By Abhaya Mudra Dasi
Often devotees who wish to inquire about their past karma do not like to state their questions openly. Тhe reason is because the answer to all problems is supposed to be clear for all practitioners of Krishna consciousness: chanting the Holy Names of the Supreme Lord is the cure for all accumulated karma. Nonetheless, the question of where to draw the fine line between free will and the boundaries of karma lingers in the minds of many bhaktas.
How exactly does past karma come into being and when exactly is future karma germinated?
The Journey of Innumerable Births
All of us have lived through many, many lives. In fact, all living entities that we see all around us have been in the material world since time immemorial. We all have innumerable past lives. Is it worth remembering them? Well, one past life in particular is very significant. We all came into this material world through the highest post in the universe, as Brahma the creator (SB.9.24.58 Bhaktivedanta Purport). And since we are still here, the history of our first attempt of confidential service unto the Supreme Lord while in the material world has failed. We have become entrapped by the charms of our “own” creation. We stayed on and have gradually degraded into the lower species of life. So if we think that, “Once upon a time I occupied the post of Indra”, or “At a different time I had a body of a bug”, chances are, we are describing our own history in the material world.
Untying the knots of karma can be a very difficult, if not impossible, task. The sum total of all desires, along with the reaction we receive from interacting with their gross manifestation, is widely described as karma*. Some of our karma is burned and buried in the past. The gross form of such karma is not accessible anymore. Nonetheless, the impact of its ashes may still have an undeniable effect upon our psychology. These imprints are responsible for creating our future karma. But the hypothetical past and future karma do not touch aggressively our immediate life, especially in the field of activities. For that, there is another type of karma which we are undergoing at any moment. We denote as “current life” the experience of taste derived from karmic fruit. The culprits which prolong our stay in the material world are the concealed karma from past desires still waiting to be manifested and the karma which we wish at the present for the future.
The whole problem with satisfying desires lies in the time factor. Due to the partition of time into past, present and future, everything in the material world takes an era to manifest. Our material desires are not immediately satisfied. The cunning scenario of the material nature is: that we are in a different situation and with a different mind set when the winning jackpot of fortune hits us, most habitually as a bad surprise. This severe mismatch between desires and reality is one major device in the grand design of the material world. It is meant to make the soul frustrated with the material existence, forced to reach for the real alternative of perpetual mishaps. So where does astrology come into play in this labyrinth of karma created by desires? Shri Krishna is the greatest astrologer for He knows the karma of all living entities. The topic of astrology has been honored by many great spiritual personalities like Parashara Muni, Shrila Vyasadeva, Ramanujacharya, Madhvacharya, Bhaktivinode Thakur, Bhaktisiddanta Sarasvati and Srila Prabhupada with his wonderful Bhaktivendanta Purports.
The Load of Karma
A living enmity has a certain baggage of karma. At the time of birth his karma is registered by the star formation in the sky. Some living entities have to wait longer than others to get the exact horoscope imprint which will supervise the execution of their karma. The stars do not tell the truth about the eternal living entity, rather, they help to form a character based on the reflection coming from the personality of the soul. Sometimes twins are born only seconds apart. Yet we may observe that even though their lives may move along the same karmic lines they still have come with and maintain distinct personalities. The moment of birth puts the active parameters for a lifetime. At that time a relative freedom is given to the soul. This fact does not make an imprint on the eternal personality. By internal purification the soul can manifest his eternal qualities and ultimately override the impermanent characteristics given by the stars. How does that happen?
