Destiny and free will on spiritual path

Destiny and free will on spiritual path

Destiny will bring you the proximity of the saints.  If it is in your fate or Prarabdha that you will meet a saint, it will happen.  But how much you benefit from their teachings and their proximity will depend on the effort you make.  It is not good enough to be in the company of saints.  One needs to listen, reflect and internalize the teachings of those saints and than,  put them into action in one's own life.  ( Shravan, Manan, Nidhidhyasan and Action )  And that is effort dependent, that is in your control and thus that is free will. Examples include that of Sage Valmiki.  He was a ruthless robber but he came in contact with the sages and after he received the RAM mantra he put in lot of effort and he became a saint himself.  there is also the story of Angulimaal who came in contact with Buddha ( that was destined to happen ) but than he put in lot of effort and became a realized soul.

 Similarly, finding spiritual books and scriptures happens through destiny and fate.  But what benefit I derive from those scriptures depends on my effort that I put in to study them and put those teachings into action.  Merely having those scriptures is not going to help.  If that was the case than every librarian will be the most learned and educated person in the world.  We know that does not happen.  Every bookseller will be a pandit.  Does not happen, we know that.

If the saint and the scripture says:  Be benevolent, engage in charity, do good to others, practice karma yoga, meditation etc and one understands what those mean but  does not put them into practice than even though one came in contact with the saint and received the teachings, even though one found the scriptures and  teachings, they are not going to do any good because unless I put them in to practice they are mere words.

It is a common observation that a classroom has many students and the teacher gives a lecture and explains the subject matter to all of them in the same manner, but how many actually get a good grade in the exam.  Not everyone who attended the lecture.  Only a few do, why ? because not everyone is paying the same dgree of attention in the class, not everyone  does home work after leaving the class, not everyone puts in the same effort in  continuing to study on their own after the class.

There are thousands of people when a saint is visiting a place and they are lsitening to the saint's words and teachings.  Saint is speaking to everyone, saint is bestowing the blessings on everyone at the same time. But for most of the people, words of the saint go in through one ear and out through the other.  Shravan ( listening ) is there but there is no manan ( reflection ) and therefore no nidhidhyasan.  And it would appear that there was no benefit from the visit to the saint.  Seeker and the devotee are  brought in the company of the saint because of destiny but lack of effort and free will on the part of them will keep them from benefitting from the holy company and the teachings of the saint.

When a saint has given us a teaching, whose responsibility is it  to do Manan and Nidhidhyasan followed by Action, and  after a saint has  shown us the path, who is the one who really needs to do the walking ? It is the seeker , the  student who has to do the walking.  That is free will.

Bade bhag manus tan pava, sur durlabh sab granthin gava - After great luck one gets the human body. All the scriptures sing that it is difficult even for Gods to get the human body.
If Destiny has granted the opportunity to come in contact with Saints, do no waste it.  Exert and exercise free will and take advantage of this rare opportunity. 

Uttishtha Jagrata Prapya Varan Nibhodata—“Arise, awake and stop not till the Goal is reached.”