Pariprashnena — Q&A Archive

These are common objections based on misunderstanding.

What is astrology? A science of time revealed by Krishna, etc. Its a part of pravritti marga. Full renunciation and surrender to Krishna, nivritti marga, doesnt include astrology. Traditionally sannyasis couldnt be astrologers (e.g. Manu 6.50).

> ...if you know the future you can become lazy and not follow your duties.

Dharma means duties. Astrology helps one be more efficient, not passive. Our life is an interplay of previous karma and current free will, creating future karma. It can be also akarma.

Astrology is like having a road map, it serves you to comprehend your guna and karma accrued from past lives in order to get the maximum possible spiritual advancement.
But then it is up to you, go straight or make a few touristic visits in the material world suffer/enjoy trap.

A qualified astrology can tell a persons general life. Married/naisthik brahmachari, good at being a brahmana, or better go earn a million dollars, etc etc. Maybe good for parents to plan the education for a child. I heard from a parent that in the gurukula in Mayapur they use it for accepting students. Good for devotees to know their general life path. Some devotees want to know if it is practical for them to stay brahmachari. And of course for marriage Prabhupada recommended it.

but one brahmacari can hear that he will not be brahmacari for long so then he may think, why stay even one more day in the ashram? and leave the temple inmediatly.

The same can happen with everything else right?

Free will is always there. Even if he is not to be a regular brahmacari in a temple by karma, he always can be a brahmacari in heart and engage in activities with renunciation spirit, so much more even than so called brahmacaries staying at the ashram sometimes with blurry motivations.

Sometimes you just have to leave it up to Krishna. If the Brahmacari is told that he isnt going to be a brahmacari for so long anymore. Then he will just have to put all his faith into Krishna. You never now if its just a test from the Lord. To test his faith...

You can know the future here:
ask a question and press throw
http://www.eclecticenergies.com/iching/virtualcoins.php

but dont ask yes or no questions.

Isnt that something like gambling? Gambling: hoping that the answer is as you would want it to??

that iching thing kind of works.
Is this coming from the vedas or not?

Book: Civilization & Transendence
CAT2: Progressing Beyond Progress

Srila Prabhupada: No, no, the Vedic system is not fatalistic. It is fatalistic only in the sense that ones "material destiny" cannot be changed. But your spiritual life is "in your hands". our point is this: The whole Vedic civilization is based on the understanding that destiny allows only a certain amount of material happiness in this world, and that our efforts should therefore be directed toward self-realization. Nobody is enjoying uninterrupted material happiness. That is not possible. A certain amount of material happiness and a certain amount of material distress'97these both must be present always. So just as you cannot check your distressing condition of life, similarly you cannot check your happy condition of life. It will come automatically. Therefore, "dont waste your time" with these things. better you "utilize your energy for advancing in Krishna consciousness".

Prabhupada writes in Krishna book:
Krishna and Balarama then learned the art of foretelling events by seeing signs. In a book called Khanara-vacana, the various types of signs and omens are described. If when one is going out one sees someone with a bucket full of water, that is a very good sign. But if one sees someone with an empty bucket, it is not a good sign. Similarly, if one sees a cow being milked alongside its calf, it is a good sign. The result of understanding these signs is that one can foretell events, and Krishna and Balrama learned the science.

So being able to tell good omens is probably similar to iching (i looked at it but couldnt figure it out. I want to know something that is bothering me, can anyone ask Krishna for me :-) There is a company in India selling a similar iching but from a "Aghastya Muni" You choose one of 64 numbers and then can get the reading. If that is Vedic enough for us!

Nimitta is a way to tell the future as well. If you ask a proper brahmana a question and when he gives his answer if there is an auspicious omen (cow mooing, cow passing dung, etc) you would know what the brahmana said will come true.

If you want to watch an expert give a astrological reading and how vague the readings can be watch this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btP_vy5cQq4

(warning, Derren Brown is an absolute genius and he has some incredible videos out there, stuff that devotees love to watch)

Articles on omens, etc.: http://www.bhaktivedantacollege.org/bvc_site/resources_services/articles/pdf_articles.html

so... is it helpful for devotees or not?

For some it certainly is.

I think it helped me to see bonafide astrologers. I was quite disturbed about my future and feel more optimistic after meeting them. As I said before it does help you recognize your nature as well.

Krishna always changes our karma.Prabhupad once said if u clap your hands during kirtan,the line in your palm will be re arranged to good.
they always change.you may be destinied to suffer but when you become a devotee,Krishna delivers you