The Pre-requisites for Existential Experiences: Space-Time Continuum, Causation, Observation & Motion

Life can be sensed only through activity. No activity indicates the absence of life. The three basic prerequisites for activity to take place are Space, Time and Causation. There is a fourth critical factor for the perception and registration of activity which has even been emphasized by modern physics is that of Observation. Without any observation the occurrence of ‘the activity cannot be known at all. The dimensions of Space, Time, Causation and Observation that together facilitate the process of experiencing Existence - as Life, in the way it happens - are being analyzed in this article.

SPACE

Space is the expanse or room around any reference point or around an observer whether occupied or unoccupied which-is or can-be, freely available for movement in any direction. Geometry describes Space in three dimensions viz. length, breadth and height whereas in terms of directions it has six dimensions viz. North, East, South, West, Above and Below. In Indian Astrology, Space has been directionally considered to be ten dimensional, namely Uttar (north), Ishaan (north-east), Poorva (east), Agni (south-east), Dakshin (south), Nairiti (south-west), Pashchim (west), Vayavya (north-west), Aakaash (upwards or above) and Paataal (downwards or below).

All things that exist in this universe exist-in and occupy space. Similarly all things that move in this universe do so in space alone. Without space there can be no existence or movement nor any activity. In other words one of the basic requirements for the play of life to happen in this universe is the Element of Space.

Modern science considers Space at the cosmic level to be ever expanding. Right from the big bang moment, space has rapidly expanded and is expanding continuously. Some scientists have likened space to an air balloon which expands all around as more and more air gets filled in the balloon however it has been found to be too simplistic and far from the true nature of space. It is generally presumed that space is homogenous and uniform throughout and can be mapped entirely by applying the Cartesian coordinates which is termed as the Galilean view but scientists such as Einstein and others who have studied space after him have found space to be non-uniform with its behavior and coordinates varying depending on the unique position of a ‘locality in space’. However the Galilean view holds true at the boundaries of space. Thus space can be visualized as a large container with standard Galilean properties on its surface and which ‘contains’ all entities of the universe within; however space also plays a part in the construction of all universal entities which gives it a special character in the vicinity of the location of each unique entity. In short, Space can be said to be a complex element which has yet to be fully deciphered in its true nature.

In Hindu philosophy the universe has been considered to have been created out of five elements. One of the five elements is the element of Space. In fact the pride of place in the order of importance and criticality has been assigned to the element of Space because Space houses the other four elements which are Air, Water, Fire and the Earth. Space called Kshitija in Sanskrit represents Sound denoted by the sacred sound of ‘Aum’ represented by the sacred symbol shown below :

Out of the five sensory perceptions, Space representing Sound is perceived through the Ears. Being the one critical element for existence to happen, Space is also identified as the ‘Principle’ of existence and is considered to be the closest approximation of Brahman (the potential or Infinity) and thus it is taken to be sacred for which reason all mantras in Hindu religious rituals begin with the sound Aum.

Note: The symbol of AUM has five segments viz. the three semi-circular limbs that are joined at the centre and the over-riding ‘chandra-bindu’ (representing the sound syllable called Pranav) that rests on the outwardly extended third limb. The chandra-bindu sign itself consists of an arc holding a dot on top making in all five segments. The three limbs represent the three geometric dimensions of Space; the three dimensions of eternal Time i.e. the past, present and future; the three states of ‘experiencing’ in life i.e. the waking state, the dream state and the deep sleep state as well as the three concurrent bodies of living beings i.e. the sthool sharira (physical body), the sookshma sharira (the subtle body) and the kaaran Sharira (the causal body). The chandra-bindu represents the Life principle wherein the dot holding arc represents Matter and the Dot itself represents the Spirit or Consciousness. AUM therefore represents the Life as it is experienced in the Space-Time continuum. In this way the symbol AUM represents Existence as a whole and that is why it is held so sacred by the Hindus.

TIME

Time is the notional experience of duration(s) marked by the irreversible continuous progression of successive Events in Existence from a reference point in the Past, through the Present, extrapolated into the Future counted or measured in terms of standard or relative intervals either subjectively by one observer; or else objectively by one or more observers with accepted preset standards / norms for observation and measurement.

The past, present and future can be either subjectively assigned nomenclature in a relative sense to the temporal and arbitrary considerations of the observer as notional experiences or in terms of measurable quantities of some standard units such as years, months, days, hours, minutes or seconds; Or else the past, present or future can be objectively assigned nomenclature through accepted preset norms of observation and measurement by one or more observers as per agreed relative notional experiences or in terms of measurable quantities of some standard units such as years, months or days etc.

Let us take an example to illustrate the foregoing definition of Time. A person states: “I am having tooth ache since some time which continues till now. I consulted a doctor who gave medicine and said it will go away soon.” In this case the event is tooth ache and the observer is the person experiencing it. He has been experiencing it since some time which is the notional reference point in the past from where the subjective observation started. It has been present in every successive ‘now’ since then and has irreversibly progressed in the intervening time interval till the present ‘now’. The interval / duration since the event was first observed by the subject (observer) till now is the experiential time that has passed, being expressed in relative terms as ‘since some time’ which is an arbitrary subjective expression of the observer. Further the assurance of the doctor ‘will go away soon’ is an extrapolation in to the future when the event is likely to pass out of the observer’s experience. The expression ‘soon’ also falls in the category of ‘arbitrary subjective’ expression. Thus the remarks of the observer in respect of the time durations expressed as ‘since some time’ (historical time) and ‘will go away soon’ (futuristic time) are arbitrary, subjective and relative in nature. Suppose the person had stated: “I am having tooth ache since ten days which continues till now. I consulted a doctor who gave medicine and said it will go away in two days.” There is a basic difference in the two statements; since both the historical and the futuristic dimensions of time are no more arbitrary and relative in nature being expressed in terms of standard units of time measurement (as days) however the assignment of time duration continues to be subjective being in the realm of the observer’s own experience alone.