While the living enmity moves through life, he will encounter events predestined from previous births. The reaction or attitude he demonstrates towards this karma will form the base for his future. This meeting point of active interaction of the living entity with his karma is the playing field of free will. To Krishna-ise karma means to react in a Krishna conscious way to all situations presented in life. At the beginning of their devotional practice devotees often expect miracles and imagine sudden life changes to better their circumstances. When their material situation does not improve they often are quick to get disappointed. Krishna Consciousness inevitably brings prosperity in all spheres of live and still the time factor should be allotted for personal purification. Even spiritual activities in the material world come into manifestation slowly and patience is proven to be one the greatest treasures of a devotee. When the heart is purified by the chanting of Hare Krishna mahamantra a devotee thinks about Shri Krishna all the time. His reaction to all karma is the recollection of the name, form and activities of the Supreme Lord. This remembrance, just like a weapon, destroys the active karma, until nothing else is left but Krishna karma. What a devotee of Sri Krishna is creating for the future is devotional service. This is the only proven way for changing karma in the material world.
By observing our surroundings and circumstances, we come to the conclusion that getting rid of the material world can be an impossible task. A perfect situation where we are isolated from interacting with the material nature does not exist. Considering this fact, the ahimsa philosophy of the Jains which claims that by sweeping the ground before walking saves bugs from being killed, may seem to be at best just a good wish. How can they save the millions of microbes annihilated while breathing? Disconnecting from material circumstances and karma by artificial means is not possible.
Can astrology be useful even when we have learned how to transform material karma into Krishna karma? The science of astrology is valuable not only in a predetermination of future events. Vedic astrology is also used in averting unfavorable incidents by mapping out the different roads of personal karma. A birth chart can be looked upon exactly like a physical map with its many mountains, forests and rivers. There we can see optional roads we can follow and also the destination they lead to. With the light of astrology or jyotish we can cast illumination on the different paths a person can take in his allotted property bordered by limited free will. Taking charge, astrology can lead an individual to faster accomplishment of his desires. This remarkable ability of jyotish can be employed in serving spiritual desires as well.
At any given moment a person has the task to choose between two options. While for materialistically inclined individual those choices can seem to be very diverse, the devotee knows that the choice is basically picking between two masters: either Krishna or the material energy. Astrology does not have a real value for the materialist because he desires only to perpetuate his stay in the material world. While in his service, the invaluable astrology is minimized to a tool for diversification of karma. The most elevated amongst material sciences is truly meant to facilitate devotional service.
Nakshatra–Vidya
Astrology can pinpoint the most favorable circumstances around which the right choice of Krishna consciousness can be exercised. For example, astrology can offer a better location, choice of favorable engagements in devotional service or time frame for profound commitment in Krishna consciousness according to the personality of a particular devotee. Jyotish is a science which puts the individuality in the center of its study and there is nothing more personal than Krishna Consciousness. Personality is a fact of eternal life. Personality cannot be changed by birth in the material world. Krishna says in Bhagavad Gita that even a devotee who is self-realized still acts with his own nature (BG 3.33). Astrology places value upon the self and its characteristics. For this, jyotish best serves the individual who wants to purify his soul and engage in the eternal service of Shri Krishna.
One tremendous facility of astrology is that it can look at every individual chart as a unique yoga or formation of planets. Not a single person is ever born with a chart alike another. Even the same person gets born in different lifetimes with unlike birth charts. Material nature is fickle and likes to create different personas for the single individual soul. In this way she can keep his real individuality covered by illusion. Still there are hints to the real characteristics of the soul. Astrology can find them in the current birth chart of a given individual.
The Moon, ruling the mind, is the most important planet in jyotish for his ability to impart individuality (SB 5.23.9/10). The position of the Moon and his degree in a chart is very significant for judging a particular personality. In astrology, the 27 Moon nakshatras hold the key to individuality. With their help the foundation of a particular native’s distinct mindset is easily ascertained. The nakshatras are divided into subdivisions determined by the 2 genders (feminine and masculine), the 3 gunas, the 4 varnas, etc. Every individual is born in one of these nakshatras which are further divided into 4 padas or steps. That makes for a total of 108 padas. Every sign of the 12 zodiacal signs holds 9 of these padas. Based upon this principle of 108 basic differences, the nakshatras constitute an exceptional system for individualistic judgment.
