We are often compelled to ponder over what we are destined to be
in life and we knock the doors of the astrologers to find out what is in store
for us in the coming days, month and years and we are often given to understand
it will be either good or bad as per our the horoscope that we submit to him.
We also ask the astrologer what will our children become in their lives? We try
to program the life of our children based on astrological suggestions we get,
which might not be of interest to our children. Why are we simply pushing them
to do things our way since they are in our direct control? Many a time these
children will not use knowledge they have got through studies and tend to do
things what interest them. some because
of financial and family pressure do things the way we have programmed them and
emerge as also ran. Those who run in the opposite side of the most treaded path
becomes Stars, Celebrities and famous people. We have people like Bill Gates,
Steve Jobs to name a few. When we question the rationale behind this we were
told by our elders and gurus that we become what we are predestined for.
If we are all predestined than most of will wonder why should one
have to work so hard to achieve, wealth, health, fame in their chosen field of
activity. Considering our life is a fully prepared play and we are here only to
it then one can take it easy and not brood
over studies etc, because anyways things will happen on it own and we have
absolutely no control over it.
In the event the above statement is not true then what is
Predestination? Let us examine them and understand them as per different
cultural and spiritual postulations like the Vedas, the Upanishad and other
relevant Hindu scriptures. let us also dwell into Biblical, Islamic and Jewish
scriptures to understand it.
Let us find out if any one of
the religious takes on predestination has acceptance and relevance to us today.
As the old saying goes “ thoughts are but a slave of time” and it is therefore
necessary to do a research on such complex subject such “Predestination”
As per Bhgavat Gita our Poorva-
janma Karma and partly our deeds in this life are the yard stick to decide what
your predestination will be- Srimad Bhagavat Gita Chapter 3, The Karma Yoga says
that,
“Everyone must engage in some sort of activity in
this material world. But actions can either bind one to this world or liberate
one from it. By acting for the pleasure of the Supreme, without selfish
motives, one can be liberated from karma”
There is story in Bhagavat Purana of Ajamila who had committed
many evil deeds in his life time such as Stealing, abandoning his wife and
children and marrying a Prostitute and other illegitimate things that should
have warranted stronger back lash in the next birth but the god willed
otherwise just because he involuntarily chanted the name of Narayana and
therefore received Moksha in other words Union with God. This defies the logic
of “ You get what you sow “ Here god became pleased just because he said his
name even though involuntary and gave him salvations.
The theistic view, the effects of one’s bad Karma can be
mitigated by following the Dharma or living Virtuously; performing goods deeds,
such as Dhana, Bhakti or going to sacred
places such as Varanasi or Rameswaram, taking the dip in Ganges to get rid of
the past sins and to get the grace of god. The story of Ajamilla given above
actually Illustrates this point.
Here we must also refer to a verse in “Shvetshvatra Upanishad”
which says that the supreme who grace the devotees provides a way of escape
from the law of Karma. This simply means to me “Law of Entitlement” just by
pleasing Almighty. I sometime wonder especially after reading some commentaries
of our scripture that Gods can be pleased so easily that they resort forgiving
the sinners if they pray for salvations. Do they like sycophancy and reward
wrong people which according to me is illogical.
On the Theistic beliefs in cycle of Creations where souls
gravitate to specific bodies in accordance with their Karma in their past life;
which according to believers is helped or guided by god as by themselves are
not intelligent enough to do it on their own.Here poorva Janma Karma dictates
and god also helps in deciding what our pre-destination
will be.
According to Kaushitaki Upanishad verse 1.2 claims that Birth in different forms of
existence such as worm,insect, fish, bird , Lion, boar, snake or Human being
are determined by the person’s deeds in their past life and knowledge.
“There are three categories of Prarabdha Karma, Ichha, Anichha
and Parechha which means, Personally desired, without Desire and desire due to
others. For a person who has realized self-there is Icha-Prarabdha but to the
two others, Anichha and Parechha remain. Neither agency or actions does the
lord create for the world, nor union with the fruits of action. but it is
nature that acts” says lord Krishna in Bhagavat Gita Chapter 5 Verse 14.
As per Devi Bhagavatam 1.5. 42-46(Page) “Brahma Says “Whatever
auspicious or inauspicious is ordained fate, everyone must bear that no one can
go beyond fate. When one has taken up a body, he or she must experience
pleasure and pain and there is no doubt about this argument. See, in the long past days by irony of fate,
S’ambhu severed my head, his generative organ too dropped down through curse. Similarly,
Hari’s head has today fallen into the salt ocean. By the influence of time
Indira, the lord of Sachi had thousand genital marks over his body was expelled
from Heaven and had to live in the Manas Sarovar in the lotuses and had to
suffer of many other miseries.
