Anupam- The Dreamer

Continuing with the “Karma” series, here I present to you the third one, with the foundational questions remaining the same, yet the dimensions explored will be diverse. A quick disclaimer– If you haven’t read the first and the second one, take 2 steps back and quickly scan those in your memory and come back here again. And if cannot, then please save 3 minutes of your precious time and refrain from proceeding further because it will be out of context!

The “Karma” theory expounds that the outcome (फल) of an action is dependent on the nature, type and the frequency of the action (कर्म) one performs. The quintessential lesson from the Holy Gita is virtually known to everyone – “That you do your own duty in performing Karma, and not worry about the fruits/results of your actions.” Now, the question here arises is this- When you are free to do your own Karma, then can the outcome be determined or even influenced by the events that are completely out of one’s own control (or someone else’s control)? I firmly believe they are not! But, still many people believe in the unscientific theories that are contrary to this dictum.

Take for example, palmistry. The very old (I don’t know how much old) belief system that holds that one’s destiny is determined by the lines and features on one’s palms. As a kid, I was also caught by some people who told me some things about myself, which I believe had no connection whatsoever with the outcomes in my life. The palmists claim to predict the longevity, professional and personal growth, relationships, money and wealth etc etc. just by looking at your palms. Let’s say, they predict you will be a crorepati by the age of 40 or that you will crack UPSC exams! But, what if you don’t work hard to earn money at all after listening to this bullshit? Or you stop studying hard, because anyways the destiny has plans to make you a sarkari babu? None of the things will ever come true unless you perform actions to achieve your goals. And mind it, those are your own goals set by YOU, not some roadside palmist who doesn’t know about his own destiny and trying to make ends meet by fooling innocent people out there.

Similarly, take the example of astrology. The astrologers will predict 100 things about you- like you will go in a govt job, will have success in this particular year, will have your own house by this age bla  bla bla….And for achieving these, you have to refrain from this and this (राहु केतु sort of things), you must do pooja 10 times a day, you must wear yellow clothes on the auspicious day, you must not eat certain food, and most importantly you must call the astrologer regularly to your home or pay him visits regularly and also give Rs. 5000/- as a dakshina every time. Now, from the point of view of a third person, it is a classic game of you being robbed of your time, money and peace of mind by a person, who knows nothing about his own future. Because if he did, then why didn’t he become a billionaire himself by performing all sorts of auspicious rituals that he recommends you to do? He is just making money by practising a profession, where he can make money in an easy way. And if by chance, or by sheer coincidence, something he says turns out to be true, then people start treating the astrologer as a messenger of God! And are ready to donate anything and everything to him for his continued “services”.

Take another example, tarot cards! If there can be a more bullshit thing in determining your destiny, then it has to be this! The cards are shuffled by the card reader, drawn by the card reader, the interpretations are his own, and destiny being made is of the other person sitting across him!! I mean what am I doing there sitting in front of the card reader? Just watching the circus of my life, unfolding like a poker set of cards in front of me, where I have to literally do nothing, other than pay money to the card reader. Matlab saala card kheecho tum, aur takdeer meri banegi, isse wahiyaat baat ho sakti hai aur kuch? And even educated people fall to the trap!

As a student of mathematics, I consider it nothing more than a game of probability. If suppose the palmist or an astrologer says 10 positive things about you, then it is high probability that atleast 1 will come out to be true in let’s say 2 years. For example, he will say that you will get good profits in your business after 1 year (because this year your शनि is bhaari/heavy), and mind it he will not say such 10 other things related to your profession out of the blue. He first assesses your position, asks you a lot of questions like your experience, your education, your mindset, the problems you are facing etc. Then, he makes 10 calculated guesses on the basis of the information he has. Out of this, if 1 comes out to be true, then the beneficiary will consider it as a blessing of the astrologer, when the reality is that it’s no big deal going by the probability theory. If such 10 guesses are made by any learned layman, then there are equal chances of them turning to be true. If the astrologer is so great, then he must hit 10 out of 10! But, that impossible. And you are happy with 1 turning to be true, and sing the glory of that astrologer in the whole society. People will come to know about this and throng to that astrologer. Basically, the astrologer has made a business out of nowhere. He doesn’t care about the 9 of the 10 people not turning up to him (who didn’t have had any success with the astrologer). He is happy to make money from some beneficiaries, plus he doesn’t have to do his own marketing as the beneficiaries are his drum-beaters.

Now, consider this. If everything could be solved by such preordained things, then would there be any meaning to life? When, you know that such and such thing is going to happen whatever you may do, then why is there a need to perform any action. Will it not be better to just sit idle and wait for destiny to play its dance? This is a defeatist approach to life and it cannot be true as it is contrary to the Karma theory.

Secondly, the job of a palmist or an astrologer or any such person is to make you positive. They will never say that this thing cannot be done or this problem of your cannot be solved. Because, if he says so, why will you go to him again? And he will lose business. So, he says 10 positive things to turn your mindset positive. Basically, a sort of positive counselling, nothing more than that! And after coming out with positive mindset, if coincidentally any 1 of them turns out to be true, then you are elated that it happened because of that person. Complete, nonsense! It is you who made that possible with your own positive efforts.

Thirdly, if these unscientific practices are true, then the people who don’t go to such persons should have been doomed, right? But that is hardly so. Even in countries where such practices are not there, many people do well! If palmistry is a true science, it should say that the person born without the two hands has no future! But, there are people in the world who are born without hands or even legs, and they are also living their life with positive spirit. This reminds me of a motivational quote that I read long back-

हाथों की लकीरों पर मत कर इतना यकीन,

तकदीर उनकी भी होती है जिनके हाथ नहीं होते । 

A great person said that there is odour of perspiration to every successful human being in life. So, we must stop looking for easy solutions to the problems, and rather adopt a rational, scientific, and humanistic approach in performing our actions. Nothing spectacular comes easy in life, and has to be preceded by “Actions”. If by any luck, something is achieved coincidentally, then also there will not be a sense of fulfillment in that. This is not to say that there is anything against spirituality, which is far far away from these nonsensical practices. Infact, science and spirituality are not antithetical, rather very much in coherence with each other. And both of them point out to one thing that our own destiny must be shaped by our own actions and we must approach things with a positive mindset. The great poet Harivansh Rai Bachchan once beautifully said “मन का हो तो अच्छा, मन का ना हो तो और भी अच्छा”, which brings me back to square one -“Do your Karma and let the results take care of themselves”! 😀