doership, pre-ordained etc

[Ravi Mayavaram]

namaste

Related to  this topic on Mon, 21 Apr 1997 shriimati Savithri Devaraj
wrote [1]

" Last year, i was attending a workshop on Bhagavad Gita in Arsha
Vidya Gurukulam, Pennsylvania by Swami Viditatmananda Saraswathi.  The
participants asked their doubts about the role of Fate and Free Will.
I am paraphrasing what he said.  "It is hard to draw a line between
Fate and Free will.  It depends on who you are talking to.  But for
guidelines, you have to assume that you have the sole responsibility
to shape your future through Free will, but see what is past as Fate."
This impressed me.  I thought i'll share this with you all."

I personally think this a very nice and working model. It has
clarified my thoughts so much. I would like to ask those who deny the
existence of freewill, how do they demonstrate it in their day-today
life? Proof of the pudding is in tasting it!!

Strength of praarabdham cannot be denied. For instance bhagavaan ramaNa
mahaR^ishhi while replying to his mother in negative (when she
implored him to return), says

"avaravar praarabdhap prakaaram athaRkaanavan aangirunthu aaTTuvippan
enRum; naDavaatathu en cheyyinum naDavaathu; naDappathu enRadai
cheyyinum nillathu; ithuvE thiNNam. enave maunaamaay irrukkai nanRu"

I have tried to quote this from memory, as I see this quote every day
in the poster in my house. This means,

"According to one's praarabdha karma, iishwara controls one's
life. Whatever that is bound to happen will happen. Whatever that is
not bound to happen will not happen, however hard you may try! This is
certain. So it is better to remain silent [as a witness]."

If one believes in the strength of praarabdha, one has to demonstrate
it. How, our beloved shrii shrii shankara shows the way to do it:

praarabdhaM pushhyati vapuriti nishchitya nishchalaH .
dhairyamaalam{}bya yat{}nena svaadhyaasaapanayaM kuru .. 279..
                                                 viveka chuuDaamaNii

 One then should have the courage that his praarabdham will take care
of him till his death and pursue relentlessly in aatma vichaara. I was
moved by the power of this verse. To someone who is worried who will
take care of himself if he is going to engage in aatma vichaara
instead of doing something for livelihood[2], this gives enormous
motivation. Don't worry! You will live as long you are destined to by
your praarabdham whether you like it not. It is will nourish your
body. It is the task of iishwara, you just go ahead with courage and
unwavering mind to do svaadhyayam and atmaa vichara!

One has to demonstrate his belief in destiny by his actions. In this
vyavahaarika plane, apparently one tends to think that there is free
will. We use this apparent feeling in our day today activities. So
better to use this "freewill" towards self-realization.

To maintain equanamity in the face of pleasure and pain, to be a
witness to whatever happens and abide in brahman is a mark of belief
in destiny. Otherwise the belief is incomplete and superficial.

dhanyavaad

with love and respects,
Ravi

[1] http://listserv.tamu.edu/cgi/wa?A2=ind9704D&L=advaita-l&D=&H=&T=&O=&F=&P=193

[2] But I do not have the courage to demonstrate it. Otherwise I will
not be living the life as I do, crossing continents for Ph.D in avidya
and for money in this ephemeral world, forsaking my dharma and
wallowing in the mud of materialism.


PS: If somebody is interested in a nice and humorous article on this
topic, please read Raymond Smullyan's article "Is God a Taoist" in the
book "Mind's I" edited by Douglas Hofstadter. This book contains a
collection of articles on artificial intelligence. This particular
atricle goes as a dialogue between God and mortal, on the topic of
freewill.