Destiny

If there is anything people tend to blame for their spiritual progress-it is destiny. It is one of the topics that the mind is widely used upon. Luck, fortune, fate are the synonyms for destiny.

To think that we are bound by our destiny, which cannot be changed, is the doctrine of fatalism. This is how the “fatalism” is defined:

1. Doctrine of fate: The philosophical doctrine according to which all events are fated to happen, so that human beings cannot change their destinies.

2. Belief in all-powerful fate: The belief that people are powerless against fate.

3. Feeling of powerlessness against fate: An attitude of resignation and passivity that results from the belief that people are helpless against fate.

Let us analyze whether this concept of fatalism is correct or not. First of all, let us understand what destiny is:

 “The actions we performed in our past lives become our destiny in this life.” In other words, destiny is not something that has come down from the heavens or a horoscope chart that is revealed to us by astrologers. We have created our destiny ourselves by actions in past births. This means that we performed actions with our free will in past lifetimes.

Now, we shall use the technique of “Reductio ad absurdum” to disprove fatalism. This is a technique where the statement to be disproved is accepted in the premise. It is then shown to lead to a logical inconsistency.

Let us start with the premise that everything is predestined.

- If we are bound by destiny in this life, and cannot perform actions by our own volition, this rule must apply to our past lives as well. It would mean that in past lives too we were bound by destiny, for the rule must be the same in all lives.

- But if in each life we were bound by destiny, then in which life did we perform independent actions that created that destiny?

- And if in no past life we performed actions with our free will, then how was destiny created?

- Again, if we did actions with our free will in any past life, we can do them now as well.

Thus, we see the premise that everything is predestined, leads to a logical absurdity and is disproved. The scriptures say that it is lazy people who blame destiny for their substandard achievements:

 “While working, don’t bring destiny into your mind, or it will make you lazy.” If you do, you will start running to astrologers to know what your destiny is, rather than focusing on performing your work properly.

It is a fact that there is an element of destiny in our lives. However, we also possess the freedom to act as we wish in the present. This is called purusharth, or the work we do in the present, by using our freedom of choice. The example is given of a game of cards. The hand that is dealt to a person gets fixed; it cannot be changed. But how one plays with the cards is not fixed. If someone is a good player, he or she may win even with bad cards, while if someone is a bad player, he or she may lose even with good cards.

Similarly, if you were destined to win a jackpot of a million dollars, you will win it. But beyond that it is your self-effort. If you work hard, you could multiply it into ten million dollars, and if you develop profligate habits, you could squander it away in drinking and gambling. That would not be decided by destiny; that would be your own purusharth, or self-effort.

Hyperacidity

To break down the nutrients and kill the harmful particles engulfed with the food in the stomach, there are some glands which secrete acid. The proportion of acid secretion depends on various conditions like irregular food habits, the type of food taken, vagaries of time and sensual over indulgence etc. Taking too much of fast food, pungent food, sour food, too much of tea, coffee, alcohol, or certain chemical drugs like pain-relieving and anti arthritic drugs cause more secretion of the acid. Regular over secretion of the acid due to the above reasons; the mucous membrane of the stomach which protects the abdominal wall from the acid gets challenged thus causing pain and discomfort. This state is called hyperacidity or Amla Pitta as said in Ayurveda.

Remedies

Avoid acid producing foods like pungent, salty, hot, sour, dry ones and alcohol etc. and mental imbalances like anger, fear etc should be controlled.

Adhere to milk diet for several weeks, and drink warm water. The milk dose should be increased slowly to get digested well.

Don’t over eat; take moderate meals three times a day instead and even excess intake of sweets should be avoided since it helps to secrete.

Take pitta pacifying diet which contains bitter and astringent taste.

The best treatment is to have a glass of milk with two teaspoon of ghee in it. This should be taken either as dinner or after two hours of light dinner. This can also be taken as breakfast.

Avipattika choorna should be taken 3-6 grams with water before or during the meal.

Butter milk and fresh cereals should be avoided.

Coconut water is good in this condition. One spoonful of amla (emblica officinalis/Indian gooseberry), in powder form, should be taken, with lukewarm water, twice a day.

Adapt Natural Way to Live Healthy

Nature has given us a lot in the form of various plants. The natural food has enough vitamins, minerals and the other nutrients needed for us. Pulses, nuts, seeds, grains, leafy vegetables and other vegetables as well as fruits are sufficient to fulfill our bodily requirements.

To see all these, there is no need to have non-vegetarian items. Even our anal canal has not been designed in that way. Our intestine is 2-3 times more in length when compared to the flesh eating animal. It is since the flesh putrefies very soon.

And the natural environment with open air, greenery all around us, that is really health giving. Morning walk in such places; doing asans, pranayam and meditation in the morning or at the dusk are no less freshening activities instead to hang around the club house or cinema or television.

Almost everything that we need we have on this earth planet. But what matters is that we have spoiled our habits. We have the habits of eating fried and fast food, drinking, not so soft, soft drinks. We have forgotten the proverb: early to bed and early to rise. “Late to bed and late to rise”, has been or newly formed dictum.

Applying the natural lifestyle is the only way to gain and preserve a good health. A use of medicine is not the way to health. Medicines only suppress the problem which comes up again in another form. That’s the reason why people get attached to the hospitals once they start it.