When everything is predestined and pre-planned by the Lord, why does man endeavour to do and undo things?....

Should one’s repeated failures in respect of a certain
work be also taken as the Will of the Lord? Is it a fact that we get what we deserve or is it
that we are not really fit for what we actually aspire for? This doubt is eluding a clear-cut
answer from my own limited brain. I refer the same to your greater brain to re solve this
doubt and I hope you will do so.

It is true that everything is predestined and pre-planned by the Lord; and only in
accordance with the holy writ, everything takes place. God has given free will also to the
individual to do right or wrong, to discriminate between the Preyo Marga and the Sreyo Marga.
If one is endowed with true wisdom as to the fleeting and painful nature of the worldly
enjoyments, one can exert oneself in the right direction to do or undo his Prarabdha, the portion
of Karmas ripened for actual experience in this current birth. Without the Lord’s special grace,
none can make or mar himself. Even for realization, the Lord’s grace is necessary. For obtaining
the Lord’s grace, intense Purusha Prayatna, otherwise known as Purushartha, which is voiced
forth throughout the famous “Yoga Vasishtha” is to be put forth..
Whether it be failure or success in any undertaken work, it is but the effect of the Lord’s
grace and will alone. Accept everything in the light of Vedantic indifference. Be a silent witness
and rejoice over the mystery of the Lord.
Everybody gets what he actually deserves; nothing more, nothing less. The Divine Law is
altogether different from man-made law. The Law and Verdict and Judgement of the Lord is
final and unquestionable. No bribing business there. His Law is always impartial and uniform
and even, with the whole of mankind, why only mankind, with the whole of His own creation.
Aspiration on the mundane side is but an expression of egoism that bursts forth in every
moment of man’s life through actions, thoughts and speech. Unless it is, as already stated, willed
by the Lord, nothing mundane or spiritual is possible of attainment by any human being on earth.
God actually helps those that help themselves, provided that the thing aspired for is in strict
conformity with the injunctions of the holy writ. From the cradle to the grave, from birth till
death, from the moment of awareness to that of eternal rest, the guiding factor of man should be
self-effort, self-effort, self-effort and self-effort alone, based on surrender, without minding the
results.
From "May I answer that" by Swami Sivananda (1987-1963). More Informations on Swami Sivananda: on the Website of Divine Life Society, Photographs of Swami Sivananda, German Pages on Swami Sivananda

As per Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharishi he would advise us to ask "to whom are the repeated failures?". When there is so sense of doership while performing action why worry about oft repeated failures? Further how does one know what is predestined and preplanned by the Lord? Does this precluede one from action? One has to plod on and on without worrying about the results . The One referred to here is the Self. When the mind is externalised it is ego. When the mind is inturned it is the Self. " Where is the prarabhdha for an inturned mind?" asks Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharishi. God is the Self. You are the Self. It is unconcened about oft repeated failures in life. All work has to be done in a spirit of sacrifice, for the sake of the Divine. We must do action without entertaining any hope for reward or concerned about recreminiation. In such cases the inevitable action has no binding power says Bhagavadgita. "It is because of the illusion that you are the doer. In reality things are done to you, not by you" says Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj.

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Comments

SHRIKANTH November 13, 2009 at 9:44am

hmm "It is because of the illusion that you are the doer. In reality things are done to you, not by you"

if so why one does suffer ? or one is attached to effects of his wrong doing ? or why one is punished for his wrong doing ? i am little bit skeptical about the way the above sentence is being interpreted ,
Ajith November 12, 2009 at 9:08pm

I fully agree with Mr.Krishnan. Well said Sir, there couldn't possibly be a better reply.
Krishnan November 12, 2009 at 5:37am

As per Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharishi he would advise us to ask "to whom are the repeated failures?". When there is so sense of doership while performing action why worry about oft repeated failures? Further how does one know what is predestined and preplanned by the Lord? Does this precluede one from action? One has to plod on and on without worrying about the results . The One referred to here is the Self. When the mind is externalised it is ego. When the mind is inturned it is the Self. " Where is the prarabhdha for an inturned mind?" asks Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharishi. God is the Self. You are the Self. It is unconcened about oft repeated failures in life. All work has to be done in a spirit of sacrifice, for the sake of the Divine. We must do action without entertaining any hope for reward or concerned about recreminiation. In such cases the inevitable action has no binding power says Bhagavadgita. "It is because of the illusion that you are the doer. In reality things are done to you, not by you" says Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj.
SHRIKANTH November 10, 2009 at 11:08am

hmm this is what i have heard about this concept , from another person

"bhagvadgeetha"- in reality god is nor cause or result of our mistakes or our sucess it is our own charecter which leeds to this (charecter which is offen goeverned by our senses ) and i do agree with swami that quite offen we get offen what we want or what we deserve, so thats why lord asks not to attach our selves with the results and surrender enitire results to him , so atleast finally we get him at the end.

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