On Hinduism

GOD doesn’t control our actions. One must control one’s actions and will.  

Many external things that happen in our life, some of them are considered to be controlled by our destiny. However, not everything is controlled by destiny so the most important thing you have to understand is that your thoughts, your words and your actions are never controlled by destiny. You have a hundred percent free will to think, say and do what you want to. However, our choices for our action in this life are limited by our past and present karmas. We cannot say “Oh I hit you because I was destined to hit you, so don’t blame me.” We’re in control of our actions but some of the things that happen to us that we would consider good luck or bad luck according to Hindu philosophy, there’s no such thing as luck but it’s the outcome of your past life’s actions.

Source: Swami Nikhilanand, 

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Contributor: Geetha Ravula

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According to Hinduism, Yes!

Hinduism is deeply rooted in the concept of Karma and reincarnation. Destiny is defined as a predetermined course of events (in general or in an individual’s life) as planned by Divine will. Hindus believe that such a predetermined course is created by an individual through his or her actions or “karma” in one’s present life or past lives; as choosing good karma produces good effects on the actor, while choosing the bad karma produces bad effects in present or future lives.

Destiny therefore is the result of the past exercise of the actor’s choice. By choosing the actions in the past, an individual brings on the resultant destiny in this life. Similarly, by choosing good actions in the present, one can change the course of present life and in future reincarnations.

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Sri Aurobindo, wrote (Dec 16, 1936): “We ourselves are our own fate through our actions, but the fate created by us binds us; for what we have sown, we must reap in this life or another. Still we are creating our fate for the future even while undergoing old fate from the past in the present. That gives a meaning to our will and action…”.

In Mahabharata, destiny and karma are explained with examples of seeds: “Without seeds, fruits do not grow. Good seeds when sown yield good fruits. Bad seeds when sown yield weeds and bad fruits. If no seeds are sown, there are no fruits. Without exertion in this life, destiny is meaningless. One’s exertion now is like a tilled soil; the seeds are like destiny. The union of tilled soil and seeds, that is one’s present effort and destiny inside the seed, produces the harvest. 

He who exerts with initiative is his own best friend, he who relies solely on destiny is his own worst enemy.” [Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, The Hidden Forces of Life, Ch. 1 Life Through the Eyes of the Yogin, pp.13-14].

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Other reading material:

Relevant videos: Swami Nikhil Anand Hinduism Q & A: Can Destiny be Changed

Contributor: Ashis Khan

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