KARMA

[Ramakrishnan Balasubramanian]

Chelluri Nageswar Rao <Chelluri at AOL.COM> wrote:

>AVASYAM ANUBHOKYAVYAM KRUTAM KARMA SHUBHA ASHUBHAM
>(One has to go thru the fruits of one's actions Good OR Bad)
>
>The same people said:
>
>BUDDHI KARMANUSARINI ( Intellect must follow karma)
>
>If these staments are correct where is the room for refinement?
>
>May be some one can make it clear for me.

There is actually no mutual contradiction between statements 1 and 2.

One certainly has to go through the effects of ones actions. However, it does
not mean that the effects of past karmas, which have not yet fructified, cannot
be ameliorated. Why else would the sastras prescribe things like gaNapati
homam, mR^ity.njaya homam etc? These homams have particular benefits associated
with them. The yoga vasistha says that the statement "one cannot escape one's
fate" has been invented by lazy men, who do not want to put in the required
effort. Vasistha tells Rama that he acquired knowledge only by his own effort.
Also he cites the case of Visvamitra to show the effect of effort. Similarly in
the mahabhaarata, brahma tells vasishta that fate is not inescapable and it only
requires effort. It is also pointed out that even worldly things are acquired
only by effort.

H.H Chandrashekahara bharati swami has also pointed out that fate and free-will
are two sides of the same coin. A masterly discussion is given in the
"Dialogues with the guru", edited by Krishnaswami Aiyer.  He clearly points out
that man can chart his own destiny. Of course one may require less effort than
another to obtain something.

It is an unfortunate fact that this myth of fate being inescapable has spread
this far. This has no support, either from shruti or from empirical evidence.
This has lead to the large hordes of charlatan swamis and the so called
astrologers, which has contributed a lot to the general laziness of Indians.

deyvaththaan akaatheninum muyaRchi than
meyvaruththak kuuli tharum. (thirukkuraL)

Even if, by fate one may not get something, by persistent effort atleast a
small portion of the desired object can be obtained (rough translation, the
beauty and succinctness of the verse is lost on translation).

Ramakrishnan.
--
Utinam logica falsa tuam philosophiam totam suffodiant (May faulty logic
undermine your entire philosophy)           -- strong Vulcan curse
                  http://yake.ecn.purdue.edu/~rbalasub/