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Karma: Is the future totally predestined or can we change it?
Johnston (Name changed), USA |
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Is the future totally predestined?
Future for this life is predestined (called Prarabdha Karma). All major events (birth, education, wealth, marriage, disease) in our current life are because of Prarabdha Karma. The way consequences (events) of Prarabdha Karma are delivered is always a range not a straight line. How this range works? With least efforts an individual will remain at the bottom of that range. With maximum efforts one can be at top of that range. How broad is the range? It varies for every individual. It is broader (wider) for people with positive frame of mind and is thin for those with negative approach.
Another important point is Prarabdha is only associated with events in the life and not its effect on mind. The effects on the mind of individual will always depend on state of the mind of that person during the event. This is where the faith plays a strong role. People with strong faith will experience lesser pain than those with no faith in God. Frame of mind also plays an equally important role. People with positive frame of mind will always experience lesser pain than those not having positive approach.
Faith is the only medicine that can make stronger mind. That faith may be in God, or individual (Guru, parents) or even a thing or principal. The object of faith may vary for every individual.
Can we change the future?
Yes, the Prarabdha of events can be changed (in case of ordinary individual who is following a path of divinity) only by Divine intervention or grace of a Guru. Our call to divine has to be strong enough for him to move from his place and intervene. The doubts in human mind stop him from raising that call to a required pitch. But with practice things do change. God always helps. Why would god help? Please read - How can God help if he cannot change Karma? He will help not necessary in the way we want, but he will help so that eventually our divinity with be raised, and sometimes pain is one of his medicines.
I have personally seen many examples where the changes (in events) were nothing other than miracles. So yes, they do happen...but there are tremendous efforts in faith before miracles happen.
Always good to consume Prarabdha than doing effort to change it
At the same time it is always good to consume the Prarabdha than trying to change it. This is nice to read but not possible for an ordinary individual. This is preferred option for those extremely less or no attachment to their body. Sri Ramakrishna Paramahansa and Shri Ramana Maharshi are two examples I know who had cancer and still remained in a state of bliss during those events....this was possible only because of their divinity.
Sri Ramakrishna Paramahansa and Shri Ramana Maharshi both died of cancer. To give an example of Shri Ramana Maharshi it was very painful. There was no way of escaping it. Many doctors came, and they were puzzled because the whole body was in pain but there was no sign of any pain in his eyes. His eyes remained the same serene lakes as ever. Doctors would ask, "You must be in great pain?" Ramana would reply, "Yes there is great pain, but it is not happening to me. I am aware that there is great pain happening to the body; I know that there is great pain happening. I am seeing it, but it is not happening to me."
A question would arise in the minds of people as to how an enlightened and liberated person like Ramana get a disease like cancer. The answer to this is “Prarabdha Karma”. Happiness and sufferings will be happening to the body, even to those who are liberated while living, because these are related to past actions and their Karma impressions, they are related to whatsoever has been done before they become enlightened. In short there is no escape from Prarabdha Karma, even for a liberated soul.
Thank you.
Mahendra Joshi
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