As per the foregoing explanation of Time, it may appear that time is linear in nature however it is only as linear in nature as is the experience of the world being flat when one is walking on the road knowing full well that the globe is actually spherical. It is quite like the small arc on the circumference of a circle with a very large diameter which appears almost like a straight line. Time is actually cyclical in nature but the time-cycles of nature are quite large hence in the short run of our day to day experiences Time gets experienced as being linear. It can be argued that if time is cyclical then it should retrace its original path, howsoever large the cycle may be, but the experience is otherwise, since the time that has once passed is never known to have repeated itself. It is true that time once passed never retraces its original path from wherever it is measured however that would be the case if it was circular in nature. Time is cyclical as stated earlier but it is not circular otherwise it would retrace itself. It does not happen that way because time exists in three-dimensional space and the circle exists in two dimensions. Therefore time is cyclical as in a Spiral wherein the repetition of cycles happens continuously in the third dimension whereby there is never ever any retracing of the path taken earlier.

Time forms the component basis for the comparison and measurement of other dimensions of a phenomenon such as speed, span or rate of change etc as in Astronomy, Economics or Physics etc. It is useful in sequencing or planning of events such as for navigation or for recording conscious experiences of which History is an example. It is referred to as the fourth dimension on the Space-Time continuum along with the three dimensions of Space. The Newtonian view of Time as an essential dimension of the universal structure independent of events but in which events occur sequentially, called the Realist view has long been shelved in favor of the Leibnizian and Kant’s view that Time is neither a physical entity that ‘flows’ nor a ‘container’ through which events and objects move. It is not a thing that can be quantified or measured instead it is a notional structure within which human beings sequence and compare events.

Since our birth we get so conditioned by the clock-time in our day to day living that our understanding of time revolves around the clock time only. The clock time is Relative Time quite different from Real Time and the Absolute Time. In reality there is no fixed physical entity called Time. It exists in perception and therefore only in the mind. It is actually an interval or the duration between two reference points of experience (events) that is measured as time which can be expressed in relative terms or in terms of standard units as already explained. The clock time measures the duration or interval in standard units. The standard unit of the clock time is the Second in the internationally accepted standard measurement systems whether in the FPS system or in the MKS system. The letter ‘S’ in both systems stands for the basic unit of time – the Second. The measurement unit of time i.e. the second has been standardized as the duration of 919, 26, 31770 periods of the radiation corresponding to the transition between the two hyperfine levels of the ground state of the  Caesium-133 atom at rest at a temperature of 0 deg. K. The astronomical definition of the second has been 1/ 24 x 60 x 60 of a day i.e. 0.00001157407^th part of a day. The astronomical definition of the second was shelved in favor of a more scientifically accurate definition since the length of the day could vary during observations as per location and time. That the ancients were very well aware of the concept of time is obvious from the term ‘second’ being used to name the unit of time. They knew that time can be experienced only when there is a second event following the first event otherwise there is no experience of time; that in all probability may be the reason why they named the unit of time as the ‘second’. The clock time is Relative time as it is standardized in relation to some well defined astronomical or atomic event in the universe and it does not have any locus standi of its own. Real Time is an expression for the ‘immediate and now’ and is used in the context of responsiveness of a system or an observer for registering an event as soon as it occurs or for reacting to the exigency immediately. It has no relation to the clock time or to the standard units of time.

The Absolute time is a concept that was first introduced by Newton, who defined it as the independent aspect of objective reality. According to him, absolute time exists independent of an observer and progresses at a constant pace throughout. He believed that absolute time was imperceptible which could be only understood mathematically. He held the view that the human beings could only perceive relative time based on the measurement of perceivable objects in motion such as the Sun and the Moon.

Newton’s view is the scientific view and understanding of absolute time. However the Hindu’s have closely studied time from antiquity. The Rig Veda has references to Kaal (time) and has well defined references to both the relative and the absolute time. The Hindu way of assigning symbols and deities to all universal concepts applied to the concepts of time as well. Whereas Mahaa-Kaal is associated with absolute time, the deity Kaal-Bhairava is associated with the relative time. In Hinduism absolute time (Mahaa-Kaal) has been defined as an aspect of the Supreme Consciousness – the Shiva tattwa. The un-manifested universe exists in absolute time. Only when the manifestation of the universe takes place does the relative time come into play. In other words the stillness in which the manifested universe recedes at the time of Pralaya (dissolution of the universe into potential energy) is the immeasurable and unperceivable absolute time. In this way the universe stays in the womb of stillness or absolute time (Mahaa-Kaal) till it manifests out of stillness in the Kinetic form as the splendorous manifested universe and is thereafter guided by relative time - Kaal-Bhairava. In this way the relative time is a subset of the absolute time. The duration of the manifestation of the dynamic universe between its emergence from the womb of absolute time until its dissolution back into the womb of absolute time is the domain of relative time i.e. the Kaal-Bhairava. The manifested universal form is a form of kinetic energy which is deified in Hinduism as Shakti (Energy), as a female form or as Devi (female deity). This is why there is a Kaal-Bhairava temple on the outskirts in close proximity of every ancient Hindu Devi temple. A pilgrimage to any such Devi temple is considered to be incomplete without paying respects to the Kaal-Bhairava temple guarding the Devi temple. The principle behind this order of Devi temples highlights that the manifested universe is bound and protected by relative time – Kaal-Bhairava. Yet another interesting fact about the Hindu understanding of time has been deified and coded in the location of the only temple dedicated to absolute time or Mahaa-Kaal in India located at Ujjain. In ancient India Ujjain was taken to be the zero point for the measurement of standard time somewhat like what Greenwich is today. Recent studies have revealed that the natural zero point the (geodetic datum) for the GPS navigation system for the Everest ellipsoid applicable to the Indian sub-continent falls close to Ujjain and probably would have been at the temple’s location itself when the temple of Mahaa-Kaal was built, from where it has shifted due to the continuous flattening of the Mount Everest.

The unperceivable and immeasurable absolute time (Mahaa-Kaal) is all that is. As and when the universe manifests out of the womb of nothingness, the big bang moment, the relative time begins in the play of Creation. With the manifestation of the universe emerges Space within which the dynamics of experiential existence happens. Thus space, like relative time, too is a product of absolute time and it can be conceptually taken to be hemmed in between absolute time and the relative time: Absolute time - Space - Relative Time. At the time of the dissolution of the manifested universe back into nothingness (Pralaya), the big crunch moment, the relative time and space lose their existence as they get absorbed into the absolute time. In this manner the cycle of unmanifest to manifest universe back to the unmanifest is repeated eternally which has been propounded by scientists as the String theory. The present subjective experience of existence for every living being happens in real time. Thus each ‘Now’ of our experience is the still picture of ‘our world’ in real time and all such stills together form the present picture of the universe in the ‘Now’ i.e. in real time which is also the concept of another scientific theory of the universal phenomenon called the Platonia model of the universe. Thus real time is a subset of the relative time.

