There are two kinds of people one often comes across. The first kind are those who believe they can shape their destinies and achieve any goal they set their minds to pursue. 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 is right? Neither is completely right. People who believe they can do anything may find out that, despite their best efforts, things don’t turn out the way they had 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,” consequently making minimal progress in life.
This begs the question: Is destiny real? Is there such a thing as fate? Are we merely puppets in the hands of our Maker?
Paramhansa Yogananda explained that the ultimate destiny of every soul is spiritual liberation—known as Self-realization (knowing one’s true self), moksha (freedom from the cycle of rebirth), enlightenment (awakening to ultimate truth), or nirvana (complete inner peace) by different traditions—regardless of the name used.
Our actions determine everything that happens in our lives. Our future can be changed by how we act today.
“Your fate is ordained by yourself, through the operation of the law of karma.” Paramhansa Yogananda
Fighting Fate
As a seven-year-old boy, I was active, fit, and lean. As I grew a little older, my parents allowed me to make my own dietary choices, and I began to eat anything that made me happy in the moment. Chips, soda, ice cream, and sugar-loaded fruit juices became part of my daily diet. When my mother tried to stop me, I’d throw a tantrum to get my way.
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 85 kilos [55 pounds]. Fortunately, I felt right at home, because almost everyone in my family had a significant protruding belly. 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 of the weight I had gained. “Son,” He told me, 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 had an avid interest in astrology. She gave me an emerald to help me do better in school and added, matter-of-factly, “As long as you wear that emerald, you will not be able to lose weight.” 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, with proper diet and regular exercise, to lose all of the extra weight—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 of dessert every day, only to be diagnosed with diabetes a decade later. Then he might say, “Oh, diabetes runs in my family!” He fails to see that it was his actions that determined his so-called “fate”.
What makes the law of karma deceptively binding is that the effects of our actions are not always instant. If they were, we would understand the lesson too soon! Instead, by the time the effect manifests, we may have long forgotten its cause. Thus, we feel trapped under the weight of our past actions, unable to escape their consequences.
Changing Destiny
So, how can we change our destiny? The first step is to change our actions, starting today! 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 still hinder our progress toward our goals. How, then, can we free ourselves from the influence of our past actions?
Yogananda shares three ways to deal with the effects of our past actions:
- Minimize the Effects
- Resist the Influences
- Eliminate the Causes
Minimize the Effects
The first option we have is to minimize the effect of our past actions. Let’s say that, like me, you ate a lot of junk food for years. Not only would you gain a lot of weight, but you might also develop all kinds of digestive problems. You would need to change your diet, exercise regularly, and take the necessary medications to minimize the effects of this karma. All of this will help to reduce the impact of your past actions before they worsen.
Resist the Influences
The second way to deal with the effects of our past actions is to resist them. This means using the power of the mind to rise above your limitations. For instance, if you find yourself facing repeated failures, never believe that you are a permanent failure. Though failure may knock on your door often, always affirm success. Kriyananda reminds us to say instead, “I have not yet succeeded.”
Eliminate the Causes through the Science of Kriya Yoga
The third and most effective way is to eliminate the causes (and therefore, the effects) of our past actions. This can be done through a technique like Kriya Yoga.
According to yogic teachings, our karma resides in the chakras along the astral spine. Think of this latent karma as “karmic seeds” that remain dormant until the right circumstances allow them to sprout as experiences. The practice of Kriya Yoga generates a strong flow of energy through the astral spine that helps to burn up karmic seeds before they have a chance to sprout and grow.
Physiologically speaking, karmic tendencies and habits that are carried over from countless lives create 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 begin to control our behavior, turning us into mere puppets of habitual conditioning. The more deeply ingrained these patterns become, the more we fall victim to them.
The way out is not only to build new pathways through positive habits but also to dissolve the negative ones through the practice of meditation.
After practicing meditation and Kriya Yoga for just a year, I recall feeling like a completely different person. Now, five years down the road of consistently meditating, I have a hard time remembering how I was when I first started.
“If you want to rid yourself of present bad habits and 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.” Paramhansa Yogananda
Becoming the Master of Your Destiny
Most people are controlled by their past actions and make little effort to change. Yogananda called such people “psychological antiques”. Yet with the right techniques, attitude, and willpower, we have the power to change our destinies.
In just the last two centuries, humankind has made tremendous progress. Technologies that once belonged to the realm of fantasy novels are now found and carried around 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, their stories are enough to fill countless books.
More and more, people’s minds are opening up to a new belief—a belief that they can, in fact, change their destiny. They no longer have to accept the circumstances they were born into passively. If you are one of those who want to become a master of your destiny, rather than a victim of circumstances, Kriya Yoga is one of the best techniques you can use to transform yourself.
Tyagi Shivendra
Tyagi Shivendra is a Kriyaban and an Ananda meditation teacher, serving full-time at Ananda Delhi. He leads meditations, classes, kirtans, and other spiritual activities. Beyond the ashram, he works with corporations, schools, and universities to promote holistic well-being. A graduate of Shri Ram College of Commerce, he has founded and supported ventures across education, retail, and technology. He blogs on various online platforms and is dedicated to sharing Yogananda’s teachings with all truth-seeking souls.
