Fate and Free Will with Astrology as a lens

Civilizations and Sages have not been able to resolve the question of “Fate vs Free Will” and I don’t intend nor desire to do so either! My focus is in being a tool to individuals and to be able to help through my knowledge, research and experience with review of horoscopes. "Why I took birth and what is in store for me in this lifetime" is a question that traverses every mind. These are questions that don’t have an answer and require faith in one’s capability and the support of the supreme grace.

 

My personal view is that destiny is pre-ordained and therefore while we live our life with free will and determination there is a certain pattern of “pre-decided” events that are intended to be the map of an individual’s journey. This journey is multi-dimensional crosses beyond the limited definition of life as we have it from the cradle to grave. There is an entire world of experts, an immense amount of interest and continued research on the subject and many schools of thoughts, neither being right or wrong or prove either way.

 

My personal belief is that acceptance of the pre-destined course of life, coupled with dedication to your personal purpose with humble hard work is the only way to help simplify the complex and unanswered questions of why things happen a certain way.

 

I offer to be a support in unpacking the big picture as is possible through the study of horoscope and planetary positions. I do not believe it is possible nor am I capable of altering events and outcomes by use of any solutions whether that be healing stones, mantras or donations.

 

I follow the Indian Astrology which comprises of different methods but I lean towards using principles of Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra, Jamini’s rules and Nadi’s method to study and determine the events and milestones of life. In order to pursue this analysis, I require the specific time of birth, date of birth and place of birth for the interested individuals.

 

It is extremely important to understand that neither horoscope reading nor predictions of personal attributes and life events can be a 100 % accurate. It is not possible to foresee exact positions and times of events and attempting to do that is too tall of an order. What is imperative, for the effort to be meaningful to everyone involved is having an open discussion, reviewing findings together, discussing specific situation and circumstances and treating the prediction and horoscope review as a partnership. I offer to listen with an open mind and without pre-conceived notions.

 

Along with that I am committed to dedicate time and effort in evaluating the horoscope for the best possible understanding of concepts and with the hope of bringing an energetic fervour to living what life has in store with faith and confidence.

 

(Acharya) Dapindra Singh Chawla

 

My philosophy of astrology can be seen in the FAQ section of this website, some of which are reproduced below

Whether "Destiny" is fixed?

a.     Is there any method to change course of life or avoid likely difficult time which is indicated by horoscope?

In my personal view, I believe that destiny and its events are best handled with acceptance and, therefore, I do not support or offer any such remedies or solutions. It is not uncommon under other schools of thought to offer alternates like gemstones, rituals and other actions to counter or alleviate certain situations as represented in the specific horoscope or due to general planetary positions.

Moreover, in my understanding, human destinies are interlinked and it is therefore beyond my logical understanding that one can course correct, influence or remedy what is scientifically occurring in terms of the zodiac and its impact on the human life.

 b.    If we cannot change course of destiny, why do we need to know it?

Astrology is a divine science. Like every scientific study, it helps us to unpack and understand the human life cycle and its regulated events by studying the zodiac and celestial bodies in terms of their positions both at the time of birth and thereafter.

 As stated by many learned scholars, life is like a “Play” where each person is assigned a role and is expected to perform his duty to the best of his ability and intention(Karma). What is in our control and where we should spend our effort is the intention and effort, not in trying to change the role or the course of the play which has been clearly designated or predestined.

The urge to know is an inborn, lifelong instinct for all human beings and is also part of our “destiny”. If the urge to learn and unpack the ever-curious lesson of fate vs free will is activated, you will be initiated to learn more about the pattern embedded in your horoscope and may seek an astrologer for help and guidance through this exercise of discovery. 

 

Planning in Life

a.     Can I use the predictions to plan my life? 

Each individual has to establish and figure out a methodology that works the best for him. As shared above, my belief is that neither the event itself nor the outcome of any event can be altered. What can be controlled or altered is the approach one takes towards that event. This approach will again be very specific to the individual in terms of application of prior learnings, wisdom of others, the collective knowledge, emotional and circumstantial support, spiritual anchoring etc. However, I have been often surprised to find that the final outcome usually falls in line with the prediction itself.

As an example, if your child is not doing well in academics; you may be able to adjust your focus and instead of all your efforts towards additional coaching or pushing the child towards more hardwork you may open your window of thinking towards looking for hidden strengths or talents the child may have. Circumstances will push you towards that direction and acceptance is easier when you know that astrologically the end outcome is positive for the child’s academic future or vice versa.

My astrological focus is towards directing your lens towards aspects of your horoscope that will help declutter your attention and help you concentrate on continued good karma.

 b.    I want to send my son abroad. Can prediction help it?

Whether your child will live or study away from the homeland is pre-destined. Good predictive techniques will indicate them. There is always a chance of failure in predictions like in every scientific technique.

To enable a more accurate prediction, there are two possible ways -

i.     The traditional method of reading horoscope can indicate as to what exactly is stored for the child and what is the likely time to fructify such event.

ii.     Using the Prashana/ Query method -  Raise a specific question and the astrologer can predict an outcome.

Since education of child is a process that stretches over a period of time, it is recommended to use both the above methods. 

Mahurat & Numerology

a.     Can I use Mahurat to plan outcome of the event?

Mahurat is generally used to identify whether the time is favorable or not. However, since my view is that all events of life are inter-linked and controlled by divine force, I do not believe that using a mahurat to plan an event will change the final outcome.

Many individuals do consult astrologers for suggesting favorable timing for initiating an event. It is entirely an individual choice, but it is important to understand that adjusting time of an event does not guarantee any kind of an outcome. It has not been established that all events planned per mahurat are successful or vice versa, if this approach is not followed.

If in the larger scheme of things, the event and situation is expected to be positive then the mahurat will naturally fall under auspicious and positive timing.

 b.    Should I use numerology for selecting certain dates/ car numbers/ house numbers?........Contd