Rewriting the Stars
I can't change my destiny, but I know a friend who can.
UPDATE: I am moving Seed of Devotion’s publication date to Saturdays. I find that, as a reader, I have more space for reflection on the weekend, and Seed of Devotion fits into that reflective kind of genre. So I look forward to seeing you on Saturdays!
Last night I took a walk under the stars. I felt my chest expand and my breathing deepen to gaze up at glittering constellations. I reflected on those turns of phrase that hint that destiny is laid out in the heavens, such as “written in the stars” and “the stars aligned.”
According to Vedic astrology, the moment I took my first breath in this world is the moment my soul was anticipated to arrive and my fate was then imprinted upon the heavens. This celestial map is my karma, and it tells the story of my soul’s journey in this material world: my relationships, health, career, and more.
Everything is there, written out.
Last night I realized that at that very moment, souls were coming in to this world, and like a vast catalogue of birth certificates, the stars and planets were recording all of their entrances. Karma is God’s justice system, and the arrangement of the heavens reflect God’s perfect rulings according to our past decisions. I was reminded of the Bhagavad-gita verse where the Lord says, “I envy no one, nor am I partial to anyone. I am equal to all” (9.29). There are no mistakes or faulty judgments in this perfect, divine system.
Including any judgment where I am sentenced to suffer. I once asked an astrologer about a particular area of my life that has been a source of pain. He studied the sheet of paper with my chart on it, offered his analysis, and then said, “I am sorry.” He looked up at me and said gently, “This is simply the way it is.”
I nodded and wept with grief, but also relief. The astrologer was simply confirming a pain I had experienced my entire life, and I felt truly seen.
Even if you don’t believe in this whole cosmic-astrology-map-of-karma thing, you must admit that there are areas of weakness that hound you, or at least people you know, for a lifetime. A terrible relationship with one’s mother. Wrestling with addiction. Loneliness. Frustration with money. Weakened health.
And no matter what one does, the pain and weakness persists. And persists. These weaknesses are no accident - they are a result of past decisions that you and I have made. The whole point of the karma justice system is that we are all responsible for our actions.
But that doesn’t really take away how painful it feels to be locked behind the bars of poor past decisions.
In that astrologer’s office, I questioned: Am I doomed to misery forever in this area of life?
In those moments, I had an epiphany: God is beyond karma.
If I want to break free from the prison sentences of my karma, I need to go to Him.
Yes, the Lord is the creator of the heavens and the vast justice system of karma. But He is also a person. Someone I can serve and love. In the same Gita verse where Krishna states that he is equal to all, he continues on to say, “But whoever renders service unto Me in devotion is a friend, is in Me, and I am also a friend to him” (9.29). What is interesting is the unspoken connection between these two statements - Krishna declares that he is impartial, and yet if one is loving and kind to Him, then he is “a friend to him.” (Wink wink.) This means that God is no longer impartial to you or me. He’ll make exceptions. Allowances. Lift the red tape. Overlook your lack of qualifications. Reduce your prison sentence with a wave of the hand.
This principle of taking shelter of Krishna to nullify bad karma is exemplified in a lovely term: the krsna-graha, or the “Krishna planet” (SB 7.4.37). Technically, there is no “Krishna planet” included within an astrological chart or within the material heavens. But the beautiful, divine “planet” of surrendering to Krishna conquers all other influences to uplift our consciousness and change our destiny.
I began to include Krishna in a particularly weak area of my life (which is rather tender to get into the details here), for I could no longer afford the pain and disfunction and drama. I offered service to the Lord with my heart, relentless in my commitment to include Him.
As the years wheeled onward, that dogged weakness, the one I had endured for my entire life, softened and dissipated. I experienced the truth of this Gita verse, that in some small, humble way, Krishna had become my friend. I had prioritized Him, and he had made exceptions. Waved away my prison sentence.
That said, this is my experience when I remain within the orbit of the “Krishna planet.” As soon as I veer away, I am hit full force with the pain and disfunction of my karma, to pay my dues.
So I keep my eyes on Krishna, serving and offering my heart.
After all, He is the creator of the stars, and He is willing to rewrite them… for a friend.
Link to verse and full purport: https://vedabase.io/en/library/bg/9/29/
