KARMA AND DESTINY

KARMA & DESTINY – HAPPINESS & DISTRESS

QUESTION: Is it because of karma or destiny whatever happens to me?

ANSWER: The body is made according to our past karma, and that is called destiny. And our destiny is made according to our actions in the material world. Therefore, our happiness and distress according to the body are already settled up. It is not possible change or improve our destiny by any natural, materialistic way. However, only by becoming Krishna conscious and surrendering to the Lord, one’s destiny can change; for only Krishna can change our karma, destiny. If we so desire.

“In this world we are, every one of us are bound up by the laws of karma, destiny. We have got our destiny. So much happiness, so much distress we must have. Because this is a mixture of happiness and distress. Here you cannot have unadulterated happiness. That is not possible in this… Unadulterated happiness, real happiness can be achieved in the spiritual world. Not in the material world. So certain amount of happiness and certain amount of distress we have to enjoy and suffer. You cannot change it. This is the law of nature in this material world.”

Everyone is suffering and enjoying the result of his own destiny. This destiny is made by the living beings in course of social intercourse. Everyone here wants to lord it over the material nature, and thus everyone creates his own destiny under the supervision of the Supreme Lord. (SB 1.8.28)

The law of nature is so subtle that every part of our body is influenced by the respective stars, and a living being obtains his working body to fulfill his terms of imprisonment by the manipulation of such astronomical influence. A man’s destiny is therefore ascertained by the birthtime constellation of stars, and a factual horoscope is made by a learned astrologer. It is a great science, and misuse of a science does not make it useless. (SB 1.12.12)

The laws of nature do not allow a second beyond what one is destined to enjoy. Everyone is suffering and enjoying the result of his own destiny. This destiny is made by the living beings in course of social intercourse. According to one’s destiny, one enjoys allotted happiness and distress, even though one keeps himself in one place. (SB 5.5.32)

Although we appear combined together in a family, society or nation, each of us has an individual destiny. Everyone takes birth according to individual past work; therefore everyone must individually enjoy or suffer the result of his own karma. There is no possibility of improving one’s destiny by cooperative living. Sometimes it happens that one’s father accumulates wealth by illegal ways, and the son takes away the money, although it is hard-earned by the father, just as a small fish in the ocean eats the material body of a large, old fish. One ultimately cannot accumulate wealth illegally for the gratification of his family, society, community or nation. An illustration of this principle is that many great empires which developed in the past are no longer existing because their wealth was squandered away by later descendants. One who does not know this subtle law of fruitive activities and who thus gives up the moral and ethical principles carries with him only the reactions of his sinful activities. His ill-gotten wealth and possessions are taken by someone else, and he goes to the darkest region of hellish life. One should not, therefore, accumulate more wealth than allotted to him by destiny; otherwise he will be factually blind to his own interest. Instead of fulfilling his self-interest, he will act in just the opposite way for his own downfall.

IF EVERYTHING IS PREDESTINED, WHY NOT SIT DOWN AND DO NOTHING

Karma means activity. There must be activity. It is not that because we are interested in self-realization, in the elevation of the soul to the spiritual world, that does not mean we shall be idle and lazy. No. You cannot be idle and lazy because if you become idle and lazy, you cannot even maintain your body. That is advised in Bhagavad-gītā. You have to become busy and active. That is required. Even if you want to go to heaven, then also you have to become busy and active. If you want to go back to home, back to Godhead, that also will require your business and activity. And if you want to remain here in this material world, that also required. Activity you cannot stop, but we have to consider the quality of activity. Quality of activity is bhakti. You have to work. You cannot remain inactive or lazy. You have to work. So Kṛṣṇa advises in the Bhagavad-gītā that “Work for Me.” That is intelligence. Yat karoṣi yaj juhoṣi yad aśnāsi yat tapasyasi kuruṣva tad mad-arpaṇam [Bg. 9.27]. This is life. Yat karoṣi, whatever you do. Everyone has to do something. Kṛṣṇa says, “Yes, you have to work. But work for Me.” Just like Arjuna was advised. He is a military man. He used to fight. His occupation is, when there there is danger he must fight. A kṣatriya, kṣatriya’s business is that. So Arjuna was advised that “You fight for Me, not for your sense gratification.” That kind of fight and war is not allowed. Only for the satisfaction of the Supreme Lord you can fight.

