I am making the most of my last month before I return to the cold hard reality of my usual working life by blogging a little more than usual amongst other things. I was ruminating on the subject of vedic astrology recently. It is a bit of a love-hate relationship for various reasons.
I did a basic course in vedic astrology about 5-6 years ago during a vacation while studying medicine. The course consisted of weekly lessons for a few months, and I learned the basic principles of the subject. I went on to read some books on the subject to develop my interest in this further- just for my own knowledge, not with the desire to turn professional or become a scholar.
I have continued to have an interest in this subject, and I have discovered that it is based on solid principles. A person's chart does indeed reflect their life well. However, a person is not controlled by their chart, or by the planets, as people imagine. The chart is merely a mirror of a person's karma. Each planet and the chart itself reflects a portion of that person's karma (both good and bad karma) that is to be experienced in this lifetime.
People lament that they have to accept 'bad' things in their chart. This is nonsense according to the yogis. As Sivananda says, you can unmake a bad situation that you previously made. It takes a lot of work though. However no karma is insurmountable. In fact, according to the yogi masters, we have a duty to overcome our karma, both good and bad, and attain a blessed state. We are not here to merely suffer bad and good results of our karmas like robots.
What then is the technique of overcoming karma- good and bad? How to reduce our bad karma, increase our good karma (this is the first step) and finally, overcome all karmas both good and bad (the final state)?
The answer according to the yogis is simple. Tapas. Lots of tapas. Japa. Charity. Good deeds. Homams. Pujas. Whatever takes our mind to God and transforms our lower nature into a sublime divine nature.
Japa in particular is a great destroyer of bad karma. According to Sivananda, it burns sins like fire burns cotton. He says "The Name of God, chanted correctly or incorrectly, knowingly or unknowingly, carefully, is sure to give the desired result. Just as burning quality is natural to and inherent in fire, so also, the power of destroying sins with their very root and branch, and bringing the aspirant into blissful union with the Lord through Bhava-Samadhi, is natural to and inherent in the Name of God. The glory of the Name of God cannot be established through reasoning and intellect. It can be experienced or realized only through devotion, faith and constant repetition of the Name." http://www.dlshq.org/teachings/japayoga.htm. What an extraordinary and reassuring set of statements. No need to fear any karma in one's chart when such an accessible solution is available.
However I feel sorry when I see the solutions that modern astrologers provide. They say, wear a special stone, pay a priest to do a special homam or puja- these are not automatically solutions. If I did a bad deed in my last life, and have to suffer for it in this life (bad karma visible in my chart), what will wearing a stone do? The law of karma is laid down and upheld by God Himself. Is He going to let me off so easily? Would it be just to do so? Obviously not.
At best, some astrology scholars say, the stone will delay the karma taking effect. At worst, it is a waste of money and one has been fooled into thinking a solution has been found. But the effects of the karma will surely come one day.
Similarly paying others to do pujas and homams is okay in some situations. Of course, some pujas and homams are complex and we cannot do them ourselves. But if God is seen as a parent, and we have to apologise for a mistake- what should we do? Apologise ourselves, by spending 10-15 minutes a day in japa, or a simple puja like offering some flowers at an altar? Or avoid doing any sadhana at all, and just pay a priest to do something on our behalf? Priests can be helpful no doubt- some are sincere, some treat spirituality as a vulgar business and simply fleece gullible people with grandiose claims. How would we feel if our children made a mistake and then hired someone else to say sorry? It would be absurd. Well this is what we do with God when we only hire others to say sorry. We make our relationship with God a crude business.
And God does not need our pujas and homams. We do. These rituals have beautiful symbolic inner meanings to build a relationship with the Divine and transform our inner nature according to Sivananda and other Gurus. When we burn camphor, the inner meaning is "let my ego melt and leave no trace like the camphor". When we burn a lamp for God, we are saying "You are the Light of lights. Let my life be filled with Your Divine Light. Let the darkness of the lower nature and of ignorance be dispelled by Your Light." Other rituals have similar inner meanings. One doesn't experience the transformative effect of pujas and homams without understanding the inner meanings. It is just a mechanical set of actions without this understanding. Whereas if one does puja or homam oneself, one is much more likely to experience the personal inner meaning of the ritual and benefit greatly.
