(No subject)

[Guest guest]

Dear all,

 

i was wanting to post this article from "autobiography of an yogi"

for a long time. some way or the other it slips.

 

 

but i felt the need to do so now.

 

kansishk had some valid points,anu i feel gave the write answer, she

was trying to teach by living an example.coming to rohit iam not

technically qualified to ascertain of what he was talking abt

astrology and those "pakshas" but he made some valid points.

 

its up to you people discuss and debate what ever you feel like.

i will leave it from here to the astrology exprets of this list.

 

Mukunda in the aritcel is swami yogananda

 

"outwitting stars" topic start...

 

 

"Mukunda, why don't you get an astrological armlet?"

 

"Should I, Master? I don't believe in astrology."

 

"It is never a question of belief; the only scientific attitude one

can take on any subject is whether it is true. The law of gravitation

worked as efficiently before Newton as after him. The cosmos would be

fairly chaotic if its laws could not operate without the sanction of

human belief.

 

"Charlatans have brought the stellar science to its present state of

disrepute. Astrology is too vast, both mathematically1 and

philosophically, to be rightly grasped except by men of profound

understanding. If ignoramuses misread the heavens, and see there a

scrawl instead of a script, that is to be expected in this imperfect

world. One should not dismiss the wisdom with the 'wise.'

 

"All parts of creation are linked together and interchange their

influences. The balanced rhythm of the universe is rooted in

reciprocity," my guru continued. "Man, in his human aspect, has to

combat two sets of forces—first, the tumults within his being,

caused

by the admixture of earth, water, fire, air, and ethereal elements;

second, the outer disintegrating powers of nature. So long as man

struggles with his mortality, he is affected by the myriad mutations

of heaven and earth.

 

"Astrology is the study of man's response to planetary stimuli. The

stars have no conscious benevolence or animosity; they merely send

forth positive and negative radiations. Of themselves, these do not

help or harm humanity, but offer a lawful channel for the outward

operation of cause-effect equilibriums which each man has set into

motion in the past.

 

"A child is born on that day and at that hour when the celestial rays

are in mathematical harmony with his individual karma. His horoscope

is a challenging portrait, revealing his unalterable past and its

probable future results. But the natal chart can be rightly

interpreted only by men of intuitive wisdom: these are few.

 

"The message boldly blazoned across the heavens at the moment of

birth is not meant to emphasize fate—the result of past good and

evil—

but to arouse man's will to escape from his universal thralldom. What

he has done, he can undo. None other than himself was the instigator

of the causes of whatever effects are now prevalent in his life. He

can overcome any limitation, because he created it by his own actions

in the first place, and because he has spiritual resources which are

not subject to planetary pressure.

 

"Superstitious awe of astrology makes one an automaton, slavishly

dependent on mechanical guidance. The wise man defeats his

planets—

which is to say, his past—by transferring his allegiance from the

creation to the Creator. The more he realizes his unity with Spirit,

the less he can be dominated by matter. The soul is ever-free; it is

deathless because birthless. It cannot be regimented by stars.

 

"Man is a soul, and has a body. When he properly places his sense of

identity, he leaves behind all compulsive patterns. So long as he

remains confused in his ordinary state of spiritual amnesia, he will

know the subtle fetters of environmental law.

 

"God is harmony; the devotee who attunes himself will never perform

any action amiss. His activities will be correctly and naturally

timed to accord with astrological law. After deep prayer and

meditation he is in touch with his divine consciousness; there is no

greater power than that inward protection."

 

"Then, dear Master, why do you want me to wear an astrological

bangle?" I ventured this question after a long silence, during which

I had tried to assimilate Sri Yukteswar's noble exposition.

 

"It is only when a traveler has reached his goal that he is justified

in discarding his maps. During the journey, he takes advantage of any

convenient short cut. The ancient rishis discovered many ways to

curtail the period of man's exile in delusion. There are certain

mechanical features in the law of karma which can be skillfully

adjusted by the fingers of wisdom.

 

"All human ills arise from some transgression of universal law. The

scriptures point out that man must satisfy the laws of nature, while

not discrediting the divine omnipotence. He should say: 'Lord, I

trust in Thee, and know Thou canst help me, but I too will do my best

to undo any wrong I have done.' By a number of means—by prayer,

by

will power, by yoga meditation, by consultation with saints, by use

of astrological bangles—the adverse effects of past wrongs can be

minimized or nullified.

 

"Just as a house can be fitted with a copper rod to absorb the shock

of lightning, so the bodily temple can be benefited by various

protective measures. Ages ago our yogis discovered that pure metals

emit an astral light which is powerfully counteractive to negative

pulls of the planets. Subtle electrical and magnetic radiations are

constantly circulating in the universe; when a man's body is being

aided, he does not know it; when it is being disintegrated, he is

still in ignorance. Can he do anything about it?

 

"This problem received attention from our rishis; they found helpful

not only a combination of metals, but also of plants and—most

effective of all—faultless jewels of not less than two carats.

The

preventive uses of astrology have seldom been seriously studied

outside of India. One little-known fact is that the proper jewels,

metals, or plant preparations are valueless unless the required

weight is secured, and unless these remedial agents are worn next to

the skin."