CAN I GET MORE THAN WHAT IS DESTINED

Material benefit, you cannot get more than what you are destined to have; that is already fixed up. According to your body… You get the body. We get different types of body, and according to the body, our material sufferings and enjoyment are fixed up, already. You cannot have more or less. Otherwise… you’ll see, one man is working so hard, day and night, and he could hardly maintain himself or his family. And another man, he’s going to the market, sits down for one hour, and earns 100,000 dollars, immediately. You can see. Simply by touching the phone, he simply asks, “What is the rate of this? What is the rate of that?” and he makes one transaction, and immediately he gets one thousand dollars. And this man is working hard, day and night, he could not get even two sufficient meals.

So that means the, according to the body, the material happiness and… Just like you are. You have got this American body. So automatically your country’s facilities… You are more comfortable than other countries because you have no scarcity, enough production. Everything is enough. So according to the body, you are getting comforts of life. And in another country, deserted country, very hard living, cannot get nice foodstuffs, only living on animals. That is also very rarely. So these are different. Just like in Greenland. It is filled up with ice. They cannot get any nice food. Still they live there. This is māyā. They will not think, “Oh, here the life is very difficult. Let me go away from here. Let me go to some other, better place.” No. He’ll not go. Janani janma-bhūmiś ca svargād api garīyasī. Our birthplace, even it is hell, it is better than heaven. That is māyā. Just like hog. Hog is living most abominable condition of life, with stools and filthy water, but still, he is thinking he’s living in heaven. Janani janma-bhūmiś ca svargād api garīyasī. So therefore, the conclusion is that so far material comforts are concerned, you cannot get more. Or less. You will get. It is already fixed up. Deha-yogena dehinām. Sukham aindriyakaṁ daityā deha-yogena dehinām, sarvatra labhyate… eh? Yathā duḥkham ayatnataḥ. Prahlāda Mahārāja says. Sarvatra labhyate. So far material comfort is concerned, what you are destined to get, you’ll get it, in wherever you may live. It doesn’t matter. Your allotment is already there. That is your body.

WHO DECIDES THE LIVING ENTITIES’ DESTINIES

Yamarāja, the great controller of life after death, decides the living entities’ destinies in their next lives. He is surely among the most confidential representatives of the Lord. (SB 3.5.21)

Ordinarily destiny cannot be checked. Therefore instead of wasting your time for change your economic condition or material destiny, you employ this energy for Kṛṣṇa consciousness. (Conversation, 28 June 1976, Vrndavana)

As one is put into distress by destiny, destiny can also put one in a happy situation. Destiny is extremely strong, but one can change destiny if one comes to the platform of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. (SB 9.9.33)

No one can ascertain his destiny as the Supreme Lord can; therefore the best course is to take direction from the Supreme Lord and act. No one should neglect the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead or the order of the spiritual master, who is the representative of God. One should act unhesitatingly to execute the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead—that will keep one safe under all circumstances. (BG 18.59)

“Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto the original Personality of Godhead, Govinda, Who regulated the sufferings and enjoyments of fruitive activity for everyone—from the heavenly King Indra down to the smallest insect (indra-gopa). That very Personality of Godhead destroys the fruitive karma of one engaged in devotional service.” So anyone who surrenders to Krishna, his destiny is changed by the omnipotency of God. He takes charge of the devotee and guides him how the devotee can go back to Home, Back-to-Godhead. This is the Mercy of God. (Letter, 21 October 1975, Johannesburg)

CAN DESTINY BE CHANGED

Even if you get more money, the other circumstances will force you to remain in the same condition as you were fifty years ago. Because you are destined. This is called destiny. You cannot change your destiny. That is not possible.