It is not that God needs a little rice and milk from us, and that He'll then say, okay have your car, child, job or whatever you want! He is the owner of the entire Universe and beyond. He does not need our petty offerings. And He gives us the best things without our asking. But we benefit from making these offerings, because of the transformation this brings in our nature- they bring us closer to God, the source of all bliss and auspiciousness.
The greatest offering we can give is a little time to build a relationship with Him, to at least attempt to offer our ego to the Divine. Whether one sees God as personal, or as an impersonal Truth, both are true according to the sages. He is personal, impersonal and beyond both these. Either way, building a relationship with this God or Truth is important for our wellbeing.
Ideally one should do a little sadhana daily oneself, and if desired, one can also request a priest to do a puja or other ritual if it would bring peace to one's mind (but one should be suspicious of priests who demand huge fees for rituals claiming that it will solve all one's problems- this is almost invariably a hoax).
Coming back to astrology, sometimes I ask myself, why do I bother studying it? It is a wonderful science no doubt. It has exact rules, which when followed, give exact answers and results. But much of the knowledge is imperfect today. It is a science of Rishis, given to us by Rishis. Few rishis, if any, exist today. A pure character, a great mind, is needed to really be a true good astrologer. Few, if any, such people exist today. I ask myself, why do you waste time reading books on astrology, instead of doing japa? I tell myself- Foolish girl, do you want to end up as an astrologer studying the charts of spiritual giants all your life, or do you want to become a spiritual giant yourself? Do you want to watch the spiritual fun from the sidelines, merely studying the spiritual horoscopes of past saints, or do you want to actually enter the spiritual arena, do some serious tapas, and fulfill your own spiritual potential?
So I try not to spent too much time on the subject. Astrology is accurate (in the hands of the right astrologer), and for me, it is solid proof of the existence of past lives and of karma. Without the existence of these two, vedic astrology would have no meaning, no basis. So the fact that vedic astrology is correct, is proof for me, of rebirth and karma. It is no longer simply a matter of faith for me. This is already a valuable service done by astrology.
But I cannot sometimes resist looking at my own chart for my spiritual path, my spiritual potential. I wistfully look at it and wonder- can I be like Ramakrishna and Sivananda? Then I tell myself- come on, it does not depend on the chart. The chart shows what I did before. I can decide, using my free will, with the help of the Divine (very necessary), to overcome all karmas and reach the Divine. Paramhamsa Yogaanda did this, Swami Satyananda (disciple of Sivananda, and Founder of Bihar School of Yoga) did this- they said we can and should do it too.
I am trying not to care too much whether this is my last life or not. I am trying to follow what my Guru advises- he says, ask God for true bhakti, let there be any number of future lives, it does not matter, but ask God for true bhakti, Parabhakti. Once this is achieved, all is achieved. He says, Mukti (liberation) is the handmaid of the Queen Parabhakti. Mukti automatically follows Parabhakti. So attain Parabhakti. This is my prayer for myself. To be allowed to attain Parabhakti. This in my mind is an ability to see and love God in all beings, all things, all the world and universe- in what appears both good and bad. No easy task. I feel I will have to do a lot of japa to attain this. So many many purascharanas will be needed. Got to keep at it.
But my chart shows me that my path is hopefully right. The Vimsamsa (chart of spirituality) contains Libra rising (bhakti yoga) with Mercury (Vishnu) and Sun (Surya, Rama) in the fifth house of mantra (Aquarius) with Moon (Krishna, Gauri) in the 9th house of Guru and Japa (Gemini)- as per Lahiri ayanamsa (According to Raman ayanamsa, these planets are still in the fifth and ninth, only the signs change). So I feel that japa yoga without doubt is the right path for me, and that my chart accurately reflects my interest in certain forms of the Divine. I consulted an astrologer recently who has a strong background in spirituality himself to interpret my chart, and he confirmed my path too.
I recently had a dream, about three weeks ago, where I met Swami Chidananda Saraswati, the main disciple of my Guru Sivananda. I asked Swamiji in my dream a question about my spiritual progress, to tell me where I am on the spiritual path. He said "You have at least five lifetimes left." I burst into tears in my dream, at the thought that there are still five lifetimes left and that this is not the last one. I then resolved, I must do the work of five lifetimes in this lifetime, I must attain God in this lifetime. I have no idea about the authenticity of this dream. It may well just be all my own imagination. However, it has left me with the feeling that I have to work hard in this lifetime. To attain bhakti. Let mukti come when Hari wishes it- let Him make this prayer sincere!
