Destiny is Not a Matter of Fate
Fate is what happens somewhere down the line as a result of what you are doing or not doing right now. Naturally, this implies that we ought to not do what should not be done and should do what needs to be done. This ‘not do’ and ‘do’ should not be based on fear of consequences of any kind as fear can never give rise to wisdom. When there is fear of something, anything – we have many options to include how not to get caught and if caught – how to mitigate the situation—selfishness and ignorance increase and we order more lessons from the store of fate.
We are here to work out our desires without indulgence but rather, by going through experience wisely and carefully so we can pass through them without getting stuck and continue to evolve towards discovery of our true nature. The yoga way is the way of wisdom and to live this way, one has to be fully awake to insure all actions or responses in life are based on situations that have been carefully considered and not on the promptings of conditioning. The second half is to make sure we act or respond in such a way that does not strengthen existing conditioning or create new ones. This awareness must be unbroken till the end of your life or till the truth about your nature is known by direct experience.
If your actions do not rise from, strengthen or add to conditioning—you will exhaust existing conditioning while increasing the flame of wisdom and natural goodness. At each step, you will know what ‘out to be done’ and what ‘ought not to be done’ without the need for fear or consequence. Fear does not and cannot exist when you pursue the truth any more than your shadow is never seen if you face the light.
This way, you take responsibility for your destiny which is the design of conditions to come when you are its author—when you are awake. Fate on the other hand is what happens to you when you are oblivious of these laws of action and reaction or karma—when you are asleep.
God is love and law at the same time – these facets if we can call it that are not different or opposed to each other. Each of us is fully endowed with inner intelligence that not only knows but is also aware that it knows. This inner awareness or intelligence can be turned on itself in the quest for self-knowledge. This however requires that we first organize ourselves in such a way that we are in harmony with the world and our own minds. The body and mind must be in good health to support the quest. These factors require us to prioritize our efforts and this requires one single goal of life.
Why do you live? What is the purpose of all that you do? You cannot answer this with other purposes like family, career and this often heard term, ‘quality of life’. If you do not raise the quality of the person ‘living life’ what use is outer dazzle?
We know things and are aware that we know things—why would knowing who the knower is beneath all this and make this the goal of life. It does not matter if you reach the end of your quest in this life but at least you would increase inner clarity, natural goodness, peace and joy that conditions cannot shake and would insure by the dint of your own effort that you have a bright destiny awaiting you to build on from where you leave off. Facing the light, shadows or fate is not seen, experienced or even thought about.
Destiny is not a matter or fate—it is a matter of choice.
Swami Suryadevananda