Suffice it to say that time is the essence of all that is manifest as well as that which is unmanifest. Thus absolute time is Omnipresent which manifests as relative time when experienced with respect to intervals between successive events and which takes the form of real time in the closest approximation of the present as ‘now’. The entire play of the manifested universe happens within the three dimensional space and the realm of relative time which is together referred to as the Spatiotemporal frame or the Space-Time continuum that forms the four-dimensional framework for all experiences.

CAUSATION

Having established the framework for experiences in life in terms of space and time dimensions as the space-time continuum the question arises: ‘Why do events happen or actions are carried out?’ Newton’s first law of motion states ‘Every object persists in its state of rest or uniform motion in a straight line unless it is compelled to change that state by forces impressed on it.’ This law explains that any change in a given situation occurs whenever there is a causation affecting that change. It follows therefore that whatever happens in the universe is an effect of some preceding cause. Since events keep on happening all the time, it can be easily inferred that each and every effect becomes a cause for subsequent effects. It shall be an overly simplistic understanding that an effect can be the result of one cause alone. Even a surface level analysis would establish more than one cause for any effect. It is however possible that the apparent role being played by one of the causes to an effect may seem to be most critical for the occurrence of the effect which in most cases is a subjective assessment. Thus it can be stated that every event is an effect of a set of causes and that the same event together with other such events / effects becomes the cause for other events or effects. In other words every event has a dual nature; one of being an effect and the other of being the cause. In this way every event that happens has a twofold role wherein the first role is that of an effect in the current scenario and the second role is in becoming a cause for another effect for another scenario. This fundamental principle forms the bedrock of the classical Theory of Cause and Effect. It follows from the foregoing that no effect can precede its cause / causes and similarly there cannot be an effect without a cause. In other words if there is an effect, the fact of the existence of atleast one cause for the effect is an undeniable reality.

In his Theory of Causality, Aristotle identified four types of causes for all events that happen in the universal phenomenon including actions carried by living beings. These four types of causes were termed by him as:

Material causes – ‘that out of which’ the effect happens;

Formal causes – ‘that which leads to a specific form or shape’;

Efficient causes – ‘the primary influence that brings about the change from the existing state’;

Teleological causes – ‘the final objective or the end for the sake of which some action was carried out’.

The above classification of causality presupposes the ‘presence’ of the causes that lead to the effect however it does not consider the fact that even the ‘absence’ of something(s) can be the cause of an effect. Those causes that create the effect due to their presence are called the Immanent causes whereas those factors which lead to an effect due to their absence are called Transcendent causes. Another aspect of causation which needs to be pointed out relates to the fact that sometimes what appears to be a cause for some effect may not be the real cause but actually it is something subtler which is latent within the apparent cause that is responsible for the effect. Such latent causes are called the ‘Fine grain’ causes.

The following example explains the categorization of causes:

A clay molder has created dolls of clay for selling in the market. In this case the clay used for making the dolls is the material cause, the dolls’ shape and form is the formal cause, the molder himself is the efficient cause and the selling of the dolls in the market is the teleological cause. The role played by these four causes is relatable to their being present in the event hence these are immanent causes however this whole process could get facilitated by the absence of rain hence the rain becomes the transcendental cause for the event to take place. The clay molder appears to be the efficient cause on the surface but the real efficient cause is his molding skill which is latent in his being the molder thus by the previous definition the molding skill is the fine-grain cause for the event.

The classification of causality or causation as described in the foregoing are all confined to the macro level observations and perceptions only. Causation at the atomic and sub-atomic levels as defined by modern physics follow an entirely different set of rules which is not the concern of the present narration.

It follows from the foregoing description of causality that for any event or action to take place within the dynamic universal phenomenon there is a fifth necessary prerequisite in addition to the four dimensions of the spatiotemporal frame or the space-time continuum that needs to be fulfilled which is the dimension of Causation. Thus an action or an event occurs in three dimensions of space, within the dimension of relative time as a consequence of some causation.

OBSERVATION

How can it be known whether an event happened or did not happen; Or whether something is present or absent in a given spatiotemporal setting? The simplest and the surest way for a deterministic conclusion to answer such a question can only happen through Observation. An event can be said to have occurred, if and only if, it has been observed by an observer. Such an observation can be direct or indirect. The direct observation is the observation made through one’s own sensory perception whereas the same becomes indirect for another agency to which such an observation is conveyed or reported for perusal. An example of the direct observation is the watching of a sports event in the field whereas listening to its commentary on the radio is an example of indirect observation. An observation can be qualitative when it is for the purpose for determining the occurrence of an event or it can be quantitative when it is for measuring or quantifying the observed phenomenon or an aspect thereof; however some of the observations can very well serve both - the qualitative and the quantitative objectives.

Observations can be identifiable or alien. An identifiable observation is one that falls within the realm of existing knowledge of the observer; in other words the observer carries the memory of a similar or identical observation made earlier, be it direct or indirect; On the contrary an alien observation is the one which does not belong to the realm of previous knowledge of the observer. The best example of an alien observation is when we encounter a word the meaning of which is not known to us.

Sometimes observations of the cause(s) lead to an assumption on the basis of past experiences that a certain effect is most likely to follow or shall certainly follow. In such cases the effect itself has not been observed but is presumed to have been observed. Such presumed observations can be termed as derivable observations. Derivable observations remain in the domain of uncertainty till confirmed by subsequent direct or indirect observations. Derivable observations have an important role to play in planning and allocation of resources.

Needless to say, the observer is a necessary element in the process of observation. The reality of an event cannot get established without observation, therefore it follows that an observer is necessary to establish the occurrence of an event. This observer can be a part of the phenomenon being observed or he may remain outside it; for example, the participant in a sports event is very much within the phenomenon while observing the event whereas the spectator is outside the phenomenon while observing the same. All observations are subjective in nature and therefore get influenced or colored by the prejudices and biases of the individual observer. Moreover all observations take place through the sense perceptions of some observer and since the senses of each individual have varying degrees of efficiency and effectiveness due to unique limitations of the individual’s sense organs, the observations too get influenced subjectively in each case. The spatiotemporal factors including relativity also play an important role in the quality of observations made by an observer.