Hari Om Tat Sat.
I did a basic course in vedic astrology about 5-6 years ago during a vacation while studying medicine. The course consisted of weekly lessons for a few months, and I learned the basic principles of the subject. I went on to read some books on the subject to develop my interest in this further- just for my own knowledge, not with the desire to turn professional or become a scholar.
I have continued to have an interest in this subject, and I have discovered that it is based on solid principles. A person's chart does indeed reflect their life well. However, a person is not controlled by their chart, or by the planets, as people imagine. The chart is merely a mirror of a person's karma. Each planet and the chart itself reflects a portion of that person's karma (both good and bad karma) that is to be experienced in this lifetime.
People lament that they have to accept 'bad' things in their chart. This is nonsense according to the yogis. As Sivananda says, you can unmake a bad situation that you previously made. It takes a lot of work though. However no karma is insurmountable. In fact, according to the yogi masters, we have a duty to overcome our karma, both good and bad, and attain a blessed state. We are not here to merely suffer bad and good results of our karmas like robots.
What then is the technique of overcoming karma- good and bad? How to reduce our bad karma, increase our good karma (this is the first step) and finally, overcome all karmas both good and bad (the final state)?
The answer according to the yogis is simple. Tapas. Lots of tapas. Japa. Charity. Good deeds. Homams. Pujas. Whatever takes our mind to God and transforms our lower nature into a sublime divine nature.
Japa in particular is a great destroyer of bad karma. According to Sivananda, it burns sins like fire burns cotton. He says "The Name of God, chanted correctly or incorrectly, knowingly or unknowingly, carefully, is sure to give the desired result. Just as burning quality is natural to and inherent in fire, so also, the power of destroying sins with their very root and branch, and bringing the aspirant into blissful union with the Lord through Bhava-Samadhi, is natural to and inherent in the Name of God. The glory of the Name of God cannot be established through reasoning and intellect. It can be experienced or realized only through devotion, faith and constant repetition of the Name." http://www.dlshq.org/teachings/japayoga.htm. What an extraordinary and reassuring set of statements. No need to fear any karma in one's chart when such an accessible solution is available.
However I feel sorry when I see the solutions that modern astrologers provide. They say, wear a special stone, pay a priest to do a special homam or puja- these are not automatically solutions. If I did a bad deed in my last life, and have to suffer for it in this life (bad karma visible in my chart), what will wearing a stone do? The law of karma is laid down and upheld by God Himself. Is He going to let me off so easily? Would it be just to do so? Obviously not.
At best, some astrology scholars say, the stone will delay the karma taking effect. At worst, it is a waste of money and one has been fooled into thinking a solution has been found. But the effects of the karma will surely come one day.
Similarly paying others to do pujas and homams is okay in some situations. Of course, some pujas and homams are complex and we cannot do them ourselves. But if God is seen as a parent, and we have to apologise for a mistake- what should we do? Apologise ourselves, by spending 10-15 minutes a day in japa, or a simple puja like offering some flowers at an altar? Or avoid doing any sadhana at all, and just pay a priest to do something on our behalf? Priests can be helpful no doubt- some are sincere, some treat spirituality as a vulgar business and simply fleece gullible people with grandiose claims. How would we feel if our children made a mistake and then hired someone else to say sorry? It would be absurd. Well this is what we do with God when we only hire others to say sorry. We make our relationship with God a crude business.
And God does not need our pujas and homams. We do. These rituals have beautiful symbolic inner meanings to build a relationship with the Divine and transform our inner nature according to Sivananda and other Gurus. When we burn camphor, the inner meaning is "let my ego melt and leave no trace like the camphor". When we burn a lamp for God, we are saying "You are the Light of lights. Let my life be filled with Your Divine Light. Let the darkness of the lower nature and of ignorance be dispelled by Your Light." Other rituals have similar inner meanings. One doesn't experience the transformative effect of pujas and homams without understanding the inner meanings. It is just a mechanical set of actions without this understanding. Whereas if one does puja or homam oneself, one is much more likely to experience the personal inner meaning of the ritual and benefit greatly.
It is not that God needs a little rice and milk from us, and that He'll then say, okay have your car, child, job or whatever you want! He is the owner of the entire Universe and beyond. He does not need our petty offerings. And He gives us the best things without our asking. But we benefit from making these offerings, because of the transformation this brings in our nature- they bring us closer to God, the source of all bliss and auspiciousness.
