Page 106 - Kailaspati: Paramhans Hansdevji Avadhoot

home after having committed a theft, came to that place. seeing the sage lost in meditation, he took him to be a thief who must have been busy stealing throughout the night, had got tired and hence was sleeping. he became curious about the amount of money stolen by that man. he sat reclining on the trunk of a tree and waited for the sage to wake up. The thief on the other hand felt tired and soon fell asleep. at dawn, on waking from meditation, the sage saw a man sitting at a distance. seeing him, the sage took him to be a great sage and wondered that in spite of the sun ready to rise, he was still lost in meditation. “Probably due to the dense darkness i failed to notice him,” thought he. he then paid his obeisance to him with all reverence.
in course of a discussion, a question was raised—What is destiny? is it possible for one to overcome its impact? said Baba in reply, “Deeds are of three kinds—acquired, destined and from daily action.” acquired deed is the sum total of whatever deeds one has done in his previous lives, that is to say, whatever is kept reserved for one to enjoy. as for destined deeds, one is destined to enjoy or face in present life. Baba then added, “Man is born to undergo what is destined for him. Destiny is therefore what a man is bound to undergo out of what is kept reserved. Destiny, sometimes, comes to a man both in the form of wealth and danger. as for instance, he said, if a good many things are kept preserved in a store-room and if something is taken out of it for use, then what is used is destined. and what is left to be kept reserved in the storehouse are deeds (Karma fal). Baba then added, “This destiny or destined is very strong.”
he was then asked, “Revered Baba, is there no escape for a man from destiny?”
he replied, “Everyone will have to undergo Destiny. Just as at mid day a traveller unfurls an umbrella over his head to avoid being exposed to the scorching sun, similarly if a devotee himself surrenders at the lotus feet of God, then the severity of his destiny is a little bit lessened.
he was again questioned, “What is meant by ‘deed from daily action’?”
84 Kailashpati