Fate, Destiny and Karma

There are two forces in the universe, one is called karma- action and reaction, and the other is called free will. Free will is not karma; you will and it happens, the will is independent of karma. But the emergence of willpower takes time in spiritual life. As a human being evolves and becomes master of his own mind, he is able to exert his will.

- Paramhamsa Satyananda Saraswati

Fate, destiny and karma are three ancient concepts. They represent ways that people of wisdom tried to make sense of the world; of why negative events can befall good people and vice versa. We forget sometimes in our glib modern superficiality that these ancient ways of thinking are the culmination of keen observation, deep thought and contemplation. In the modern age it is acceptable to believe that the universe makes no sense, that nothing happens for a reason and that we exist for no purpose other than, perhaps, to be tortured by the meaninglessness of life. The wisdom traditions worked with a deep faith in the integrity of the universe.

Fate is an understanding in which we are primarily victims. Fate is directly related to the word fatality, and indeed, we are all fated to die on the physical, material level of our beings. In Greek mythology fate is the result of the workings of the Moirae, the goddesses of destiny. In this sense, fate is an interwoven narrative. It is the overall pattern in which we as individuals are imbedded. The cosmos is the collective epic in which we all play our respective parts. An important aspect of one’s fate, however, is character; the consistency of thought and action within the individual.

Destiny is closely related to fate and these terms are often used interchangeably. I am going to follow author shaman Alberto Villoldo, however in making a distinction. The distinction is similar to the one between karma and dharma which we will explore a little later. Villoldo explains, “The early Greeks believed that fate is spun from a certain thread, and that once it is woven into an entire cloth it becomes irreversible, while destiny is a powerful force or agency that can actually intervene in the course of your life, to reweave the cloth of your fate. I believe that destiny can also happen without divine intervention. This requires that you heal your past wounds and respond to the calling you were born with. You then can steer the course of your own life.” Courageous Dreaming: How Shamans Dream the World into Being

While fate means accepting some inevitable outcome of life, destiny means engaging heroically with your own potential. There are myriads of things that happen to us in life that we have little or no control over, however our destiny depends are ability to adapt, to adjust and to overcome these limitations. It is about finding a meaningful path in life. It requires going beyond the limitations of our conditioning. Perhaps even believing in ourselves; not necessarily as the ego-identified beings we have been led to accept but the spiritual beings that we truly are. The path of destiny is the path of awakening. It is a process of raising our level of consciousness.

Karma is similar to fate in some ways. The circumstances into which we are born are the result of the karma of previous lives. The obstacles and opportunities that come to us in life are based on our previous choices. If we remain unconscious then the pattern simply repeats, growing stronger each time. Karma is a mechanical habitual process. A tendency towards anger and violence becomes self-reinforcing, as does a tendency towards compassion and kindness. We rack up karmic debts through our self-centered actions which must be repaid at some future time. Karma can involve individuals, families, nations, ethnic groups, the human race and the planet itself. Karma and Reincarnation: The Key to Spiritual Evolution and Enlightenment  It is no wonder that the seers of old determined that the best path was to get off of the wheel of karma altogether,

An attractive aspect of the theory of karma is that it gives us some control over our destinies. Instead of being victims to a blind mechanistic process or an enigmatic God, karma suggests that we are responsible for determining the course of our future evolution. We are responsible for the quality of our thoughts and actions. The problem however is that a great deal of our thoughts and behavior are unconscious. For the most part we are asleep at the wheel of karma. The only way to master the karmic process is through waking up.

Our karma is driven by the five kleshas or afflictions: ignorance (of one’s true nature), ego-identification, attachment, aversion, and clinging to life (i.e. fear of death). As long as we are identified with our body-mind “instruments,” pushed and pulled by our attachments and fearful of death, we are bound by karma. We experience the duality of emotions: happiness and sadness, joy and grief, pleasure and pain, infatuation and disgust. However we don’t experience the transcendent joy, peace and equanimity of the soul at one with the infinite.

Based on the kleshas we accumulate karma which is stored in seed form in the unconscious storehouse known as karmashaya. These are deep memories or “impressions,” called samskaras. Our current experience is based upon the ripening of seeds of past karmas, and our current actions and reactions create the seeds for future experiences. These future experiences may not appear in this lifetime but lay the foundation for future births. As the Yoga Sutras explain, “Future effects can have happiness or sorrow as their fruit depending on merit or demerit.” Four Chapters on Freedom: Commentary on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali  Or as the Bible tells us, “As you sow; so shall you reap.”

The “Sutras” go on to point out that even good karma doesn’t  produce true happiness. As long as we are spiritually ignorant and attached to appearances we will inevitably suffer. Nothing is permanent. We can lose what we have, or perhaps grow tired of it. Cataclysmic events, such as the recent Japanese tsunami, can appear seemingly out of nowhere. Attachment in and of itself produces suffering. It is only through liberation from the karmic cycles by awakening that we can truly overcome suffering.

Meditation is the key to awakening. Karma originates in the mind although we are not generally conscious of it. Meditation enables us to go deeper into the subconscious processes and to become aware of our karmic predispositions. It also helps us to develop some control over their expression. This is the true free will of which Swamiji spoke. Through regular practice, meditation leads to a transformation of mind allowing us to free ourselves from negative karmic tendencies such as greed, anger, desire, pride, guilt, fear, shame, etc. We tend to forget that the outer world is really a reflection of our own inner tendencies. It is only when we can become aware of the depths of our own unconscious minds that we can take hold of the reigns of destiny.

Karma is completely overcome in the higher stages of Samadhi in which ego-identification is dropped and one recognizes oneself as a being of pure consciousness. The emphasis on meditation, though, does not mean one should refrain from action. Action which is not based in attachment is very powerful and through it enlightened beings serve the world in ways that we can barely recognize. Each of us enters life with a dharma, a particular path of service. While karma propels us unconsciously, dharma is the conscious acceptance of one’s personal mission in life. One’s mission may seem small and insignificant; we can’t all be great leaders, famous artists, etc. However, one person’s heartfelt contribution can create a ripple effect that uplifts many people. In my next post, I will talk about Karma Yoga: the path of action without attachment. We might call it “meditation in action.”