The greatest offering we can give is a little time to build a relationship with Him, to at least attempt to offer our ego to the Divine. Whether one sees God as personal, or as an impersonal Truth, both are true according to the sages. He is personal, impersonal and beyond both these. Either way, building a relationship with this God or Truth is important for our wellbeing.
Ideally one should do a little sadhana daily oneself, and if desired, one can also request a priest to do a puja or other ritual if it would bring peace to one's mind (but one should be suspicious of priests who demand huge fees for rituals claiming that it will solve all one's problems- this is almost invariably a hoax).
Coming back to astrology, sometimes I ask myself, why do I bother studying it? It is a wonderful science no doubt. It has exact rules, which when followed, give exact answers and results. But much of the knowledge is imperfect today. It is a science of Rishis, given to us by Rishis. Few rishis, if any, exist today. A pure character, a great mind, is needed to really be a true good astrologer. Few, if any, such people exist today. I ask myself, why do you waste time reading books on astrology, instead of doing japa? I tell myself- Foolish girl, do you want to end up as an astrologer studying the charts of spiritual giants all your life, or do you want to become a spiritual giant yourself? Do you want to watch the spiritual fun from the sidelines, merely studying the spiritual horoscopes of past saints, or do you want to actually enter the spiritual arena, do some serious tapas, and fulfill your own spiritual potential?
So I try not to spent too much time on the subject. Astrology is accurate (in the hands of the right astrologer), and for me, it is solid proof of the existence of past lives and of karma. Without the existence of these two, vedic astrology would have no meaning, no basis. So the fact that vedic astrology is correct, is proof for me, of rebirth and karma. It is no longer simply a matter of faith for me. This is already a valuable service done by astrology.
But I cannot sometimes resist looking at my own chart for my spiritual path, my spiritual potential. I wistfully look at it and wonder- can I be like Ramakrishna and Sivananda? Then I tell myself- come on, it does not depend on the chart. The chart shows what I did before. I can decide, using my free will, with the help of the Divine (very necessary), to overcome all karmas and reach the Divine. Paramhamsa Yogaanda did this, Swami Satyananda (disciple of Sivananda, and Founder of Bihar School of Yoga) did this- they said we can and should do it too.
I am trying not to care too much whether this is my last life or not. I am trying to follow what my Guru advises- he says, ask God for true bhakti, let there be any number of future lives, it does not matter, but ask God for true bhakti, Parabhakti. Once this is achieved, all is achieved. He says, Mukti (liberation) is the handmaid of the Queen Parabhakti. Mukti automatically follows Parabhakti. So attain Parabhakti. This is my prayer for myself. To be allowed to attain Parabhakti. This in my mind is an ability to see and love God in all beings, all things, all the world and universe- in what appears both good and bad. No easy task. I feel I will have to do a lot of japa to attain this. So many many purascharanas will be needed. Got to keep at it.
But my chart shows me that my path is hopefully right. The Vimsamsa (chart of spirituality) contains Libra rising (bhakti yoga) with Mercury (Vishnu) and Sun (Surya, Rama) in the fifth house of mantra (Aquarius) with Moon (Krishna, Gauri) in the 9th house of Guru and Japa (Gemini)- as per Lahiri ayanamsa (According to Raman ayanamsa, these planets are still in the fifth and ninth, only the signs change). So I feel that japa yoga without doubt is the right path for me, and that my chart accurately reflects my interest in certain forms of the Divine. I consulted an astrologer recently who has a strong background in spirituality himself to interpret my chart, and he confirmed my path too.
I recently had a dream, about three weeks ago, where I met Swami Chidananda Saraswati, the main disciple of my Guru Sivananda. I asked Swamiji in my dream a question about my spiritual progress, to tell me where I am on the spiritual path. He said "You have at least five lifetimes left." I burst into tears in my dream, at the thought that there are still five lifetimes left and that this is not the last one. I then resolved, I must do the work of five lifetimes in this lifetime, I must attain God in this lifetime. I have no idea about the authenticity of this dream. It may well just be all my own imagination. However, it has left me with the feeling that I have to work hard in this lifetime. To attain bhakti. Let mukti come when Hari wishes it- let Him make this prayer sincere!
Hari Om Tat Sat.
