Astrology

(contributed by a reader: Sonam Shyam)

Astrology has attracted human-interest since time immemorial. But in modern times astrology is more and more related to religion. There is a stern need to declare that religion and spiritualism has nothing to do with it. The following points will highlight the irrelevance of astrology in human life.

1. The astrology basically is related to prediction of future events. The accuracy of these predictions is not cent percent and no astrologer would ever highlight his failures. Now by declaring that the future events are already decided, these astrologers cast serious aspersions over the intellect of human beings. The most obvious question is that why a man should possess intellect when whatever he thinks and subsequently does is predestined. It is this possession of intellect that makes humans superior to other animals. The life of animals may be pre destined because of lack of intellect due to limitations of the body but it certainly can't be the case with humans.

2. The second point is that the astrologers claim that by knowing the future beforehand, a man can work better and can avoid certain future mishaps or perhaps decrease it's intensity. The question is that if the future is decided than how can it be modified? The astrologers contradict themselves on this point. It opens the possibility of unscrupulous astrologers taking people for a ride. For example an astrologer reads the horoscope of a person and finds out that the person might suffer a loss of Rs.100. But he tells his client that he would suffer a loss of Rs.500 and if he undertakes certain remedies his loss would be decreased to Rs.100.
If in future the loss turns out to be Rs.100 then the astrologer would not only take the accolades for correct prediction but also make good money. We have to appreciate that if future can be changed then it is not predestined and if can't be changed then there is no need for anyone to do any work since everything will happen on its own.

3. By claiming that through certain remedies future can be modified the astrologers highlight the importance of Karma. What we have to understand rationally that if certain planets are unfavorably positioned then it is due to our own Karma and if favourably positioned then also it is due to our karma. So we can make our destiny. God is not biased that he would give pain to someone and pleasure to someone else. We always get what we deserve according to our actions.

4. Perhaps the most important point, which clearly proves that astrology is just a school of thought, which has no religious sanction is that none of the spiritual incarnations and other saints have ever mentioned astrology in their sermons. Leave alone astrology they have even condemned occult and other psychic powers since they make a man weak and deviate him from the path of God. Perhaps the greatest disservice the astrologers have done to man is that they have made a mess of the greatest teaching of Lord Krishna in the Bhagavad-Gita.

Lord Krishna says in Gita, "Your right is to work alone and not to the fruits thereof". But the astrologers discuss the fruits of the action even before the action has taken place. They first discuss fruits and then suggest actions, which contradicts the celebrated teachings of Lord Krishna. The man who believes in astrology can never have faith in God and if someone has faith in God he would never believe in astrology and other related fields.

I shall conclude by mentioning what the great Swami Vivekananda said about astrology. He said, "Astrology and all these mystical things are generally signs of a weak mind; therefore as soon as they are becoming prominent in our minds, we should see a physician, take good food and rest."
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Sonam Shyam