CHAPTER- 4

Destiny Unfolded;

Destiny - Philosophical aspects.

Buddha's perspective of man's destiny.

Throughout our lives, many interests we are concerned with. Among them, the interest about destiny we are most concerned with. So, what is destiny? Who controls our destiny? What is Buddhist perspective of destiny? Can we change our destiny? And how can we change our destiny. These are the issues we are going to discuss in this chapter.

1. What is the destiny?

Beholding the world, we see men of variety. Some are rich whereas some poor; some are noble whereas some humble; some are handsome whereas some ugly; some are sick whereas some healthy; some are of good fortune but some of misfortune. We may doubt that we all are humans but why are we of variety. We usually attribute this to destiny. If this is called destiny, we may further question that who makes destiny or who controls destiny.

2. Who controls destiny?

To this question, there are many answers. Among them, three are accepted by many. They are respectively theism, fatalism and accidentalism.

Theism, believes in God or a Supernatural Power. It attributes our destiny to God’s power. God is the one who creates our life and designs every event that happens in our life. Therefore, whatever happens in our life, whether it is good or bad, is God’s creation or God’s will. Only God has the power to change our destiny. We, as human beings, have no power to change our life or our destiny. We have to rely on God to change our destiny. It is this reason that we must pray God for his mercy.

Fatalism, upholds that our present life is predetermined. They believe that every event that happened, is happening and is going to happen is absolutely predetermined. It is fate whether one is rich or poor, fortunate or unfortunate. Under this view, we have no hope to change our destiny. What we can do is just to accept our life because that is our fate.

Accidentalism, promulgates that everything that happens is all by accident. There is neither God’s will nor fate. Just as leaves that fall during the autumn. When the wind blows, some may fall in the middle of sweet flowers whereas some in the stinking pit. Whether in the middle of sweet flowers or in the stinking pit, they all happen by accident. So is our destiny. By chance, some may be luckily born in the noble families and some may be unfortunately born in the humble families. In a word, fortune or mis fortune are just by accident. There is no other power behind them. Under this view, we have nothing to do with our destiny.

The above three views, we find hard to accept because all these three views are negative. They all deny our power to turn our lives. If so, what is the hope of our life? Or what is the significance of our effort we make to improve our life?

Now, let us turn to Buddhism and see how Buddhism explains fate.

3. Buddhist perspective of man’s destiny

In this regard, Buddhism provides us an answer which is positive and reasonable. According to the Buddha, our destiny is neither controlled by God nor predetermined nor by accident. However, Buddha did say karma is a primary cause of our present life. Or to a certain extent, we may say that it is karma that determines our life or our destiny.
If this puzzles you, let us listen to a story. During the time of Buddha, there was an elder named Suka who once visited Buddha and asked Buddha a question about man’s destiny. He said: “venerable sir, I see in the world the sentient beings, some are long-lived whereas some are of short lifespan; some are sick whereas some are of good health; some are ugly whereas some are good looking; some are weak but some are strong; some are poor but some are rich; some are born in the humble families but some are born in the noble families; some are stupid but some are clever…... what is the cause?

In response to this question, Buddha said: “all sentient beings are adhered to karma, depend on karma and take rebirths according to their karma. As such, there appears to have the distinction of high, middle and low. There is karma that enables one to beget a short lifespan or a long lifespan as its effect. There is karma that enables one to beget a few illnesses or many illnesses as its effect. There is karma that enables one to be ugly or fair as its effect. There is karma that enables one to beget a low position or a high position as its effect. There is karma that enables one to take rebirth in the low class or in the high class as its effect.” “Beings are heir to karma.”
Here, one may question that If karma is the cause of our destiny, could our destiny be changed? So let us proceed further to discuss the next point.

4. Could we change our destiny?

To answer this question, we need to understand Buddhist theory of karmic law. We often hear the saying: “do good, be good; do bad, be bad.” “what you sow, that you reap.” This is the essential principle based on which the law of karma operates. According to this principle, to a certain extent, we may say that our present life is a result of our past karma, or our destiny is determined by our past karma. However, this does not mean that every event that happens in our present life is absolutely a result of our past karma. Determination is held by fatalism and is strongly rejected by Buddha. If everything that happens in our present life is absolutely a result of our past karma then, there is no hope for us to change our destiny and it is also meaningless for us to practice dharma in order to obtain a better life in future because everything is predetermined.

