Foreword by Robert A. Koch The philosophical principles of destiny and fate have been the constructs of thinking in most cultures since antiquity. However, the apparent opposing concept of free will has raised some controversies in the minds of modern thinkers, many of whom insist that one can do whatever he or she wants given the proper mental attitude or resolve. While fate and free will may seem to be conflicting principles, in fact they are one and the same and one cannot exist without the other. Vedic astrology, cosmology and philosophy in general hold to the principle of karma, whereby one assumes accountability to the results of actions performed previously, whether in this or prior lifetimes. Free will is the central underpinning of the Atma, or soul, who by his nature aspires to achieve something, whether it is within the framework of the temporary material world, or that of the eternal, spiritual world. The controversy over which has the greater influence – fate or free will – would never occur to start with had the eternal and imperishable soul not been entangled in the temporal world wherein actions will always bring about their resultant material reactions. Thus in actuality, the true dilemma of the soul is not whether or not his free will can circumvent his fate, but rather that his material existence is illogical in the first place. It is illogical because he is trying to fulfill the desire for permanent happiness in a temporal place. One should consider therefore the difference between the true or eternal aspect of the self, and the false identity that he assumes within the framework of matter. The consideration of these differences, in the opinion of the Vedic Upanishads (corollary scriptures), is the beginning of self-realization. The path of self-realization as per Vedic philosophy causes one to ponder such subjects as “what is truth vs. falsehood; reality vs. illusion; or permanence vs. non-permanence”, etc. If one can reason that if everything within this world is temporary, and if attachment to temporary matter is the cause of repeated birth and deaths in material forms, then he can also reason that he is responsible for enjoying or suffering the results of his actions lifetime after lifetime. His assuming responsibility for the results of actions comes in the form of fate, or destiny, the timings for which are identifiable in the Vedic astrological chart. So does destiny imply that one can do nothing about the conditions of life in which he finds himself? Certainly not, if the natural impulse of the soul is free will. In the same way that actions produce infinite and permanent possibilities in the spiritual world, so also in his true state of spiritual consciousness, the soul has unlimited free will in the matter of fulfilling desire. However, if the eternal soul insists on remaining within the temporal material realm, then free will is also limited and can be exercised only within the parameters that his karma or fate allows.
The analogy of the criminal may be helpful for understanding these principles. If someone commits a crime and is imprisoned, then his free will is curtailed. He still has free will, but he can fulfill it only within the restrictions of the prison cell within which he finds himself. Similarly, in some lifetime the embodied soul may commit a transgression over the rights and freedoms of others, thus setting up a prison sentence for himself in the next lifetime. If one kills another living being without the need for survival or self-defense, then he must be killed in a future lifetime. In all such lifetimes he has the free will to act or not, but what is certain is that in the future lifetime he will exist within the four walls of his own karma. With the current volume, AndreÊ Leclerc makes a courageous attempt to teach not only the basics of Vedic astrology, but to also underscore the above very important philosophical underpinnings of Vedic thought. Some persons may question whether the movement and prerogatives of the soul are that restricted in the modern world or that the concept of destiny is part of an antiquated way of thinking. Others may say that the mind is the remote origin of one’s actions and that if the mind is trained to contemplate ideal outcomes, then one can surmount the mandates of his karma and achieve such fulfillment. Such philosophies may be appealing, as one would always like to think that given a certain mental orientation, one could create whatever he likes. However, a careful study of the predictive systems in Vedic astrology will invariably produce convincing evidence that we are in fact recipients of the full range of good and bad reactions to prior actions, and that the timings for such are also written since the moment of birth. Vedic astrology, however, does not leave one as a victim of his fate. There are a variety of remedial measures offered in the Vedic texts, such as spiritual rituals, mantras, charitable acts, wearing planetary gemstones, etc. which will help to alleviate the results of karma. Further, the knowledge of when, and to what extent one will encounter the positive and negative experiences of life help to give the mind pause as well as acceptance of the irrefutable interface between nature and its laws, and his own actions. Study of the Vedic horoscope will inadvertently produce a sense of humility and acceptance, and a reverence for the forces that be which put such natural laws in place. This kind of disposition is by far more conducive to enlightenment, the ultimate goal of human life, than the self-absorption or indignation that results from thinking that one can do whatever he likes in defiance of natural laws. The Vedic astrological community welcomes this ground-breaking work of AndreÊ Leclerc, not only due to her thorough knowledge of practical Vedic astrology, but also due to her lifelong dedication to the Vedic way of life. The concepts of free will and
destiny will thus emerge from these pages as not only philosophies, but organic realities that can be observed and replicated through Vedic astrology.
Robert A. Koch, Vedic Astrologer Author, The Spiritual Dimensions of Vedic Astrology Web: http://robertkoch.com/