Question 1: I am very unclear and confused. Bhagavan Shri Krishna says that all that is happening is predestined and nothing moves without His sanction. Then He says in BG 2.47 ‘Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice, O descendant of Bharata, and a predominant rise of irreligion-at that time I descend Myself.’
Answer by Romapada Swami: Our present material position has been determined by our past activities. This does not mean that we are like programmed robots without any free will. Within our present circumstances, we have some freedom – just as a tethered cow can move in a small circle. Depending on how we choose to act now, in accordance with the Supreme Lord’s laws or against His laws, we can get greater facilities or we can bind ourselves further, or we can get totally liberated by fully surrendering to Him.
Question 2: I have always been a pious man, given in charity and donated to the temple. Then why am I made to suffer?
Answer by Romapada Swami: Our present suffering is due to past sinful reactions from this or previous lives.
Ultimately, our suffering will continue as long as we continue in this cycle of repeated birth and death. Therefore, it is very important for each of us, in addition to performing our charity work and donating to the temple, we must very carefully cultivate our dormant spirit of unalloyed devotion for Krishna. The most effective means for this is to daily and regularly chant the Holy Name of the Lord. When we attain the stage of chanting without offenses, we will no longer experience any suffering in this world, because we will be mercifully transferred to the abode of Lord Krishna!
Are you regularly chanting yet? If not, please begin, today!
Question 3: What is fate? Why is a person is born in a particular place to a particular parents, some rich, some poor, some beautiful, some wise etc.? Is this because of past karma?
Answer by Romapada Swami: Yes. As the saying goes, ‘As we sow, so shall we reap.’
Question 4: OK, then after we are born in this world with certain predetermined benefits (like being rich, wise etc), one has to lead an ongoing good life. At this juncture what is the role of God? Is He going to change my fate in my present life, or does He have no control at all, once fate is determined by my past actions? Why I should pray to God?
Answer by Romapada Swami: Please refer to the last few answers. Depending on our action, we get appropriate rewards (or punishments), but we must always remember that there is a Supreme Person Who awards the results. And that person is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is independent and is not bound to give us the results. He can relieve us altogether of the reactions to our past deeds. He is not bound by any laws because He is the lawmaker. He can choose to give a different result, or He can absolve us of all past reactions completely. Therefore, we are dependent on His mercy.
Question 5: How can I do my duties if everything is predestined? I want to do them and I want to follow the teachings of Bhagavan Shri Krishna, but circumstances prevailing at certain times sometimes push me to take any optional decision which ultimately proves to be disastrous.
Answer by Romapada Swami: In addition to the above answers: It is the mode of passion that forces us to take up a course of action that opposes our deepest convictions. Therefore, we must carefully cultivate a live centered in goodness. Bhagavad-gita teaches us so clearly what will help us remain centered in a life of goodness. However, because we have entangled ourselves so much in this material condition, it is very perplexing how to make the right decisions, even if we learn about the Lord’s teachings. Therefore, it is essential that we need to take guidance from advanced devotees, ultimately taking shelter of a bona fide guru, who can help us progressively align ourselves with the Lord’s instructions and not commit blunders, which will only entangle us further.
Question 6: Some people claim that what is to happen in this life is already determined by God (i.e. fate). Their idea is that we do not have much control on our life. We are under the illusion of Maya. Others think that only because of our intelligence and our carefully executed efforts, we achieve desirable ends. My question is, do our efforts really matter?
Answer by Romapada Swami: Yes, we create our own destiny, but the scope for doing so is quite restricted or limited. We have our desires and free will, but they are supervised by the Supreme, according to natural laws. Thus, our freedom to ‘create our destiny’ is VERY restricted! We really have not so much control, ultimately. With unrestricted freedom, we can choose if we are going to act according to God’s laws or not. That is within our control. But ultimately Krishna is the supreme controller and actual doer.
Question 7: What is Astrology? I have heard it said that when one is born in this world his horoscope is fixed depending on the time and place of birth. People born at auspicious time will have all the good of nine Grahas, which determines ones life, i.e., what he will become, how long he will survive, rich/poor etc. Was Duryodhana born as wicked man and Yudhisthira born as good man? Is this all based on their past karma?
Answer by Romapada Swami: The material circumstances of a person, their future, their general disposition etc., are all predestined according to one’s guna and karma. When the soul takes birth in this world, the event takes place according to their karma, during a corresponding arrangement of constellations. Astrology is a branch of Vedic science that, among other things, gives detailed techniques of how to use this information (stellar arrangement at the time of birth) to predict one’s future. While one may have particular tendencies or conditioning of modes of nature from birth, it is also to be understood that the association one is in has a great influence on their character traits