Whether the observations are direct or indirect; qualifying or quantifying; accurate, biased or derivable in nature, there cannot be any denial of the reality that it is the fact of observation that finally establishes the existence of any entity or of the happening of any event in this universe. In other words all experiences are but observations in the spatiotemporal framework (space-time continuum) occurring as a consequence to some causation. 

MOTION

Motion has been defined as a change in position of an object over time. It is usually described in terms of displacement, distance, velocity, acceleration, speed and time. Generally motion signifies a continuous state of change in the position of an entity with respect to some frame of reference but since there can never be an absolute frame of reference, all observations of motion are relative in nature e.g. the observed motion of planets from earth are relative to the motion of the earth. Even if something appears to be stationary in the relative sense, it only signifies that the thing being observed is moving at the same speed as the reference frame itself and its apparent stationary status is not factual. In this sense everything in the universe is actually in motion. The earth is encircling the Sun at approx. 30 kms./sec. while the Sun itself is moving at approx. 200 kms./sec. and our galaxy= the Milky Way- is moving at approx. 600 kms./sec. It can thus be seen that every observation of motion can only be relative, whichever be the reference frame.

The dynamics of the universal phenomenon is always a consequence of ‘energy exchanges’ in varying time cycles however always maintaining the universal reality of ‘conservation of energy’. Whenever an exchange of energy occurs, there is motion and activity. The visible universe is observed as ‘a snapshot frozen in a moment of time’, although it actually consists of all its constituent entities in continuous motion.

The obvious question that arises at this juncture is: Why is the whole universe dynamic in nature? The answer to the question lies in the fact that the total cosmic energy transforms itself from the potential state of nothingness into the kinetic state when the universe manifests; however the total cosmic energy remains conserved in both the states. The cause for the repetitive manifestation and annihilation of the material vesture of the universe is to maintain the equilibrium of the two energy states on an eternal time scale. The manifested universe is a kinetic energy state which is identified by its inherent dynamism only. Therefore it is an essential necessity of the universe to maintain its dynamic character. This dynamism permeates all aspects and dimensions of universal existence in the form of motion and activity. This explains the fact as to why all phenomena of the universe, right from the largest galaxies to the tiniest subatomic particles, are in motion all the time. Life on earth both at the mundane level as well as at the individual level is experienced in a dynamic state in varying time cycles whether experienced as changes in seasons, as day and night, as blood circulation, as the beating heart, as growth and decay or as birth and death. These dynamic existential experiences of all living beings are consequences of the dynamics of the universal phenomenon as explained in the foregoing narration. Motion in the universe is what heart beat is in a living being. In short motion is Life itself.

There are five basic types of identifiable motions which may appear as the fundamental building blocks of all activity. These are:

      1. Linear motion which is the movement or progress in any single direction e.g. the flight of an arrow.
2.   Rotary motion which is a circular movement either on a circular or a spiral path e.g. the motion of the wheel;
3.      Oscillating motion which is a swinging motion from one end to another on a fixed path e.g. the motion of a clock pendulum.
4.  Reciprocatory motion which is the repetitive forward and backward movement e.g. the movement of the saw.
5. Random motion which does not follow any pattern in movement e.g. the flight of a bird.

Motion is fundamental to all activities and as described in the foregoing paragraphs occurs within the six-dimensional reference frame of the Space-Time continuum, Causation and Observation.

The three motions of Earth: Like all other entities in the universe our own planet Earth is always in motion which obviously affects life on earth. There are three distinctly identifiable motions of the planet Earth which are being described here-in-after:

Rotation around its Axis: The Earth spins on its axis from West to East (counter-clockwise). It takes the Earth 23 hours, 56 minutes, and 4.09 seconds to complete one full turn. Day and night are produced by the rotation of the Earth. The speed of rotation at any point upon the equator is at the rate of approximately 1,038 miles per hour, decreasing to zero at the poles.

Revolution around the Sun: While the Earth is spinning on its axis, it is revolving around the Sun in a counter-clockwise direction. It takes the Earth one full year to complete one full revolution around the Sun. This path is known as the Earth's orbit which is elliptical and very nearly a circle. The mean distance of the Earth from the Sun is about 93 million miles and the distance varies by 3 million miles, forming a slightly oval (elliptical) path.

The revolution of the Earth around the Sun traverses a distance of 595 million miles in 365 days, 6 hours, 9 minutes and 9.5 seconds. This means a speed of 18 miles a second (or 66,000 miles per hour) while at the same time rotating once each (approx.) twenty-four hours.

The wobbling motion of the earth around its polar axis: This effect is called Precession and one full turn lasts almost 26000 years. The effect of this motion of earth is not generally perceivable even in a life time however it is an important factor for the purposes of Astrology particularly Indian astrology.

DESTINY AND ASTROLOGY

Daoist Manuscript - Destiny 

                                               

Life is a stream of experiences akin to a journey. Every journey essentially has a destination. The progress in any journey has to be ‘directed’ towards its destination otherwise the destination may not be reached at all thereby making the journey an unproductive exercise. This directional element due to which the journey converges towards the destination is called the Destiny for the journey. Without the element of Destiny guiding a journey, the journey becomes an aimless wandering; therefore for any journey to be meaningful; it has to have its destiny.

Life forms an essential part of the Universe which is a huge, complex and a dynamic system in itself. If even a single sub-system of any whole (system) is chaotic in nature then that system cannot remain a system. Such a system shall eventually get destroyed. Thus it follows that life has to be systematic and certainly not chaotic in nature; moreover it also implies that life must have an objective to be fulfilled and this objective is the destination for ‘a life’. It is imperative then, for every life to have its destiny. Destiny therefore is an undeniable fact of everyone’s and for that matter, every living being’s life.

As per the karma theory, the portion of the total accumulated karma of a living being (the Sanchit karma), to be exhausted in the present life is its Prarabdha karma - its destiny for the current life. This definition of destiny is appropriate from the point of the karma theory but actually the destiny of a life is much more. The Prarabdha karma describes the causative formulation and in some ways the content of the individual destiny but it provides only one part of the story so far as the purpose (destiny) of a life is concerned.

