The Eyes of the VedasVedic Astrology is a very unique part of the rich body of Vedic knowledge that has become accessible to the West in recent times. “Jyotish,” the authentic Sanskrit name of Vedic astrology, is one of the six Vedangas, and is called the “eyes of the Vedas.” Jyotish represents the knowledge of the light of consciousness. The word “Jyotish” means light, and its knowledge allows us to really see ourselves by shedding light on the relationships between consciousness and matter, and the subtle balance between free will and predestination.In essence, we are all beings of light, and the purpose of our lives in this physical realm is for the awareness of “being the light” to penetrate and coexist with the experience of the limitations of the relative. As we enter this physical state, and the soul joins the body, some degree of this experience of being light comes along, but in different ways for different people. Jyotish has the amazing power to tell us in fine detail what our unique spectrum looks like, and where ignorance has blocked out specific colors. Just like the film in a camera gets permanently altered at the time of exposure according to the exact lightning conditions at that moment, the ability of a human being to experience its unbounded spectrum of cosmic light is altered at the time of birth according to the state of the cosmos at that specific time.
And just like a photo will maintain its exposure once the picture is taken, the individual will bring in a specific set of karma as described by the moment of birth.And how does Jyotish measure the intricate state of this hugely complex cosmos at the time of birth? By observing its dynamically changing state at a level where the least number of points are required: the position of the planets in the solar system. You could say that the planetary positions are an accurate reflection of all the other layers of natural law acting at any one time. Because the planetary motions are so isolated from everything else, and are governed by laws of gravity and momentum that do not mix with any of the complexity of what’s happening within the Earth’s atmosphere, it makes a clean and simple model that lends itself well to fine mathematical calculations.So Jyotish models nature’s dynamically changing state by observing the position and relationships between the nine Grahas (“planets”), the twelve Rashis (zodiacal signs), and twelve Bhavas (houses).
This does not mean that the planets are causing us to be and act in certain ways; they are merely observational points of this incomprehensibly complex universe.What is really important to understand is that the relevance of our surroundings, from the way your neighbor shovels the snow off the sidewalk to what is happening in a far away galaxy, is always subject to our unique perspective. In other words, you are the center of the universe for all matters that concern you. Jyotish reflects this by observing the planetary positions from the Earth’s perspective (that’s called a geocentric view), and specifically, from your birthplace’s perspective. This allows one and the same planetary position to have very different implications for different people. Taking it back to your neighborhood, the trees that were just planted will give the neighbors on the South side a great view, but the same trees may give unwanted shade for the folks on the North side.Free will and predestinationAt first sight, free will and predestination appear to be complete opposites. Free will means that we have the freedom of choice over what is happening in our lives, whereas predestination indicates a preset pattern that cannot be changed by will. Within the spiritual view that Jyotish offers us, the two are not as different as they seem. Yes, the chart reflects the karma at the time of birth and how this karma will unfold in a very precisely timed and sequenced fashion according to the dashas and transits, and that sounds a lot like predestination. However, the states of the planets not only show what we are most likely to experience, but also what we are most likely to choose. So according to what most people would consider their freedom of choice in their day to day life, much of those choices are predestined by our psychological tendencies and karmic behavioral patterns. Unless something takes us out of the loop, our past karma leads us to make choices that enforce that same karma, leading to similar choices, and so on.For example, somebody may have some fears in connection to relationships. As a result, potential partners will sense the doubts and be hesitant to commit from their side. The person in return will not choose to commit to a long-term relationship either, so the karmic pattern stays as it is. The true realm of free will lies deeper. As human beings that are capable of experiencing our own true Self beyond the limitations of the relative described by the planets.
