On Astrology…
I thank Freedom unbound for his comments on my prev post quoting our dear vivekananda and hence prodding me to think a bit and consolidate my stand on the subject.
When i first read the quote by V, momentariliy i thought V was agaisnt astrology and did not believe in it. He seems to be saying astrology is not true. It was a surprise as it goes against what i read else where. But then as i read and re-read the entire speech (link provided below) clarity emerged. What he said did not in the least contradict with what i read many other individuals of great stature say about astrology.
Stars do effect humans. The future events can very well be predicted by the stars. But it only holds good for those “meek and weaklings” who do not have the courage to change it. It says “Given one does not do something drastic and goes with the tide, that is where he will land” But one can as well swim against the tide and reach where he decides to go and not be passively lead by the winds and waves.
Astrology is like a map. It gives a snapshot of the past karmas and the future that is before you as a result of those karmas. But the “present moment” is still the deciding factor. By doing the correct thing now, you can change the future! It is like weather predictions! You see a low pressure build up, calculate the speed and say when it is going to touch the shore etc, but it is only a probability till it happens!
Vivekananda urges us to rise above the influcence of those stars, take the reins in the journey of life and make our own destiny. This can happen only when man learns to be selfless. It is said that astrology does not work for enlightened souls Ex:Ramana Maharshi etc. Even if a very good astrologer looks at his chart and predicts as per generic rules of astrology, he may come up with wrong readings. Say, if we ask him which profession the person would take up in life..etc. He may say sth which will not be valid. It is not because astrology is wrong, but because astrology no longer works for enlightened souls who have known the Self. After all, what is a mere planet or even a star before the entire universe/cosmos and its creator. It would just be a pebble or even a grain of sand!!!
It is in these lines that vivekananda says “Let stars come, what harm is there? If a star disturbs my life, it would not be worth a cent.”
Astrology is a double edged weapon and there is certain danger when certain weak minded people peep into the future and get shaky. Then there would be swarms of selfish people who can make a living by taking undue advantage of them. The world is the creation of the mind! By believing that something wrong is going to happen to them subconsciosly, they will really make it happen. Instead it would be better they dont believe in the prediction, give their complete worth to what they want to achieve and more often than not they would get it!
It might be in this context that Vivekenanda says as a rule of thumb: “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.”
This reminds me about a discussion i had with our dear friend VT. I was saying that alcohol is not good for health and causes many a problems and it is better banned entirely. He said that there is nth wrong in boozing and alcohol is infact good for health (i guess when taken occassionally) etc….May be i can say astrology is sth like alcohol …..good when taken under prescibtion from an expert …in limited quantities and only when required… ummm :o))