The law of karma taught by fatalism is somewhat mechanical because it is established on the basis of single cause and single effect. However, it becomes flexible when this law is interpreted by the Buddha in connection with the doctrine of dependent origination. According to this doctrine, everything is conditioned or coexisted. There is nothing that comes to being under one single cause or condition. This is to say that a past karma could be a cause of a present effect. However, without causal conditions, the effect does not always take place.

To put it in another way, we may say that every deed we create has a potential force to ripen or a possibility to bring about an effect. But it does not mean that every deed would definitely bring about an effect. When causal conditions are not there, the effect would not take place. For instance, when a seed is sowed, according to the ground environment and some other conditions such as weather, sunshine, labour work etc, the seed itself can perish or become better. So is karma.
When we put the law of karma into the doctrine of dependent origination, we will understand that the past karma could be the cause of our present life, but it does not mean that our present life is absolutely the result of our past karma. There are causal conditions we also need to take into account.

And now we may come to a conclusion that our destiny can be changed although the past karma has a very deep influence on our present life or destiny. This is on the ground that cause alone does not bring about an effect. It requires causal conditions. Even though we created a lot of evil karma in the past, if we make efforts right now on to change their causal conditions, we may deter their effects taking place or even change their effects sometimes.

There are two similes which would help us understand better this issue. The first one is salt simile found in the Salt Sutta. It says that if we put a handful of salt into a bowl of water, the water may become salty; but if we put the same amount of salt into the ocean, the water in the ocean will not become salty because of the great amount of water. Although we create evil deeds in the past, if we do good deeds right now on, we may be avoided of evil result as the stored merit becomes greater.

The second one is snake simile. It says that when we give a sip of water to a venomous snake to drink, it becomes poison but if we give it to a deer to drink, it becomes antlers. The nature of the sip of water changes depending on who drink it. This is to say that a same nature of deed may bring about different effect when causal conditions change.

5. How can we change destiny-

A. By disciplining our behavior.
B. By disciplining our mind.

A. Mind is the forerunner of all (evil) states. Mind is chief; mind made are they. If one speaks or acts with wicked mind, because of that, suffering follows one, even as the wheel follows the hoof or the drought-ox.
B. Mind is the forerunner of (all good) states, mind is chief; mind made are they, if one speaks or acts with pure mind, because of that, happiness follows one, even as one’s shadow that never leaves.

Babylonian philosophy

The origins of Babylonian philosophy, in the popular sense of the word, can be traced back to the wisdom of early Mesopotamia, which embodied certain philosophies of life, particularly ethics, in the forms of dialectics, dialog,epic poetry, folklore, hymns, lyrics, prose, and proverbs. The reasoning and rationality of the Babylonians developed beyond empirical observations.

It is possible that Babylonian philosophy had an influence on Greek philosophy, and later Hellenistic philosophy, however, the textual evidence is lacking. The undated Babylonian text Dialog of Pessimism contains similarities to the agnostic thought of the sophists, the Heraclitean doctrine of contrasts, and the Dialog of Plato, as well as a precursor to the majestic socratic method of Socrates and Plato. The Milesian philosopher Thales is also said to have studied philosophy in Mesopotamia.

Sikh philosophy

Simran and Sewa - These are the foundation of sikhism. It is the duty of every Sikh to practise naam simran (meditation on the lord's name) daily and engage in Sewa (Selfless Service) whenever there is a possibility, in gurdwara (sikh place of worship), in community centres, old people's homes, care centres, major world disasters, etc. "ek ong kar satanam" and "waheguru" are some mantras used for this purpose. "ek ong kar satanam" roughly translates to "there is one god un-separated from nature and truth is its name". "waheguru" is used as a meditative practice on the lord's name.

The three pillars of sikhism – Guru Nanak formalised these important pillars of Sikhism.

1. Naam japna – A Sikh is to engage in a daily practise of meditation and nitnem (a daily prayer routine) by reciting and chanting of God’s name.

2. Kirat karni - To live honestly and earn by ones physical and mental efforts while accepting Gods gifts and blessings. A Sikh has to live as a householder carrying out his or her duties and responsibilities to the full.

3. Vand chakna - Sikhs are asked to share their wealth within the community and outside by giving dasvand and practising charity (daan). To “share and consume together”.

4. Kill the five thieves - The Sikh gurus tell us that our mind and spirit are constantly being attacked by the five evils – kaam (lust), krodh(rage), lobh (greed), moh (attachment) and ahankar (ego). A Sikh needs to constantly attack and overcome these five vices; be always vigilant and on guard to tackle these five thieves all the time.

