..As for astrology, I agree with you. So many times our guruji has read our kundalis and told things that has happened or is happening or had happened. And then there are palmists who can tell all our past, along with our nature, our family member’s nature, etc, only after looking at our palms… I believe, even if astrology works on principles and is a science because it is systematic and can be taught and experimented, there are some ‘gifted’ souls who can predict and make use of this more. Otherwise there are so many fake astrologers who earn money by reaping out our insecurities…
14Very nice write up… Our Pandit ji said that what he suggested to “avoid” bad times is only to comfort ourselves and to make us not worry too much. He says what has to happen will happen, even though he prescribes remedy. He had predicted that one of our uncles will have all daughters and no son. Yet he prescribed some remedy. He had two daughters. When Guru ji heard that, he was not surprised. What was written, had happened. I think these remedies work on psychology more than to destroy karma. They don’t change destiny, but changes the way we face those destinies: after the remedies, we are more confident to face the bad times. But we can’t call it ‘hogwash’, because it is done with a great intention. And remember that “nothing is impossible too”. The explanation by your family priest here was amazing and convincing… Thanks a lot for sharing it here.
15Astrology should be used for common cause amd public good - not for individuals. Nothing can stop the happenings, but some rituals can mitigate the effrects.
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