Dr. Shanker Adawal
Introduction
Part
1
This is always a subject
of debate whether a person is headed through the remedies as prescribed in our
classics or which are in practice from time immemorable.
According to Mahatma
Buddha, the entire world is full of miseries and unhappiness (Sarvam Dukhamayam Jagat). Somebody is
chronically ill and doctors are unable to help him. Somebody does not have any
child even after ten years of marriage. Someone’s daughter is estranged from
her husband due to incompatibility or other reasons. Somebody is either in need
of finance to get his daughters married or even though equipped with necessary
money, marriage fails to take place. When a householder is faced with such
problems, try as he might, his mind refuses to go towards his spiritual sadhana
like Japa, meditation, etc., but veers again and again round his problems. It
is only a rare few who could pray or call on God in despair in such a crisis
and even among them many will not be able to sustain the constant remembrance
of God essential for our liberation or God Realisation. Yes, one cannot wait
for the waves of the ocean to subside completely to enable having a bath, but
one can surely wish for a lull or interval when he can heave a sigh of relief
temporarily and proffer his thanks giving to the Supreme Lord.
Most people, when they
think of Jyotish, the Indian system of astrology, invariably think of temples,
gongs, incense, pot-bellied priests, amulets, poojas and gemstones, all against
the background of indecipherably mysterious but soothing chants. It seems that
despite all the `airing’ that has gone on over last many years and despite the
increasing openness in recent years – some individuals still consider Astrology
as being some kind of a cloistered and sacred closet that has a mystical aura
without which it cannot exist (therein lies the myth). Some of these myths
originate from ignorance or perhaps from partial knowledge while others are
really rationalizations put forth by tropical astrologers who feel the need to
reconcile with the differences caused by different frameworks with somewhat
rules and symbolism. Like any other form of astrology, Jyotish has its share of
psychics that knowingly or inadvertently use the horoscope and astro-symbolism
as launching pads for their psychic flights. The advice they give is valuable
and accurate, perhaps more so than that given by many astrologer, but their
experiences should not be converted into astrological rules as they pose a
problem for those who truly utilize astrological rules as a logical structure.
Perhaps there is no purely logical astrologer as all of us are psychic and
intuitive to some extent, but we are talking about relative degrees of logic
v/s gut feeling here.
While denigrated and
brushed aside as a fatalistic activity by nay Sayers, Jyotish and its
associated `Hindu’ theory of Karma (though “Do unto others as you would be done
by”, the famous and familiar saying is hardly of Hindu origin or in Sanskrit,
for that matter!) do not promote fatalism (doom and gloom!) or in any
incontrovertible fate or predestine as being cast in the granite of time. Quite
the opposite is true, actually! This is indicated by the very significant role
of Muhurta or elective astrology (choose the right moment and you can change
your basic fate) and remedial astrology (karma can be changed) are powerful
messages against such `modern’ myths that try to chain Jyotish in the fetters
created by their ignorance of what is the true big picture. If fate is sealed
and we are merely sinning and hopelessly spiritual failures of puppets in the
hands of some patriarchal God as some religious thoughts of more modern vintage
would like us to believe, then what purpose does astrology serve? Other than
confirming the morose existence and dire fate that we are destined to bear
through our lifetimes and beyond (some even do not think there is a beyond!) –
how would knowing a fate that cannot be changed serve us or our spiritual
progress? Remedies on the other hand provide a ray of hope, but the concept
while great can suffer the same fate as the opposite concept of predestined
fate does. There are remedies and there are remedies. The commonest favorite
being expensive gemstones and the recent trend of a large number of priests in
some distant part of the globe chanting your sins away, for a donation.
Astrologers are a resourceful bunch – always falling over one another in their
eagerness to help! If gemstones are too expensive, they offer secondary and
even tertiary gemstones; even a metal plate with mystic numbers engraved would
do in a clinch! The list is endless and the sources for these are not any less
in number. But can it all be that simple? Paying for your past sins is not a
new concept and is prevalent in all religions other than some very modern
bubbly ones, of course. But the concept of a rich person being able to clean up
his karmic plate by frequent visits to the jeweler or to the internet-based
priest is a bit difficult to absorb! It is not said that this may be
necessarily impossible, but difficult to accept lock stock and barrel, all the
same.
Continue…
Dr. Shanker Adawal
Profile: www.connectingmind.com
Research work and articles on Bhrigu Nadi astrology: www.shankerstudy.com
www.shankarsastro.com
Published articles on Articlesbase.com
http://www.articlesbase.com/authors/shanker-adawal/149926
or search keyword "shanker adawal" in google search for published articles
Join my Facebook Group for free Astro Queries: www.facebook.com/adawal
Published articles on Newspapers: http://tinyurl.com/2wyxtfk
Research work and articles on Bhrigu Nadi astrology: www.shankerstudy.com
www.shankarsastro.com
Published articles on Articlesbase.com
http://www.articlesbase.com/authors/shanker-adawal/149926
or search keyword "shanker adawal" in google search for published articles
Join my Facebook Group for free Astro Queries: www.facebook.com/adawal
Published articles on Newspapers: http://tinyurl.com/2wyxtfk
