We Need Both Fate And Free Will

By Dada J.P.Vaswani

Q: Are we free agents or puppets in the hands of Destiny? Could we change our fate?
One view is that you are a prisoner of fate. Whatever you do, you simply cannot change it. Another view is that we are absolutely free. You have freedom of choice between picking right or wrong. At every step of life, you can make the effort to improve your condition. Acting thus, you could change your karma and so alter your destiny.
These two aspects of an individual’s condition are like the twin blades of a pair of scissors. The first is ichcha shakti, freedom of choice; the second is prarabdha karma, accumulated karma. When the two blades act together, the scissors does its job. You cannot cut a piece of cloth with just one blade of the scissors. Likewise, fate and free will are both necessary for action.
Karma determines many things that you cannot change. It determines the type of family into which you are born, your race and the type of body in which you are born. You might wish to change the shape of your nose or increase your height by a few centimeters and perhaps technology finds a way to do all this. Yet, there is scope for free will even in situations where change seems impossible. You always have the choice of reacting to your fate in either a positive or negative manner. This is always within your power!
Q:Why are we not born equal?
A: All are created equal. But in the same family, all children do not have equality of ability or intelligence. Is this inequality the result of karma? If so, is it fair? The answer to both questions, is ‘yes’. You are the architect of your own destiny. Every thought, emotion, wish and action creates karma. The good or bad we do affects us, and remains with us until we balance them out.
Do you know the story of a Polish Air Force pilot, Roman Tursky? He was flying over Germany when he had to make a forced landing. He sent his plane for repairs and spent the night in a hotel. The next morning, in the corridor, a man came running and collided against him. He was pale with fear and cried, "Gestapo! Gestapo!" He was being hounded by the Secret Police. Tursky pushed the man into his room, under his bed. Soon the police came in and interrogated Tursky. He did not understand their language, and the police went away.

The pilot offered to take this man to Warsaw where he was flying, but helped him get off a little before reaching the airport, as the police there could search his plane. Sure enough, when he landed at Warsaw, the police was already there to make a search for the man.
Soon thereafter, in the Second World War, Poland was occupied by Germany. Tursky flew to England and joined the RAF, and became a war hero. He was a brave man, but his plane crashed. The critically injured Tursky was taken to the nearest hospital; he’d slipped into coma. When he recovered, he found a man looking at him. He sid to Tursky, "Do you remember me? You saved me. This morning I read the news that you were in coma, and I flew here." "What for?" asked Tursky. "Because," the man answered, "I wanted to help. They say that I am one of the best brain surgeons. I operated on you.