Every man is certainly controlled by destiny, which determines the results of one’s fruitive activities. In other words, one has a son or daughter because of unseen destiny, and when the son or daughter is no longer present, this also is due to unseen destiny. Destiny is the ultimate controller of everyone. One who knows this is never bewildered.

Therefore Bhāgavata says that do not try to change your destiny. Everyone is trying to change the destiny. I am poor man, I must be very rich man. But you cannot change your destiny. Tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta kovido na labhate yad bhramatām upary adhaḥ (SB 1.5.18). In this world we are, every one of us are bound up by the laws of karma, destiny. We have got our destiny. So much happiness, so much distress we must have. Because this is a mixture of happiness and distress. Here you cannot have unadulterated happiness. That is not possible in this… Unadulterated happiness, real happiness can be achieved in the spiritual world. Not in the material world. So certain amount of happiness and certain amount of distress we have to enjoy and suffer. You cannot change it. This is the law of nature in this material world. (Lecture on BG 2.11)

As one is put into distress by destiny, destiny can also put one in a happy situation. Destiny is extremely strong, but one can change destiny if one comes to the platform of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. As stated in Śrī brahma-saṁhitā 5.54

yas tv indragopam athavendram aho sva-karma-
bandhānurūpa-phala-bhājanam ātanoti
karmāṇi nirdahati kintu ca bhakti-bhājāṁ
govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

I adore the primeval Lord Govinda, who burns up to their roots all fruitive activities of those who are imbued with devotion and impartially ordains for each the due enjoyment of the fruits of one’s activities, of all those who walk in the path of work, in accordance with the chain of their previously performed works, no less in the case of the tiny insect that bears the name of indragopa than in that of Indra, king of the devas.

PURPORT: God impartially induces the fallen souls to act in the way that is consequent on the deeds of their previous births and to enjoy the fruition of their labors but, out of His great mercy to His devotees, He purges out, by the fire of ordeal, the root of all karma, viz., nescience and evil desires. Karma, though without beginning, is still perishable. The karma of those, who work with the hope of enjoying the fruits of their labors, becomes everlasting and endless and is never destroyed. The function of sannyāsa is also a sort of karma befitting an āśrama and is not pleasant to Kṛṣṇa when it aims at liberation, i.e., desire for emancipation. They also receive fruition of their karma and, even if it be disinterested, their karma ends in ātma-mamatā, i.e., self-pleasure; but those who are pure devotees always serve Kṛṣṇa by gratifying His senses forsaking all attempts of karma and jñāna, and being free from all desires save that of serving Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa has fully destroyed the karma, its desires and nescience of those devotees. It is a great wonder that Kṛṣṇa, being impartial, is fully partial to His devotees.

Prabhupāda: I have given this example also. Just like a man is condemned by the law court to be hanged. Nobody can check it. Nobody can check. Even the same judge who has given this verdict, he cannot check. But if he begs for the mercy of the king, he can check it. He can go all above the law. Therefore, karmāṇi nirdahati kintu ca bhakti-bhājām (Bs. 5.54).

In the Brahma-saṁhitā it is said that destiny can be changed by Kṛṣṇa for His devotees. Otherwise it is not possible. If one is condemned to death, Kṛṣṇa can check it. Otherwise, it is falsehood when Kṛṣṇa…. Ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi (BG 18.66),” I shall give you protection from all reaction of sinful activities.” Suppose you are to be killed by somebody on account of your sinful activity. Nobody can check it, ordinarily, but Kṛṣṇa can check it. Otherwise Kṛṣṇa’s telling false, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi, “I shall give you protection.” So therefore our business should be only to surrender to Kṛṣṇa. And if you artificially want to be more happy by economic development, that is not possible. That is not possible.

