Drishtikone
Some interesting nuggets from Vasishtha’s Yoga:
– IN this world whatever is gained.. is gained only by self effort; where failure is encountered its is seen there has been slackness in the effort. This is obvious; but what is called fate is fictitious and not seen.
– Self – effort is of two categories: that of the past births and that of this birth. The latter effectively counteracts the former. Fate is none other than self-effort of a past incarnation. There is constant conflict between these two in this incarnation; and that which is more powerful triumphs.
– There is no power greater than right action in the present. Hence, one should take recourse to self -effort, grinding one’s teeth, and one should overcome evil by good and fate by present effort.
– A lazy man is worse than a donkey. One should never yield to laziness but strive to attain liberation, seeing that life is ebbing away every moment.
– One who says “Fate is directing me to do this” is brainless, and the goddess of fortune abandones him. Hence, by self effort acquire wisdom and then realize that this self effort is not without its own end, in the direct realization of the truth.
– If this dreadful source of evil named laziness is not found on earth, who will ever be illerate and poor? It is because laziness is found on earth that people will live the life of animals, miserable and poverty stricken.
– Fate or divine dispensation is merely a convention which has come to be regarded as truth by being repeatedly declared to be true. If this god or fate is truly the ordainer of everything in this world, of what meaning is any action (even like bathing, speaking, or giving), and whom should one teach at all? No. In this world, except a corpse, everything is active and such activity yields its appropriate result. No one has ever realized the existence of fate or divine dispensation.
– The fruition of self effort by which one experiences the good and evil results of past action is called fate or daivam by people.
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