 

"Sir, of course I shall take your advice and get a bangle. I am

intrigued at the thought of outwitting a planet!"

 

"For general purposes I counsel the use of an armlet made of gold,

silver, and copper. But for a specific purpose I want you to get one

of silver and lead." Sri Yukteswar added careful directions.

 

"Guruji, what 'specific purpose' do you mean?"

 

"The stars are about to take an unfriendly interest in you, Mukunda.

Fear not; you shall be protected. In about a month your liver will

cause you much trouble. The illness is scheduled to last for six

months, but your use of an astrological armlet will shorten the

period to twenty-four days."

 

I sought out a jeweler the next day, and was soon wearing the bangle.

My health was excellent; Master's prediction slipped from my mind. He

left Serampore to visit Benares. Thirty days after our conversation,

I felt a sudden pain in the region of my liver. The following weeks

were a nightmare of excruciating pain. Reluctant to disturb my guru,

I thought I would bravely endure my trial alone.

 

But twenty-three days of torture weakened my resolution; I entrained

for Benares. There Sri Yukteswar greeted me with unusual warmth, but

gave me no opportunity to tell him my woes in private. Many devotees

visited Master that day, just for a darshan. 2 Ill and neglected, I

sat in a corner. It was not until after the evening meal that all

guests had departed. My guru summoned me to the octagonal balcony of

the house.

 

"You must have come about your liver disorder." Sri Yukteswar's gaze

was averted; he walked to and fro, occasionally intercepting the

moonlight. "Let me see; you have been ailing for twenty-four days,

haven't you?"

 

"Yes, sir."

 

"Please do the stomach exercise I have taught you."

 

"If you knew the extent of my suffering, Master, you would not ask me

to exercise." Nevertheless I made a feeble attempt to obey him.

 

"You say you have pain; I say you have none. How can such

contradictions exist?" My guru looked at me inquiringly.

 

I was dazed and then overcome with joyful relief. No longer could I

feel the continuous torment that had kept me nearly sleepless for

weeks; at Sri Yukteswar's words the agony vanished as though it had

never been.

 

I started to kneel at his feet in gratitude, but he quickly prevented

me.

 

"Don't be childish. Get up and enjoy the beauty of the moon over the

Ganges." But Master's eyes were twinkling happily as I stood in

silence beside him. I understood by his attitude that he wanted me to

feel that not he, but God, had been the Healer.

 

I wear even now the heavy silver and lead bangle, a memento of that

day—long-past, ever-cherished—when I found anew that I was

living

with a personage indeed superhuman. On later occasions, when I

brought my friends to Sri Yukteswar for healing, he invariably

recommended jewels or the bangle, extolling their use as an act of

astrological wisdom.

 

I had been prejudiced against astrology from my childhood, partly

because I observed that many people are sequaciously attached to it,

and partly because of a prediction made by our family

astrologer: "You will marry three times, being twice a widower." I

brooded over the matter, feeling like a goat awaiting sacrifice

before the temple of triple matrimony.

 

"You may as well be resigned to your fate," my brother Ananta had

remarked. "Your written horoscope has correctly stated that you would

fly from home toward the Himalayas during your early years, but would

be forcibly returned. The forecast of your marriages is also bound to

be true."

 

A clear intuition came to me one night that the prophecy was wholly

false. I set fire to the horoscope scroll, placing the ashes in a

paper bag on which I wrote: "Seeds of past karma cannot germinate if

they are roasted in the divine fires of wisdom." I put the bag in a

conspicuous spot; Ananta immediately read my defiant comment.

 

"You cannot destroy truth as easily as you have burnt this paper

scroll." My brother laughed scornfully.

 

It is a fact that on three occasions before I reached manhood, my

family tried to arrange my betrothal. Each time I refused to fall in

with the plans,3 knowing that my love for God was more overwhelming

than any astrological persuasion from the past.

 

"The deeper the self-realization of a man, the more he influences the

whole universe by his subtle spiritual vibrations, and the less he

himself is affected by the phenomenal flux." These words of Master's

often returned inspiringly to my mind.

 

Occasionally I told astrologers to select my worst periods, according

to planetary indications, and I would still accomplish whatever task

I set myself. It is true that my success at such times has been

accompanied by extraordinary difficulties. But my conviction has

always been justified: faith in the divine protection, and the right

use of man's God-given will, are forces formidable beyond any

the "inverted bowl" can muster.

 

The starry inscription at one's birth, I came to understand, is not

that man is a puppet of his past. Its message is rather a prod to

pride; the very heavens seek to arouse man's determination to be free

from every limitation. God created each man as a soul, dowered with

individuality, hence essential to the universal structure, whether in

the temporary role of pillar or parasite. His freedom is final and

immediate, if he so wills; it depends not on outer but inner

victories.

 

topic end.

 

ENJOY AND ENLIGHTEN

 

jai Gurudev

 

 

the link for the above article is below

 

http://www.crystalclarity.com/yogananda/chap16/chap16.html

 

 

GOD BLESS YOU ALL.