So anyone who surrenders to Krishna, his destiny is changed by the omnipotency of God. He takes charge of the devotee and guides him how the devotee can go back to Home, Back-to-Godhead. This is the Mercy of God. He knows everything and still He says “sarva dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ braja  [Bg. 18.66]” But, you are thinking God like you, what is destined is going to happen and even God cannot change it? Then God is impotent? This is their version, not God’s. God says surrender to Me and I shall cancel all your destiny, ahaṁ tvam sarva pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi ma śucaḥ God will save you from the destiny that you have created by misuse of your independence. He knows but still He is so kind. Surrender has nothing to do with your destiny, that will depend on you (the spirit-soul) because you have a little independence, a little freedom. Theirs is atheistic argument. God is not only omniscient, but also Almighty. Predestiny is there but it is cancelled if you surrender to Him, otherwise God is not the controller. Theirs is like karma mīmāṁsā philosophy, that God is our servant and He must reward me according to my activities. If you surrender to Krishna there is no more predestiny. He knows if you do this you must suffer, so why do you suffer. You take His advice. Even if he says predestined, so why don’t you surrender to Krishna now, and get out of this material condition.

KARMA – FREE WILL – AND PRE-DESTINATION

So this is karma-cakra. We are getting some opportunity and making our next life. In this way it is called karma-cakra. Yas tv indra-gopam athavendram aho sva-karma-bandhānurūpa-phala-bhājanam ātanoti [Bs. 5.54]. Everyone is enjoying the result of his past karma. Who? Now, from, beginning from that King Indra, the heavenly king, very powerful, exalted position. That Indra, and there is an insect which is called indra-gopa. Yas tv indra… Indra-gopam mahā-indra. Beginning from this insect known as indra and up to that Indra, everyone is bound up by his karma-phala. That is called destiny. Everyone is bound up. (More…)

Regarding free will and pre-destination, yes, materially everything is decided. Spiritually you can make advancement despite all material destiny. Materially you cannot change things as they are but spiritually it is possible. No, devotees are not allowed more than one wife. Devotees should have no wife if possible, but those who cannot maintain celibacy, they can marry one wife. At the present moment people are so unfortunate they cannot maintain even one wife. First of all at the present moment they are not married and remain mostly unmarried. So for such persons even one wife is a great burden. Under the circumstances how one can think of more than one wife? This is stupidity. (More…)

“Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto the original Personality of Godhead, Govinda, Who regulated the sufferings and enjoyments of fruitive activity for everyone—from the heavenly King Indra down to the smallest insect (indra-gopa). That very Personality of Godhead destroys the fruitive karma of one engaged in devotional service.” (More…)

So anyone who surrenders to Krishna, his destiny is changed by the omnipotency of God. He takes charge of the devotee and guides him how the devotee can go back to Home, Back-to-Godhead. This is the Mercy of God. He knows everything and still He says “sarva dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam braja . . . [Bg. 18.66]” But, you are thinking God like you, what is destined is going to happen and even God cannot change it? Then God is impotent? This is their version, not God’s. God says surrender to Me and I shall cancel all your destiny, aham tvam sarva papebhyo moksayisyami ma sucah . . . God will save you from the destiny that you have created by misuse of your independence. He knows but still He is so kind. Surrender has nothing to do with your destiny, that will depend on you (the spirit-soul) because you have a little independence, a little freedom. Theirs is atheistic argument. God is not only omniscient, but also Almighty. Predestiny is there but it is cancelled if you surrender to Him, otherwise God is not the controller. Theirs is like karma mimamsa philosophy, that God is our servant and He must reward me according to my activities. If you surrender to Krishna there is no more predestiny. He knows if you do this you must suffer, so why do you suffer. You take His advice. Even if he says predestined, so why don’t you surrender to Krishna now, and get out of this material condition. (More…)