Basic of Vedic Astrology: The Law of Karma

Vedic Astrology is described in one of the four Vedic Scriptures – Rig Veda. The Sanskrit word for Astrology is Jyotish or Jyotisha which means Ray. This ray can lead us through our lives, providing knowledge and inspiration. The same ray can be destructive when used inaccurately or unscrupulously. Thus the spiritual and ethical level of the astrologist can’t be underestimated.

There are 3 aspects Jotish is working with:

1. Janma – works with our birth chart.  At the moment of birth each planet is in a certain sector of the sky map. When reading the chart, the Astrologer is considering how the nature of a sign interacts with the nature of the planet which enters this sign.
2. Prashna – works with a specific question which needs to be answered and looks at the interaction of planets and signs at that specific moment of time.
3. Muhurta – finds out auspicious time for different actions such as starting a new project, getting married, moving, etc.

The main principle of Vedic Astrology is the principle of Karma – the law of action and reaction.

The Vedas say that we live forever and the absolute majority of us live on our planet system from its beginning. That means that we collected an enormous baggage of our past actions, thoughts, and feelings.  When we leave our material body for another millions of times, all this baggage is saved in our subtle body. This collected but not manifested karma is called Sanchita Karma. We can imagine it as a huge storage with many, many, packages that are waiting to be delivered to us at the proper time. Such a package is delivered to us according to the circumstances we live now to fulfill the desires we had in our past. The law of karma is fair: all our wishes will come true along with all wishes the other beings had towards us. For instance if we harm someone and he experiences anger or hatred towards us that feeling will be added to our package  as will the feeling of love and gratitude someone is feeling when we treat them with love.

When we receive such a package, un – manifested Karma becomes working Karma or Prarabdha Karma.  In accordance with it, we are conditioned to be born in a certain place, in a certain body, by certain parents and have a certain constitutional type. What also is known when we receive this package at the moment of birth is our life span and how much material goods including money we will have during that life. The amount of family well being, comfort, general abilities, and learning capacities are also predetermined. This karma is already in action and can’t be changed. From this standpoint one can clearly see that there is no need to worry about things we can’t do anything about. The Vedas say that it is possible to attract a certain amount of goods and money right now while constantly asking our fortune for it. But since the amount of money is limited, after one spends it, he or she will have nothing for the rest of life. A much better way to deal with it is to be certain that we will be provided with everything we need and deserve in this life and switch attention to untying the knots of our past lives.

Inside of the package of our Prarabdha Karma is a cake which we have to eat. This cake has a thin layer though through which we can work. This opportunity is called freedom of choice (Kriyaman Karma). With the  knowledge of how to act, we can influence our future karma. If our actions and thoughts are in harmony with the cosmic law our Creative Karma, will increase its power to change the future. Otherwise, our source of Creative Karma will be dramatically limited and we’ll harvest what we have sown in our past.

The Vedas say that only beings on planets like Earth (middle planets in our planetary system) are able to change the Karma and influence the future. Our planet is like an airdrome from where one can take off to the spiritual worlds where the chain of births and deaths, reincarnations, and suffering ends. That is impossible on higher planets with their very high level of material living standards and recreation possibilities. Beings that didn’t do any harm to anyone in their past lives but didn’t have any spiritual desires (aspirations) live on these heavenly planets. As soon as their good karma ends, they are born on a middle planet again until they discover their true self and reunite with Creator. On the lower planets, where is mainly suffering, entities have to redeem their past actions and then ascend to middle planets again. Thousands of lives can pass until one will break the chain of births.

Our Mother Earth turned out to be a unique place for spiritual progress.

TODAY’S TIP: It is essential to realize that there are two kinds of future. Prarabdha Karma is the future which is like a movie that is already filmed and all events are known to the Director and his Assistants. It is new only to the person that is watching it happening in his or her life. The real future is the future we can influence by analyzing our every minute’s thoughts, desires, and actions and making the right choices.