5. Positive human qualities - The Sikh gurus taught the Sikhs to develop and harness positive human qualities that lead the soul closer to god and away from evil. Sat (truth), daya (compassion), santokh (contentment), nimrata (humility) and pyare (love).

Jain Philosophy

Deals extensively with the problems of metaphysics, reality, cosmology, ontology, epistemology and divinity. Jainism is essentially a trans theistic religion of ancient India. It continues the ancient sramaṇa tradition, which co-existed with the vedic tradition since ancient times. The distinguishing features of Jain philosophy are its belief on independent existence of soul and matter, denial of creative and omnipotent God, potency of karma, eternal and un created universe, a strong emphasis on non-violence, accent on relativity and multiple facets of truth, and morality and ethics based on liberation of soul. Jain philosophy attempts to explain the rationale of being and existence, the nature of the universe and its constituents, the nature of bondage and the means to achieve liberation. It has often been described as an ascetic movement for its strong emphasis on self-control, austerities and renunciation. It has also been called a model of philosophical liberalism for its insistence that truth is relative and multifaceted and for its willingness to accommodate all possible view-points of the rival philosophies (anekant). Jainism strongly upholds the individualistic nature of soul and personal responsibility for one's decisions; and that self-reliance and individual efforts alone are responsible for one's liberation (moksha).

Zoroastrianism:

Zoroastrianism is a monotheistic religion, which originated in Iran. It has a dualistic nature (Ahura Mazda and Angra Mainyu), with an additional series of six important divine entities called the Amesha spentas. In modern Zoroastrianism, they are interpreted as aspects or emanations of Ahura Mazda (the supreme being), who form a heptad that is good and constructive. They are opposed to another group of seven who are evil and destructive. It is this persistent conflict between good and evil that distinguishes Zoroastrianism from monotheistic frameworks that have only one power as supreme. By requiring its adherents to have faith and belief in equally opposing powers Zoroastrianism characterizes itself as dualistic.

The teachings of Zarathustra (Zoroaster) appeared in Persia at some point during the period 1700-1800 BCE. His wisdom became the basis of the religion Zoroastrianism, and generally influenced the development of the Iranian branch of Indo-Iranian philosophy. Zarathustra was the first who treated the problem of evil in philosophical terms. He is also believed to be one of the oldest monotheists in the history of religion. He espoused an ethical philosophy based on the primacy of good thoughts (pendar-e-nik), good words (goftar-e-nik), and good deeds (kerdar-e-nik).

The Hindu philosophy.

The Hindu scriptures are all united to propound that the destiny is made by the works (karma) of a creature. The works done by a creature are divided into two main types.

Sanchit karma (works of the previous & present life which have not fructified & hence are stored.)		Kriyaman karma (the good and bad deeds which one does in the present birth.)
Prarabdha karma (the assigned portion of the karma stock which will fructify in the present birth.	Accumulated karma (stored karmas which will not fructify in this birth.
		Stored karma (kriyaman karma which have been stored & can fructify in this birth or at any time in future.)	Falit karma (kriyaman karma which have fructified.) 1. short term falit 2. long term falit
Stored karma (Prarabdha karma yet to fructify.)	Falit karma (Prarabdha karma which have fructified.)

Complete stock of karmas which one has accumulated and which are yet to be fructified so far are called as Sanchit (accumulated) karma. When a creature takes a particular birth, he is assigned a portion of this Sanchit karma. This assigned portion of the sanchit karma is called as prarabdh karma, which makes our bhagya, luck or destiny? The creature takes birth in a particular yoni in the whole animal/ vegetable kingdom, the family in which it is born, his body, health, wealth by birth, his wisdom inherited, his nature, his happiness, his problems etc. are all the prarabdha karmas fruits. So the creature’s prarabdh is decided even before its birth and it is born as a result of this prarabdh. Kabeer das ji has very succinctly put this fact in his doha:

“Prarabdha pahle bana, peeche bana sareer”.

(destiny is decided even before one is born, but it is strange that the conscience doesn’t understand this and is always anxious to know about the future, and mind remains disturbed.)

But even though our destiny is primarily made by our prarabdh karma, the kriyaman karmas also have to play a role. Kabeer dasji has again put this up very succinctly in his doha;

“Keenhe bina upaye kachhu,dev kabu na det,

khaat beej bove nahi, tab kyun janme khet’’.