Human mind searches for its purpose in Existence / Creation which is to be fulfilled in the current life. This individual purpose does not exist in isolation but it can only be a subset of the overall objective of the Creation as a whole at any point in time. A small part of this perceived purpose of Creation gets connected or assigned-to, and needs to be accomplished, by every living being. The Human perception is central to this scheme. The Prarabdha Karma (individual Destiny) with which a living being is born, matches with the role assigned to that living being in the scheme ascribed to Creation for the current life. In the process of exhausting the Prarabdha Karma by living its assigned current life, the living being accomplishes the role and task enjoined upon it as per the Grand Design of Creation.

Destiny therefore has two dimensions to it. One is the exhaustion of the Prarabdha Karma (individual destiny) in the present life of a living being and the other dimension is the fulfillment of the objective of the self-evolutionary process of Creation or the Grand Design of Creation. In this manner the unique karmic orientation of the individual being in the form of its Prarabdha karma serves the process of Creation. Of the two dimensions of Destiny, one is individualistic in nature which is relevant for the living being whereas the other is Universal in nature pertaining to the Grand Design of Creation. Normally we look upon destiny purely from the individualistic point of view and associate our own achievements or failures to it; in the process we overlook the other dimension of destiny which supersedes its individualistic component.

If we look around in nature, we shall find this duality of destiny in every aspect of living. When we enjoy a tasty fruit, we release the seed. The eating of the fruit apparently serves our own desire or purpose but the releasing of the seed makes it available for regeneration of that particular plant species, which is the purpose of Creation that gets inadvertently facilitated by our action. The process of procreation is another example wherein the partners engage in the act for pleasure but in the process they procreate new life. The pleasure seeking of the process is the individual goal for each partner but procreation is the goal of Creation which is achieved by the partners through the conjugal process.

The dual dimensions of destiny also highlight the fallacy of the arguments in support of Freewill & Doership propagated by the Motivation Gurus of today. Their arguments are based on the false premise that personal goals alone need to be achieved in one’s life and that Existence is meant to facilitate an individual’s effort and endeavor. The importance of the Creation’s objective for each and every life is either not known to the propagators of Freewill & Doership or they ignore it. In fact the Creation’s agenda is primary and the individual objectives are secondary in the scheme of Destiny. The individualistic dimension of Destiny is actually subservient to the Universal dimension of Destiny. The propagators of Freewill & Doership have actually turned this reality on its head.

Unless it is categorically understood that Creation is supreme and the living beings are but mere tools in the hands of Creation, we shall only be fooling ourselves. Our Prarabdha karma is always subservient to the Grand Design of Creation and never vice-versa. Our individual destiny gets designed on the basis of our Prarabdha karma but its purpose is to always facilitate the self-evolutionary process of Creation.

The evolution of life, from the unicellular organism to the complex human being is a part of the Grand design of Creation or the self-evolutionary process of Creation which has got facilitated by the specific roles played by the whole lot of sentient beings from time to time, matching with their Prarabdha karma all along. The sum total of all Prarabdha karma of all beings for an epoch is always in consonance with the Grand Design of Creation for it to progress on its self evolutionary path. The evolution of the human being has happened as per the agenda of Creation through its process of self evolution and not arbitrarily through the process of trial & error or by chance; in fact, it has been destined that way.

The Cosmic destiny reflected in the Grand Design of Creation has been framed from the probable moment of the Big Bang in and by its own self evolved ‘set & structure’ of cosmic laws. The destiny of the Universe therefore is linked to the destinies of all its sub-systems. This has been and continues to be the process of self-evolution within the Universe. This rule applies to all the subsets and subsystems of the Universe including the human being.

That there exists a dual dimension in destiny, can be best illustrated by the paradoxical nature of the law of Probability, which has puzzled the philosophers ever since Pascal enunciated the principles of this important branch of mathematics, so much so that von Neumann, one of the greatest mathematicians, called it ‘Black Magic’. The paradox of Probability lies in the uncanny precision of the formulas of Probability in predicting the outcome of a large number of individual events, each one of which is, in itself unpredictable. In other words, a large number of uncertainties together produce a certainty or a large number of random events produce a lawful outcome. It gets established even mathematically that every event has two dimensions to its outcomes which may not appear to be related or may even appear to be contradictory; one dimension is the result which is relevant for an individual event whereas the other dimension is the outcome which is relevant for the whole domain of such events, of which, the individual event may be only a very small part. These two dimensions are reflective of the two dimensions of destiny, described in the foregoing paragraphs. 

Arthur Koestler has cited examples which establish the two dimensions of destiny explicitly. He cites from the statistics of the New York Department of Health which showed that the average number of dogs biting people per day was: 75.3 in 1955, 73.6 in 1956, 73.5 in 1957, 74.5 in 1958 and 72.4 in 1959. The uniformity in the statistical data related to dog bites is startling and the obvious question arises as to how did the dogs know when to stop biting and when to resume the same? Another example he takes is from the statistical data available for the number of fatal kicks given by horses of the German cavalry in the 19^th century. The uniformity in this case too was amazing, leading to the same question as to who controlled the number of fatal kicks of the horses and how? Yet another case is that of the murders in England and Wales for howsoever different reasons or situations. The average number of murders per million of population was: 3.84 in 1920s, 3.27 in 1930s, 3.92 in 1940s, 3.30 in 1950s and 3.50 in 1960s. The close similarity in the numbers is surprising, to say the least. Certainly there was no ‘murderers union’ which was regulating the number of murders to be committed in each decade.   

The modern scientific answer with respect to the above examples is possible only through the laws of Probability and Science admits that it cannot explain these phenomena by physical forces. The theory of Probability therefore has become an indispensible tool for physics, genetics, economics, insurance, opinion polls, sociology etc. The ‘Black Magic’ of von Neumann has been taken for granted by Science but there is no scientific explanation for it. To ask ‘why’ is to ask ‘why there is the Universe’? The explanation of this phenomenon is however possible only in terms of the two dimensions of destiny. The individualistic dimension of destiny governs the outcome for the individual at the micro level and the Universal dimension of destiny governs the outcome at the macro level, for any event. The link between the two sets of outcomes is established by the formulae of Probability. Modern physics has also realized the holistic vision that the ‘whole’ is necessary for the understanding of the ‘parts’, as much as the ‘parts’ are necessary for the understanding of the ‘whole’. This has been aptly summed up by Prof. David Bohm, when he says: “Thus one is led to a new notion of unbroken wholeness, which denies the classical idea of the analyzability of the world into separately and independently existing parts”. Thus modern Science accepts that individuality cannot exist independently on or off its own but can exist only as a logically linked part of the whole or the Universe. If this be true, which it surely is, then how can there be any individual destiny unless it is an integral part of the total i.e. the Universal destiny.

