Can Kriya Yoga Change Your Destiny?
There are two kinds of people one often comes across. The first kind are those who believe they can shape their destiny and achieve anything they set their minds to. Then there’s the second kind – those who believe life is predestined and no matter how hard they try, they cannot escape their fate
Which one of them is right? Well, neither of them is completely so. People who believe they can do anything may find out that despite their best efforts, things don’t turn out the way they’d hoped. On the other hand, those who have resigned to their fate are wont to say at life’s every turn, “Well, I guess this was meant to happen.” They hardly make any progress in life.
This begs the question: Is destiny real? Is there a thing such as fate? Are we merely puppets in the hands of our Maker?
Paramhansa Yogananda said that the ultimate destiny of every soul is the same – Self-realization, moksha, enlightenment, nirvana – call it what you will. The soul is a part of God and, sooner or later, will merge back into Him. How long this journey takes is something to be determined by each of us.
Beyond that, however, everything that happens in our lives is determined by our actions. Our future can indeed be changed depending on how we act today. “Your fate,” Yoganandsa said, “is ordained by yourself, through the operation of the law of karma.”
As a seven-year-old boy, I was active, fit, and lean. As I grew a little older, my parents left me to make my own dietary choices, and I began to eat anything that made me happy. Chips, soda, ice cream, and sugar-loaded fruit juices became part of my daily diet. When my mother tried to stop me, I’d get my way by throwing a tantrum.
Thus, in one year, I gained about twenty-five kilos. At the end of that year, with a height of five and a half feet, I weighed eighty-five kilos. Fortunately, I felt right at home because almost everyone in my family had a significant belly protruding out. Though we were a small family of four, we looked quite big!
After a few years, feeling utterly disgusted with myself, I told my Dad that I would lose all this weight I’d gained. He told me, “Son, it’s in your genes. Look at your parents. You might lose some weight, but you’re going to be more or less fat.”
My grandmother, who had an avid interest in astrology, had given me an emerald to help me do better in school. She added matter-of-factly, “As long as you wear that emerald, you will not be able to lose weight.” Apparently, I could either have a sharp brain or a fit body – the choice was mine!
In summary, everyone told me I was “destined” to be this way. I decided to prove them all wrong. It took me three years to lose all that extra weight with the right diet and regular exercise. And yes, I still wear the same emerald.
According to the law of karma, every act, whether big or small, becomes a cause that is bound to have an effect sooner or later. One might eat a bowl full of dessert every day, only to be diagnosed with diabetes a decade later. Then he says, “Oh, diabetes runs in my family!” He fails to see that it was his action that determined his so-called “fate.”
What makes the law of karma brilliantly binding is that the effects of our actions are not always instant. If they were, we would understand too soon! Instead, by the time the effect manifests, we have long forgotten its cause. Thus, we feel trapped under the weight of our past actions, unable to escape their consequences.
So, how can we change our destiny?
The first step is to change our actions starting today. Swami Sri Yukteswar, Yogannada’s guru, said, “The vanished lives of all men are dark with many shames. But everything will improve if you are making the right spiritual effort now.” By acting rightly today, we create new waves of energy that will bring success in all aspects of life later.
However, even if we mend our present actions, the effects of our past mistakes can hinder our progress toward our goals. How can we then free ourselves from the influence of our past actions?
Yogananda says that there are three ways to deal with the effects of our past actions: 1) Minimize, 2) Resist, 3) Eliminate.
The first option we have is to minimize the effect of our past actions. Let us say, like me, you eat a lot of junk food for years. Not only will you gain a lot of weight, but you will also develop all kinds of digestive problems.
To minimize the effect of this karma, you would need to change your diet, exercise regularly, and take the necessary medications. All this will minimize the effect of your past actions before they worsen.
The second way to deal with the effects of our past actions is to resist them. This means to use the power of the mind to rise above your limitations. For instance, if you find yourself struck down with repeated failure, never believe that you have failed permanently. Though failure may knock on your door often, always affirm success. Tell yourself, “I haven’t yet succeeded.”
The third and most effective way is to eliminate the cause (and therefore, the effect) of our past actions. This can be done through a technique like Kriya Yoga.
The yogis say that our karma resides in our chakras in the astral spine (you can read more about them here). Think of this deposited karma as “karmic seeds” that are ready to sprout when the opportunity presents itself.
The practice of Kriya Yoga generates a strong flow of energy in the astral spine that burns up these karmic seeds, thereby eliminating the possibility of them sprouting.
Physiologically speaking, these tendencies and bad habits that are carried forward from countless lives take the form of neurological pathways in the brain. Every time you act in a certain way, that neurological pathway becomes stronger.
These pathways can cause you to behave against your wishes. If we don’t exercise our willpower, these pathways will control our behaviour, turning us into mere puppets.
The more set these patterns are, the more we become victims of the habits we have set. The way out is not only to create new pathways of good habits but also to eliminate the bad ones using meditation.
Yogananda writes, “If you want to rid yourself of present bad habits and to escape those decrees of fate that have caused you suffering, you have no greater recourse than meditation. Every time you meditate deeply on God, beneficial changes take place in the patterns of your brain.”
After practicing meditation and Kriya Yoga for just a year, I recall feeling like a completely different person. Five years down the line, I had a hard time remembering how I was when I first started to meditate.
Most people are controlled by their past actions and make little effort to change. Yogananda called such people “psychological antiques.” But with the right technique, attitude, and willpower, you have the power to change your destiny.
In roughly the last two centuries, mankind has made tremendous progress. Technologies that were only found in fantasy novels are now found in our pockets. As we enter this new age of possibilities, individuals are becoming increasingly empowered. A hundred years ago, you would be far less likely to find stories of self-made millionaires. Now, there are enough of them to fill countless books.
More and more, people’s minds are opening up to a new belief — a belief that they can indeed change their destiny. That they don’t have to merely accept the circumstances they were born into. If you are one of those who want to be a master of your destiny instead of a victim of your circumstances, Kriya Yoga is one of the best techniques that you can use to transform yourself.