Let us know understand Predestination through the teaching of Bible.
I think according to Bible it is clear that” Predestination is
the doctrine that all events have been willed by God, Usually with reference to
the eventual fate of the individual soul. Explanations of predestination often
seeks to address the “Paradox of free will” whereby Gods omni presence seems
incompatible with human free will.
When we turn the pages of the bible to check if it speaks on predestination,
I came across the terms predestined used nearly four times in two of Paul’s
Epistles. Here’s what inspired the apostle who said
“And we know that all things work together for good to those who
love God, to those who are called according to His Purpose. For whom He
Foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He
might be the first born amongst many brethren. Moreover, who He predestined,
these He also called: whom He predestined, these He also called: whom he called
these He also justified: and whom He justified, these he also glorified (Roman
8:28-30)
Who Are the Predestined?
Indeed, the Bible does speak of
predestination. The second Paul's epistles. Says-
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly
places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the
world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having
predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the
good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He
made us accepted in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood,
the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace which He made to
abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known to us the
mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in
Himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather
together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on
earth-in Him. In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined
according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel
of His will... (Ephesians 1:3-11)”.
At the first look it we may think that the
passages referred herein above is in conformity with the West Minister
Confession of Fate but when we dig deep into the biblical passages on the
divine plan of salvation we can understand the authors of the confession have
wrongly interpreted the above scriptures.
The term predestination means "to mark
out beforehand," and refers to the plan and goal of salvation itself, not
to specific individuals. It should be understood in the corporate sense, rather
than in the sense that each Individuals were predestined to either eternal life
or eternal condemnation.
Coming to Islamic faith also tells us the same
things and they too are clear that nothing happens without the will of Allah. The
nearest definitions given is that predestination is a
necessary factor in the Islamic faith. In Islam, predestination or fate means that Allah is the one who has pre-destined everything “
Judaism or the Jewish philosophy agrees with
the concept of gods hand on creation but Torah is clear about one aspect “ One
is responsible for his own actions”
“Everything we know from the Torah – especially the idea of reward and
punishment for our actions – confirms that a person is responsible for his own
actions and that God is not responsible for the good or evil that a person
does”.
In nutshell while all these holy scriptures are divergent in
their views on other aspect of life but on predestination they seem to agree that
the will of the god stands supreme and he has already programmed our life we
just have to live the life to its entirety and things will unfold automatically
and we do not have any hold over our lives.
I feel disappointed at the thought that we a human race are
in this earth to only act in a play which is already written from start to the
finish. Even this is to be true it is very difficult to digest because how can
we have a god who creates people who are rich and poor, fame and faceless,
Healthy and Sick, Happy & Sad and finally Beautiful and Ugly. Why is he
being so partisan if he is the authors of the whole play why cant we have only
Hero”s and Heroines then why villain (Good & Bad).
I too feel why can’t we have Doctors only who give life then,
why do we have Murderers who take life as well.
If I must believe predestination and accept it than should I
sit at home and not work or send my children to school because anyways they
will only become why they are destined for. Rhen why push them in scoring good
marks for academic excellence.
Many of us our own journey seen that a school dropout who
will become good businessman and academically brilliant candidate will work
under this school dropout. If we are to say it is destiny or predestination of
each of us, then what about our own effort and struggle to attain excellence in
our own spheres of study or work.
I for one think that predestination might be true and closer
to truth is our own ancient Hindus philosophy which stresses on Proova Janma
Karma for what we are in this life. Here is a Sanskrit verse which is generally
written as Garbha in our horoscope—
“JANANI JANMA SOUKYA NAAM, VARDHINI KAULA SAMPADAM, PADAVI
POORVA PUNYANAM LIKETHE JANM A PATRI KAM”
If you study this text very carefully it is amply clear that
we are responsible for our own self and god doesn’t have time for all this.
Here it like telling you if you do well and get marks you will attain academic
brilliance, similarly to get wealth you should apply this education and for
status you need to groom yourself and don’t depend upon god to do it.
I conclude by saying that we don’t know what we were in our
previous life and we will not be aware what we will be in our next life but we
can always ensure that we only do good things in this life whether it will
rewarded in our next outing in this planet or not, we will always be remembered
as a good person or a noble soul by the posterity. Thereby we will be
communicating healthy culture and values for the posterity.
As for the ordinary soul predestination or not life goes on in
its own inimical style for them,
“Life is an enigma, a quiz, imponderable problem and very few
can answer it correctly and yet things get solved in the ultimate analysis and
that is the beauty of life.”
Ramesh.V.Naivaruni
8-06-2019
Reference :-1) Bhgavat Gita and Various Upanishads
2)
Bible and Bibilical writings
3)
Quran
4)
Torah.