There is the interesting case of Paul-the octopus which could predict correctly the results of all the nine soccer world cup 2010 matches, including that of the finals, which were referred to it. Paul-the octopus would open the lid of the box representing the winning team, out of the two boxes presented to it, representing the two teams playing the particular match, just before the contest commenced. How did the octopus know the result of the match beforehand is a question which shall be debated or researched upon but what is more important is the fact that the results of the matches were destined, notwithstanding the quality of play, the efforts of the players or the course of the match. Which player shall score a goal and which ones shall fail in their attempts was guided by the destiny of the concerned individual players but the destiny of the whole match was already fixed otherwise how the octopus could correctly make its prediction of the result of each of the nine matches referred to it.

The foregoing example establishes unambiguously the following facts:-

(1)               that the individual destiny plays out to facilitate the process of the Grand Design of Creation;

(2)               that the individual’s destiny is always subservient to the Universal destiny.

(3)               that destiny can be known or predicted.

The following mythological story appropriately highlights the importance of the Universal dimension of destiny in influencing the individual destiny:-

There was a poor farmer in a small village who was one morning sitting under a tree, grudging his abject poverty. Soon a group of the King’s soldiers went past him announcing with drum beats that whosoever is able to interpret the dream seen by the King would be rewarded with five hundred gold coins. The poor farmer thought that what if he could interpret the King’s dream but alas he was not skilled in that art. At that very moment, a small bird perched on a branch of the tree above him, announced that it knew about the King’s dream and that it could tell the meaning of that dream as well. The farmer got excited and requested the bird to let him know about the dream. The bird agreed to do so but on the condition that the farmer shall share the reward, fifty-fifty with the bird. The farmer agreed to the bird’s proposal. The bird told the farmer that the King had seen a jackal sitting on his throne which meant that some of his close confidants were planning a coup. The enlightened farmer went to the King’s palace and narrated the dream as well as its significance to the King. The King was fully satisfied with the interpretation and he rewarded the farmer with the promised five hundred gold coins. On his way back the farmer contemplated and thought that what use the bird will have of the gold coins and hence he decided to avoid the bird by taking another route on his way back to his home. Meanwhile the prophecy came true and the King was able to protect himself due to the prior information. The farmer became prosperous and lived happily till one day the soldiers of the King were back on his door asking him to report to the King immediately to interpret another dream seen by the King. The farmer was afraid but he had no option but to try to find the bird and ask for its help. So the farmer went back to the same tree and to his astonishment the bird welcomed him saying that I know why you are here? The farmer asked for forgiveness for the last occasion and sought the bird’s help. The bird told the farmer that this time he should ensure that the reward shall be honestly shared. The farmer agreed. The bird then told him that the King has dreamt of a big fire in the palace which meant that the Kingdom shall be attacked by a neighboring ambitious and greedy King and that the King should reinforce his army appropriately. The farmer went to the palace and explained the dream as told by the bird. This time the King rewarded the farmer with a thousand gold coins. On his way back, the farmer again avoided the bird and came home. Once again the prophecy came true and the King could crush the aggressor because he was prepared. The farmer became even more prosperous and was busy enjoying life but one day the King’s soldiers were back again asking him to report to the King urgently. The farmer became terribly afraid thinking of the consequences but he had no other option but to try to locate the bird once again. Fortunately he found the bird on the same tree and this time too, the farmer expressed his apologies to the bird which again agreed to help but on the same condition that the farmer should share the reward fifty-fifty to which the farmer agreed once again. The bird told him that this time the King had dreamt of a flock of swans flying over the palace which indicated that the time ahead was one of great peace & prosperity for the Kingdom. As before the farmer went to the palace and explained the dream. The King was very happy and this time he rewarded the farmer with two thousand gold coins. On his way back the farmer went straight to the bird and offered the whole reward to it and sincerely apologized for his previous actions. He blamed himself of being dishonest, ambitious and greedy for which he begged for the bird’s forgiveness. The bird told the farmer to distribute the money within the poor and the needy but more importantly it told the farmer not to feel so guilty about his conduct on the two previous occasions. Explaining this, the bird told the farmer that on the earlier two occasions the environment was influenced by deceit, ambition and greed because of which the programming of deceit, ambition and greed became overwhelming and irresistible in the farmer’s own behavior too. It told the farmer that on this occasion the environment was under the spell of goodness which motivated the farmer to come and offer the full reward to it and beg for forgiveness for previous mistakes.

The above story brings out the influence of the Universal dimension of destiny on the individual’s destiny in a given time & space, quite emphatically. It also shows that the Universal dimension of destiny is the dominant factor in the overall play of destiny. Thus the law of interdependence in Existence is fulfilled by the fact that destiny gives little or no room for an individual to act freely in real terms.

The question that obviously arises is, as to ‘How’ or ‘By what method’ can Destiny be known?

Whereas there can be various methods of looking into the future both for knowing the individual as well as the Universal destiny but one of the ancient and tested methods is provided by Astrology. Astrology takes the clues from the dispositions of planets (of our solar system) on the Zodiac, for indicating the course of destiny at any given time, be it the destiny of the individual or for our world. The destiny of the individual can be known from the individual’s horoscope drawn for the time and place of his birth whereas the trends of the events affecting the world can be known by applying the principles and methods provided by Mundane Astrology.

Destiny can be known and Astrology is one of the ancient and tested methods of knowing it but then one would like to know ‘What is the use of knowing one’s Destiny?’ or ‘Does it help in any way to know one’s Destiny?’