(Without ones endeavour, even the gods cannot give him anything. Why the crops would rise and reap if no soil is toiled and watered and if no seeds are sowed in the earth)

Therefore, the kriyaman karmas (present works) can help us to reduce or enhance karmic influences. They can create the positive energy to help in facing karmic influences. Like if one is destined to be hurt and killed by a sword, he will surely be hurt by sword, but if he has done some good kriyaman karmas, they will save his life and can also get him remedied from the wound. Further, if a person is destined to be poor, he will be a born poor. But if he takes many efforts and pains to earn money, he will get a little more than otherwise what was in his destiny, since the present or kriyaman karmas count a lot. The kriyaman karmas give two types of results i.e. short term & long term results. Sometimes they fructify early, sometimes late and sometimes are just accumulated. But predominantly our destiny in this birth is decided by prarabdh karma. Kabeer dasji has succinctly described this fact in this doha;

“likha mite na karma ka, guru kar bhaj hari naam;

seedhe marag nit chale, daya dharma, visraam”.

(Fruits of the karma can never be averted, so one has to go to a guru, and has to always chant his mighty’s name, while following dharma and doing good deeds.)

So in Hindu philosophy in a nutshell, it is only our karma which is helping to us, whether it is sanchit karma/ prarabdh karma/ kriyaman karma. It is a vicious circle of good, and bad deeds which creates a vicious circle of sufferings/ happiness. The Hindu religion therefore, teaches us to be humble, to do good deeds, help the weak and poor, never be proud of your powers. You should never misuse the power given to you. Believe in God and pray him.

Classifying further kriyaman karmas are of two types i.e. shubh or good and ashubh or bad. Both the kind of karmas creates either a fruit or a samskara. The fruit part of these karmas again have two divisions drushta (visible) and adrushtra (non visible). The drushta or visible part of them once again is of two categories, i.e. tatkalik (immediate) and kalantarit (postponed). For example the tatkalik or immediate effect of eating good food is that your tongue is pleased and your appetite is satiated, but the kalantarit part of it, is the nourishment and upkeep of your body. The adrushta (invisible) part of the fruit of a karma is also divided into two categories i.e. laukik (this world) and paarluankik (trans world). For example, the karma of yajna, daan and tapa (sacrifice, donation and penance) yields laukik or wordly fruits like yash (fame), dhana (wealth), santati (off spring) etc. and its trans world or parlaukik fruit is heavenly abode after death. The karma which has fructified while living in the world has exhausted its effect and the karma which has not fructified while living will go with the astral body to be fructified either in the trans world or even in the next birth, if it still accumulates. The samskara part of the kriyaman karma again has two parts, shuddha (pure) and ashuddha (impure). The samskara make the nature (swabhava) of the living beings. Hence, every living being has its own swabhava or behavior. Even each individual human being has his own behavior or swabhava, which are the results of the samskara part of their good and evil deeds in the past births. This behavior is predominant and cannot be annulled though it can be modified to an extent.

Therefore, it is said that-

“swabhavo murdhina vartate”

(Behavior will certainly be manifested)

Now the question is as to how the prarabdh karamas fructify. This fruit is in the shape of favorable and unfavorable circumstances and a third variant is that on mixed circumstances. The fruit of good deed is in the shape of favorable circumstances, whereas the fruit of bad deeds is unfavorable circumstances. The mixed karmas yield mixed (both favorable and unfavorable) circumstances. Now the question is as to how the circumstances are created and who creates them? The circumstances are created by three types of activities i.e. self desired and self created activities, undesired but self created activities and activities created by others. Earning income by doing self desired efforts and activities, is a circumstance created by your own desire and activities. But being rewarded by somebody is a circumstance created by the desire of others. Finding wealth while digging something for other purpose like construction is the circumstance created in an undesired manner but by your own activities. All the three kinds of circumstances i.e. favorable, unfavorable and mixed can be created by all the three kinds of activities i.e. self desired, self undesired and desired by others. So the lesson in that you do the desired work when you see that the circumstances are turning favorable and don’t do an important work though it’s most desired when you see that the circumstances are not favorable for it. In cases where the circumstances appear to be mixed one can attempt to do the desired work but to get the positive results one has to do more efforts just to face the unfavorable circumstances and to overcome them. But most certainly even to get the fruits of the prarabdha karma, one has to do at least some karma or efforts. Hence, in this world what is most important is the karma or the work or the duty. Krishna said, do the work you are destined to do, without feeling that you are the doer of it and without being infatuated by the results of them. The fruits or the results of a work done by you are not in your control so there is no point in bothering about the results. According to lord Krishna ,the works or the karmas or deeds done without the feeling of being the doer of them and without being infatuated by their results are the divya karmas (supreme works/deeds) which will not create any bondage for your soul, and by doing the destined (niyat karma) works only in this prescribed manner one can achieve emancipation (nirvana) given as under, are the flow charts of different aspects of karma as discussed above.

