Is falldown or progress in bhakti predestined by karma or destiny? What role does karma or destiny have in determining our bhakti?

Transcript

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Question, is progress in bhakti predestined by karma or destiny? Similarly, is fall down predestined and what role karma or destiny has in filling up? Answer, bhakti is transcendental, whereas both karma and destiny are general material.
The word karma generally refers to activities that are done at the material level, spiritual activities are called as a karma. And destiny, although it is ultimately under the sanction of God, and so in that sense we could say it is connected, being connected to God is spiritual. But ultimately destiny is the working out of the reactions to the activities that we have done and which, the reactions which are accumulated over a long period of time, how those reactions will work out, that is determined by destiny.
So, in that sense, because karma and destiny are material, whereas bhakti is transcendental, so we could say that they are entirely unconnected. However, though bhakti is transcendental, the person doing bhakti, which is all of us, we are not transcendental. And that’s why our practice of bhakti can sometimes be affected by karma and destiny.
What does that mean? That means there are three modes of material nature, and by the kind of karma that we have habituated to doing, so by that kind of karma, we move forward and we develop certain inclinations. There is an inclination that I am a Sikh, in the mode of ignorance, then that may make it slightly more difficult for us to practice bhakti. If they are sattvic, it may make it easier for us to practice bhakti.
So, that’s how we become predisposed towards certain activities, which may make it easier or more difficult to practice the principles of bhakti. But bhakti in and of itself is transcendental. And one doesn’t have to be in good use to practice bhakti.
One can practice bhakti from any of the modes. At the same time, if one has to sustain the practice of bhakti, in general, maintenance and sustenance is characteristic of the mode of goodness. Therefore, when we are in goodness, it’s easier to sustain the practice of bhakti.
And in ignorance, it is slightly more difficult. Now, as with respect to the kind of actions that we have done till now. Now, with respect to the reactions, again, it will vary depending on person to person.
But whatever reactions we are supposed to get, they are accumulated as our destiny and they become manifest gradually. So, can the destiny obstruct us in the practice of bhakti? No, it can’t obstruct us in the practice of bhakti. But it can put us in situations where bhakti may seem more difficult.
For example, because of some past karma, we may face some health issues. Now, even when we are sick, it’s not that we can’t remember Krishna when we are sick. It is possible to remember Krishna.
It may not be so easy if we have not cultivated the habit of remembering Krishna earlier. Still, it is not impossible. It is possible.
And sometimes extreme situations require extreme measures. And so, when we feel ourselves in extreme danger, that may well become an impetus for us to take shelter of Krishna with great seriousness. So, many times the devotees who have been practicing spiritual life throughout their life for a long time, but at a really low spiritual level, when they come to know about some terminal disease that they have been diagnosed with, that motivates them to practice wholeheartedly.
That way, the coming of the inimical destiny can well become a favorable impetus for the practice of devotional life. The destiny can create material situations in our life, like sickness or impoverishment. And these may sometimes make it seem more difficult.
But bhakti can be practiced from anywhere in a situation. Sickness, impoverishment, loneliness also, in some of our material relationships, break down because the fact is beyond our control. Say, a loved one suddenly passes away.
Then, the resulting loneliness can also inspire us to take shelter of Krishna more seriously. So, in this way, by understanding various situations that destiny may create for us, we can understand that bhakti itself will not be stopped by destiny. But specific forms of practice of bhakti may not be possible.
The person may be a single and somehow the throat gets damaged because of an accident or a disease. It may not be possible. So, remembering Krishna, serving Krishna is possible.
So, in that way, our spiritual progress is definitely not going to stop. It depends on our own proper use of our free will and the bestowal of Krishna’s mercy. Krishna’s mercy is always available to us.
But on special occasions, it may become more accessible, more available to us also. And our free will, to the extent we use it, we can make some difference. So, karma and destiny create favorable and unfavorable situations which may make bhakti easier or tougher.
But bhakti itself is transcendental, whereas everything within the purview of karma and destiny is material. So, we can practice bhakti in any situation. And actually, if we have a positive attitude and if we are Krishna conscious, then even the reversals that may come because of our destiny or the reversals that may come because of our bad karma, in terms of our bad habits from our life, those can become the impetus for us to take shelter of Krishna.
And therefore, they can become our strong points instead of our weak points. The miseries, Krishna Prabhupada writes in Ishvabhishek Parthola, this is a material thing. It is to directly serve as a reminder of our incompatibility with man.
What Krishna Prabhupada is essentially saying is that miseries remind us that we are spirits, we are souls, and that our real life is of Krishna. So, that way, the miseries may come because of our own past habits, our own past karma. Here I am using the word karma primarily in terms of the actions that we do, not in terms of the reactions that we get back.
For that, I am using the word destiny. So, miseries may come because of our own mental tendency and limitations created by past bad habits. Or material problems may come because of reactions to what we have done in the past, which appear as destiny manifests itself.
But either way, we can still continue to practice bhakti and if we have positive attitude, those very miseries can inspire us to take greater shelter of Krishna and thereby make greater advancement. So, our spiritual advancement ultimately depends on our proper exercise of our free will, so that we connect with and utilize Krishna’s grace.