Knowing one’s destiny is like being aware of the weather forecast. One can take necessary precautions for the inclemency of the weather if the same has been forecast and one is aware of the weather forecast. Much in the same manner, by being aware of one’s destiny too, one can prepare oneself accordingly to face the emerging situations. Awareness itself is a great help in life. The following illustration shall explain this fact further:-

Prof. John and Prof. James from South Africa are invited for a conference in Srinagar (Kashmir-India) which is scheduled to be held in December. Prof. John has an Indian friend whom he consults for knowing the weather conditions in Srinagar during December. On being advised that Srinagar is extremely cold during December, Prof. John carries his winter gear along, on the trip. Prof. James has no knowledge of the weather condition in Srinagar during December and therefore he does not make the necessary arrangements. As a result when both the gentlemen land in Srinagar for the conference, Prof. John is prepared whereas Prof. James is not. The lack of awareness of the weather conditions has made the difference in the preparedness of Prof. James.

Much in the same way, the awareness of one’s destiny can help one in bracing oneself for the likely future scenario. Knowing destiny is like knowing the road map to the destination which helps in moving towards the destination smoothly and comfortably. Ask a sailor to know how important navigation is while sailing at sea. Navigation is not at all possible without the knowledge of the coordinates of one’s current location and that of the destination as well as the direction of the winds and the nature of the Ocean at the time of sailing. Piloting an aircraft successfully also needs the skill of navigation which again is based on the necessary data for the route to be taken in flight. The knowledge of the required data for effective navigation is akin to the knowledge of destiny for the appropriate navigation of life for the individual. Effectively navigating one’s life therefore can be possible if and only if there is awareness of destiny. Factorizing this awareness into the decision making process for one’s future course of action can make a huge difference in the timing as well as the quality of one’s actions which undoubtedly shall make a difference in the achievements both at the individual and the Universal levels.

The awareness of one’s destiny is like the stick in the blind man’s hand which helps him to not only find his way around but also helps him in avoiding obstacles and pitfalls in his way. Knowing one’s destiny too helps one find the right path as well as helps in avoiding the obstacles and the pitfalls on the path. Yet another simile can be - one’s presence in a dark room. If one is aware of the location of the door in the dark room, one can find it with minimum difficulty but if one is not aware of the location of the door then not only one shall keep hitting the walls or stumbling on things present in the room but one may not find the door at all. The fact that awareness of destiny can be of a great help can never be over emphasized.

Another dimension of the knowledge of one’s destiny is the possibility of maneuvering it within the available space to create opportunities for one-self. Within the available space, there is a possibility of remedial actions for the modification or correction of the destined course. It may appear to be contradictory to whatever has been stated here-in-earlier but actually it is not so. As in the case of a sick person, the sickness happens due to the unique constitution of the person being adversely affected by the person’s own past actions of commission or omission or due to an external infection which by the help of proper diagnosis and medication or surgery can be cured or managed, so too in the case of destined challenges or difficulties being faced by a person due to his past karma, the undesirable effects due to destiny can be modified or mitigated by applying appropriate remedies after proper diagnosis. For example if one has misbehaved with the boss and the boss has initiated disciplinary action for one’s inappropriate behavior, then if one sincerely apologizes at the right time to the boss, there is a good possibility that the boss will pardon and withdraw the disciplinary proceeding.  The act of apologizing is a remedial action which if done sincerely and timely, will negate the due punishment. However not all effects due to past Karma can be modified, managed or corrected. The Dridha karma (fixed karma) cannot be altered or negated in any manner whatsoever. Only the Dridha-Adridha (semi-fixed) and the Adridha (variable) karma can be maneuvered with. For example, if a utensil made of glass falls down, it breaks into pieces and there is no way to restore it back to its original form but if a utensil made of metal falls down then it can be put back in its place. The falling and breaking into pieces of the glass utensil is of the Dridha karma category whereas the falling of the metallic utensil can be of any one of the other two categories of karma. Which portion of Destiny can be managed and which cannot be managed can be identified by the help of Astrological analysis.

The understanding of destiny shall not be complete without stating the fact that even knowing one’s destiny as well as being able to get the correct and timely advice about the remedies is possible if and only if one is destined to get the same. The foregoing statement is for the general population however the same cannot be said about the highly accomplished ones (yogis and siddhas), whose elevated mind can go beyond destiny and erase it through non-identity (Nirvana) because destiny works only in ‘Identity’ whereas it gets dissolved in non-identity (Nirvana). From the point of view of destiny, such a one is either having Prarabdha karma that reaches him / her into the state of non-identity or else that person can be an incarnation of the Principle beyond destiny.

Even the knowledge of one’s destiny as well as that of the remedies or the methods for maneuvering it, is of little help, if one’s personality comes in the way of the acceptance of the remedies and their being undertaken as prescribed. In other words, any intervention in the course of destiny is also a part of destiny. Any intervention in the course of Destiny can be possible only within the context or space provided by the overall design of the individual destiny. An intervention can be best understood as the enabling-of, or the disabling-of, an existing program in the given system; the introduction of any new program is completely ruled out.  Another question that arises at this stage is that-

 ‘If intervention in the course of destiny is possible, even in a limited way, then does it not affect the course of Universal destiny, which goes against the description of the Universal destiny stated here-in-earlier?’

The answer to this question lies in the fact that the linkages between individual destiny and Universal destiny are never violated whether or not there is any intervention in the course of individual destiny. The intervention is likely to be effective if and only if the Universal destiny provides the opportunity and the space for such an intervention to succeed. This is an important point and this also explains as to why-

a)      an intervention may not be sought for;

b)      an intervention sought for is not available in time;

c)      an intervention sought for and available in time may not be appropriate;

d)      an intervention sought for, made available in time and appropriate in quality may not be heeded or may be followed erroneously;

In all the above cases, intervention is blocked due to the Universal destiny not supporting the cause. It is interesting to observe how the drama of the Universe carries on and the only master of this whole show is Creation howsoever we may wish to call it. Creation is always in control of itself and whatever semblance of control, if any, we feel we enjoy in our daily living is there because of the space provided by Creation.

A discussion on destiny shall remain inconclusive if its dynamic nature is not highlighted. As we live our lives, we keep on exhausting some of our past karma and also keep on creating new karmic aggregates. This continuous process of exhausting and creation of karma keeps on changing the configuration of our destiny on a regular basis. Thus it can be seen that destiny is actually dynamic in nature and this is why it is not synonymous with Fate. Fate is a fixed entity and can be equated to the fixed element of destiny - the Dridha Karma. Fate therefore is a subset of destiny. It is erroneous to equate Fate with destiny as a whole.