The second most important chart in the varga subdivisions, the navamsha, is formed by calculating the nakshatra padas of every planet in a horoscope. The navamsha chart is derivative of the main chart controlled by the wives of the Moon god, the 27 nakshatras, who each have very distinct personalities of their own. Because of its special characteristics, the 9th sub-divisional chart is not supposed to be read like the main rashi chakra. An astrologer would look upon the navamsha chart like a chemist who determines the atomic composition of a given element. The navamsha chart plunges deep below matter and presents the primeval constitution of the individual mind.
But as much as we want to claim that the mind is very personal and particular for every living entity, this “master sense” has a basic function of choosing while presented with a selection. The function of the mind in the material world is surprisingly very much dictated by outside associations. The mind and its choices have been the domain of the mass perceptions about the world formed from one generation to the next since time immemorial. But even in the temporary world the preferences of the mind are best reflected in the most important selection a living entity can make—choosing a life partner. And for this reason the most popular use of the navamsha chart is in determining the characteristics of one’s “other half”. Nonetheless, not only the life partner but everything in the material world is a reflection of the original reality of the self. The mind is an easy target for astrological examination because it has a basic function which can be easily purified. Even in a contaminated condition the mind still retains its reflectivity of original function to choose the best, or ultimately Shri Krishna. But Astrology has not only one technique of tracing back the roots of the soul via his reflections.
When the nakshatra pada is looked upon like a single sign and further divided into 9 parts the result is the nava-navamsha sub-divisional chart which gives a great precision in judging the spiritual individuality as mirrored in matter. The mind is born from the satva guna (SB 3.26.25) and for this reason the sub-divisional charts controlled by the Moon have great significance in unveiling individuality. The navamsa and nava-navamsha charts look upon the individuality like a chemical composition which has basic characteristics like taste. In spiritual sense it denotes rasa. It is a fact of life that not even a single taste can be matched twice. This proves that the eternal individual soul prevails even in his reflection of matter.
Design of Desires
We all have different desires in the material world but they are exactly like the desires of one who has lost his health. It doesn’t matter how different these desires may seem to be at first glance. All the wishes of a diseased person are aimed at returning to his healthy existence. Our real desire is to get back to Shri Krishna. Desires in the material world seem to be so many and so different from their original cause. Still the design of desires in the material world is such that they ultimate lead to rejecting of matter and choosing spiritual bliss. Ultimately, astrology also comes from the desire to facilitate the individual’s return to the original cause of all causes. By pointing to the supreme choice of existence in the union with Shri Krishna through surrender and devotional service, the ultimate value of astrology is to make sure that the living entity does not misuse his free will. ·
*The word karma as it is used in modern, colloquial context is properly understood through the shastras as karma-phal, or “the fruits of our work.” Strictly speaking the work karma simply means “work” or “activities.”
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Jai prabhu, thank you for the above article. I have questions about other Lord Brahma’s . If all Lord Brahma’s go through what our’s did, namely being born in darkness, then given an instruction to perform tapasya, then suceeding in seeing the Lord & given the ability to create, how or why would such Lord Brahma’s fall down to worm in stool status ? Our Lord Brahma is the head of our sampradaya and He is not falling down . Any coments ?
Satyahit das
Dear Satyahit Prabhu,
Thank you very much for the comment on the article. I will be glad to give insight into the questions put foreword.
As you know, unlimited number of universes are manifested from the perspiration emanated out of the body of Maha Vishnu and float like little bubbles upon the Casual Ocean. Each one of these universes has its own Lord Brahma. Although all Brahmas pray to the Supreme Lord for creative abilities, not all Brahmas are so devotionally inclined as our Lord Brahma. We are fortunate to be born at the time when Lord Shri Krishna appeared some 5000 years ago and Lord Chaitanya appeared just about 500 years ago in this one universe. We are also fortunate that our Lord Brahma is a true devotee of Shri Krishna. Our Gaudiya Vaishnava sampradaya is indeed founded by Lord Brahma and it was further enriched by his participation in the leela of Lord Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu as Haridasa Thakur, accepted by the Lord Himself as the nama acharya for this day and age.
