Ageless Debate

What is the role of destiny or fate in our lives? Is our life predetermined?

There is a common mistaken notion that destiny and fate are predetermined; this implies that we have no choice in the matter. We have to accept and live through situations, experiences, joys and sorrows that come to us unasked, and often, undeserved, without any effort on our part.

Understand that this birth is not an accident and destiny is not a God-bidden command. In this world, nothing happens without a reason.

The law of nature is, ‘As you sow, so shall you reap.’ Our past actions and desires are the seeds we harvest in the form of our present life – the period of history we find ourselves in, the family we are born into, the environment in which we live. We have chosen this particular project, this life, ourselves.

When we embark on any mission, a certain amount of planning is required. We keep in mind the objective to be achieved, draw up a detailed blueprint and then execute it accordingly. At the planning stage, there is a certain amount of latitude, but once the project is implemented, there is no going back. So, we take birth according to what we previously had chalked out. We may regret it, but are now left with no option, since this was the choice we exercised earlier.

Based on our desires, we chose our parents. We may try to change them, distance ourselves from them, but they will still be our parents. We have their genes and are stuck with them! It is our destiny. But who created this destiny? It was shaped by our own past actions. Therefore, since past actions created our present destiny, actions in the present will determine the future. We cannot escape the consequences of our past actions, not just in the recent past, but also in the distant past beyond memory.

Years ago, as a teenager you taped rock music or heavy metal on a cassette. As an adult your tastes became refined; you decide to listen to jazz. But when you play that cassette will you get jazz? No, you will only get heavy metal. To hear jazz, you will have to tape over it. Then suddenly, one day you become spiritual. Will the same cassette play bhajans? No, again you will have to re-tape the bhajans you now wish to hear.

Re-taping is your self-effort; re-playing is your destiny!

Equal and Opposite Reaction

What is the law of karma? As I understand it: you do good actions in one life, then the next life is better. Is that true?

The law of karma (the law of cause and effect) is not applicable only to the next life. Our Rishis discovered that every action has an equal and opposite reaction. Every action incurs a reaction. You do the action; you get the result – a few seconds later, some minutes later, some hours later or even years later; depending on the seed and the fruit. For example, a bean seed sprouts in a few days, whereas a mango seed takes a few years. Each action gives its result according to the precise laws of the universe, but the result always comes in the future.

When the reaction is relatively immediate, the law of cause and effect is clearly evident and comprehensible. But sometimes the result can be delayed even to another life. In this case, the chain of causation is hidden from us.

The time taken for a result to fructify depends on the nature of the action, the laws of Nature and the result. The theory of karma operates according to the law of action/reaction. The law is clear. There can be no effect or result without a cause, no fruit without a seed, and, therefore, everything happens as a consequence of past actions.

Swami Swaroopananda is the Head of Chinmaya Mission