It is obvious from the foregoing that destiny is complex leading one to the obvious question that:-

‘If Destiny is as complex and dynamic as described so far, then is it possible to keep track of it at all times and if so how?’

There is no doubt that destiny is complex and dynamic but even then it is possible to know the present destiny of an individual at any given time and place. Astrology has developed methods for reading the present destiny for any individual at the time and place of reference or inquiry. The twists and turns of destiny as it unfolds can be traced beginning with the birth of the individual up to the time and place when he / she prefers to know about the current destiny. The method for knowing the current state of one’s destiny is in-built within the methods of prescriptive astrology.

When we talk of destiny, it is always in terms of a subject or entity, be it an individual, a group, a community, a society, an enterprise, a nation, an institution, or a group of nations. In all these cases the entity which forms the subject of destiny is well defined in terms of the dimensions of space and time. In other words the aspect of destiny is applicable to finite and clearly definable entities within the boundaries of space & time. All such entities are subsets of what we know as the Universe. The two dimensions of destiny i.e. the entity’s own destiny and the destiny assigned to the entity by Creation (the Universal destiny), form an essential part of the overall destiny for the entity at any given time. When we talk of the Universe, we deal with an entity whose boundaries are not determined in terms of time & space. All we know is that the Universe is infinitely huge and it is ever expanding. There are various hypotheses on the evolution of the Universe but no one is certain about how & when exactly the Universe came into being. It is therefore impossible, at least, as of now, to include the Universe in the list of entities whose destiny can be predicted or known with any degree of certainty or accuracy. Creation alone knows the purpose and the course of destiny of the Universe.   

However when we consider our Earth or what we call our own world, as an entity, there is a better possibility of knowing its Destiny. The Destiny of the world too is largely in the hands of Creation but nevertheless, it can be known for the short term by the help of the methods of Mundane Astrology even though this too has serious limitations. The world by itself has no Prarabdha karma i.e. the destiny of its own, other than the total Prarabdha of all beings inhabiting the world at any given time, which is impossible to assess, hence in its case, only the destiny enjoined to the world by the self evolutionary process of Creation at any given time can be known. The destined course that the world shall take, can be known only for the short run since the purpose and objective of the world’s coming into being and its existence falls in the domain of the self evolutionary process of Creation.

Who could have known except for Creation itself that the unicellular organism shall become a complex form of life in the form of the human being? Since Creation alone has the complete freedom to Know, to Will and to Act, it can change the course of the World’s destiny anytime at Will. This overpowering and controlling aspect of Creation is evident in the calamities and tragedies that take place wherein a large number of people suffer casualties or extreme suffering. In most of such cases the individual destinies may not be indicating death or suffering at the time of the occurrence of the tragedy but the Universal destiny overrules the direction and content of the individual destinies in the moment. The destructive dimension of Creation puts a full-stop to the flow of individual destiny and places its own agenda above all. The self evolutionary process of Creation has an inbuilt system of destruction too, for it to facilitate the process of self evolution in a certain manner and direction. Much like the process of gardening, in which the sprucing up and weeding out of plants is done to give the garden a desired look, Creation uses its destructive forces in the self evolutionary process to promote the Grand Design of evolution. This fact of life once again establishes the superiority of the Universal destiny as well as the subservient nature of the individual destinies.

The long-term destiny for the World is therefore impossible to predict. Any consideration given to the Universal dimension of destiny while assessing an individual’s destiny can only be for the moment or for the immediate future. A long term view of the Universal destiny can be hazardous / erroneous and thus it has to be assessed repeatedly from time to time for the time and place of reference or consideration. The science of Astrology takes these facts into consideration and has devised accurate enough methods for assessing an individual’s destiny as well as the Universal destiny for a given time & space.

Knowing destiny is important and useful but most of the time an indication of the trend or the likely course of destiny is enough, rather than knowing the exact detail of it. A businessman would like to evaluate a business proposal in terms of its viability, he may not be interested to know the exact profit or loss the proposed business is likely to make. Similarly a student may like to know about the most suitable direction of his or her higher education rather than the exact score he / she shall obtain in the examination. A sick man may want to know the possibility of his getting well in the coming days and not the exact date when he shall be completely fit. The trends or indications of the likely course of destiny are fairly easily determinable by the help of Astrology which in itself is helpful for taking important decisions. A simple and pragmatic approach for knowing the trend of destiny should be adopted.

Until and unless there is complete awareness and understanding of the multi-dimensional nature of destiny, it is extremely difficult to comprehend its working in day to day living. It is certainly not surprising that there are contradictory attitudes towards destiny in the general view. As for any technical subject of which the layman’s knowledge can often be misleading, the inappropriate understanding of destiny too makes it controversial and a subject of uncalled for debate. I have tried to bring out as vividly as possible, the various dimensions of destiny and I sincerely hope that the readers shall not only get the answers to their many questions on destiny but they shall also get a deeper understanding of its complexities and its working in one’s Life.

Often people influenced by the layman’s understanding of destiny believe that all talk of destiny is foolishness and that it is meant for the cowardly, those who want to hide behind destiny to cover up their own failures or to justify their own inabilities and shortcomings. Nothing can be more self defeating than the holding of such notions. Knowledge of destiny can in fact be extremely helpful in deciding correctly on a future course of action. It can help in timing the actions suitably and can help in avoiding obstacles in the way. Being aware of one’s strengths and weaknesses can never be termed as foolishness or cowardice. The opportunities that come our way in life are indeed rare and the resources available to us at any given time are but scarce. To evaluate the viability of an apparent opportunity for investing one’s scarce resources is not by any means a simple task. Losing a good opportunity or wasting the scarce resources on an unviable one, can be disastrous. Those who are able to invest their scarce resources on the most suitable opportunity that comes their way are more likely to be successful in life. Knowledge of destiny can be a dependable guide in these matters. However there is no denying the fact that only those, who are destined to obtain the knowledge of Destiny and derive benefits from it, shall be able to do so.

Astrology stands on the foundation of the Karma theory and its derivative - the element of Destiny. It is essential to understand this before attempting to know about the science of Astrology in the true sense.