It is described in Shri Chaitanya Charitamrita (Madya leela 21.60-80) that once when Shri Krishna was in Dwaraka Lord Brahma wished to be granted a visit into one of Shri Krishna’s palaces. Shri Krishna asked Brahma to identify himself. The Supreme Lord wanted to know which Brahma of which particular universe was at the door. Lord Brahma was really stunned that he was not being recognized. He identified himself and after he was granted the visit he asked Shri Krishna why He asked him so many questions, “What is the purpose of such an inquiry? Is there any other Brahma besides me within this universe?”. Then Shri Krishna called out for all Brahmas from all universes in the material creation. In this way he showed our Brahma a particular universal form. Our Brahma understood that he is the lord of the smallest universe and for this reason he has only 4 heads. Other Lord Brahmas had from ten to unlimited numbers of heads, and all of them were offering prayer to Shri Krishna with intention to be able to create their particular universe.
You said that Brahma is born out of ignorance. No, Brahma is the only svayam bhu or self-born in this universe. The real meaning of svayam bhu means that he is born directly from the Supreme Personality of Godhead. There is no ignorance in the existence of Shri Krishna. Of course, Lord Brahma, being a living entity, was unnerved in the beginning because he could not understand his origin. He went down the lotus flower from which he was manifested and reached the Causal Ocean but that really frightened him and he had to crawl back into the lotus. He has the direct association of Shri Krishna in his heart. Shri Krishna via this connection gave him instruction to perform tapas. After 1000 years he was able to create our universe. Lord Brahma is the only one who has direct access to Shri Vishnu’s association at any moment and for this reason when there is a problem in the universe the demigods go to him for help. Lord Brahma then conveys the message of the demigods to Shri Vishnu and in this way the problems of the universe are solved.
Lord Brahma is a living entity but if there is not a good candidate for this position it is occupied directly by an expansion of Vishnu. We should understand that all 78% of the qualities of the pure living entity are fully manifested in Lord Brahma. Yogis who cannot approach the spiritual world directly at the time of annihilation of the material world merge with the body of Lord Brahma and wait for his liberation to achieve personal moksha (SB 3.32.10). But what happens if the perfect living entity occupying the post of Brahma does not achieve liberation? All other living entities who live in his universe have a very little chance of achieving moksha. Indeed, we are very fortunate that our Brahma has a true inclination to repeat the names of the Supreme Lord. He is a special jiva, one who instead of falling down is going back to the Spiritual World.
It is a fact that the post and location of Brahma are on the way of coming from and going back to the Spiritual World. Even physically Brahma is the link between Shri Vishnu and the material world since Brahma sits on the lotus flower which is non-different from the body of the Supreme Lord. But even if a living entity factually may not occupy the post of Brahma he can go back to the Spiritual World once he has developed all 78% of pure qualities necessary for living in the spiritual world. So if someone is a pure devotee he is to be understood to be as elevated as lord Brahma.
As far as falling down from the position of Brahma is concerned it can happen. In general terms, we witness fall down of living entities in our every day life. This is the easiest and most natural consequence of living in the material world and does not need any endeavor. A man is turned into a dog by behaving like one and demigods become human when their pious activities are finished. Should we worry about our purification and be afraid of the effects of maya? Yes. That urges us to realize the treasure of the holy name of Shri Krishna. We are given all facilities for a return back home back to Godhead. Out of the many universal creators, our Brahma is a magnificent devotee who is attracted to the chanting of Hare Krishna mahamantra. What a fortune? This is an unbelievable fortune indeed. All glories to all devotees who are in the disciplic succession of lord Brahma who creates the smallest universe of this exhalation of Lord Shri Vishnu, and Who is sitting directly in the Spiritual World.
Your servant,
Abhaya Mudra Dasi