1. Karma(deeds)

Kriyaman karmas Sanchit karmas

(Present karmas) (Stored karmas)

2. Kriyaman karmas (Present works)

Fala ansha Fruit part		Samskara ansha Conscience part
Drushta (visible)	Adrushta (invisible)	Shuddha (pure)	Ashuddha (impure)
Tatkalik (immediate) (kalantarit) (percolated)	Laukik (wordly) (paarlaukik) (transwordly)

3. Samchit karmas (Accumulated deeds)

Fala ansha (fruits part)	Sanskara ansha (conscient part)

Prarabdha (destiny)	Sfurna (inspiration)

4.Prarabdha karmas (Destiny)

Anukool paristhitis (favourable circumstances	Mishrit partisthitis (mixed circumstances)	Vipareet parishthitis (unfavourable circumstances)
1. swechha (self desired)	1. swechha (self desired)	1 swechha (self desired)
2 anichha (undesired)	2 anichha (undesired)	2 anichha (undesired)
3 parechha (desired by others)	3 parechha (desired by others)	3 pareccha (desired by others)

Relevant shlokas of Geeta regarding philosophy of karma:

Karmanye- vadhikaraste maafaleshu kadachana,

Maa karma fala hetu bhurbhate, sangoasatva karmani.

(You have a right to do the karmas but no right over the fruits of them, as they are not in your control. But while not being attached to the fruits of karma, one should not discard doing the works as doing the karmas is ones duty.)

Nobody can actually survive without doing the karma and even the God has to do karmas but the works done by the God are divya because they all are done with the rarest sense of detachment. Lord Krishna says;

Na maam karmani limpanti, Na me karm fale spriha

Itimanyobhi janati, karma bhinar sabadhyate.

(While doing the work, I am never attached to karma as their doer or their benefiter, so I am not at all involved in the works done by me and I have no expectations of any results from them. One who understands this philosophy of doing karma preached by me, he cannot be tied down by the karmas or the worldly deeds and their fruits. He is thus emancipated.)

What are the karma? Are even karma decided by somebody super intelligent? It’s so because Krishna has said that every being has to do the work assigned to him (i.e. niyat karma)

Niyatum karu karm tvam,

karm jyayo hya karmana.

Sharere ya trapich tena,

prasidhyet akarmana.”

(You do the work assigned to you, because it’s better to do karma then not to do, as even the sustenance of your body will not be possible without doing work)

All the living and non living beings in this world are having three major characterstics i.e. gunas, they are the characterstics of satva (responsible for all the good deeds.) rajas (responsible for all the neutral deeds) and the tamas (responsible for all the evil deeds.) These basic characteristics in a living being to whatever extent they are present in his constitution are interacting with the kaal or time and are being manifested as the “karma” done by him/her . Kaal or the time is eternal and the karmas perish ultimately when they fructify. Its mentioned in Geeta that;

Prakrutije gune sarvah, kaaryate hi avash karma.

(Bound by the three principal characteristics’ of the Mother Nature,Sat,Raj and Tam everyone has to do the prescribed karma or deeds.)

Nahi kaschid kshanam api, jatu tishti akarm krut.

(Nobody can remain or survive without doing the karma or work even for a second whether voluntarily or involuntarily.)

So, according to Geeta, karma also is niyat or prescribed but there is a volition given to the creature to control the lower or the neutral deeds directed by the characteristics (gunas of tamas and rajas) and to increase the higher deeds directed by the characteristics of the satva. So it’s by increasing satva and annihilating rajas and tamas, that one can get emancipated.

This volition available to the human beings is called as the godly knowledge or vivek, which guides him to select the good deeds over the bad deeds. (The biblical reference of which is the incidence cited therein of the Eve pricking the- fruit of the knowledge of good and bad and eating it with Adam, without the permission of the God, as a punishment of which the god send them to the earth, to conquer it and spread over it.)To conclude the discussion we can say that though the karma is most important for human being but prarabdh made by his/her own deeds in the past and the inculcated gunas of satva, rajas and tamas by him/her are to a large extent deciding what he/she will be inspired to do and what he will ultimately do, is in the control of the godly given knowledge to him called vivek. With the use of this knowledge of good and bad one can strive to do more and more satva or good deeds which will make him free from the bondages of the rajas and the tamas.