Whenever we try to live a life of principles, we may often feel haunted by the possibility of fall downs. This concern becomes especially poignant when we see respected spiritual leaders suddenly and seemingly inexplicably fall into actions driven by sensuality or immorality. In such cases, we may struggle to make sense of the happening. To preserve our respect for them, we may attribute their fall to destiny. However, is this attribution valid?

Destiny can influence our actions, but it doesn’t take away our free will. Instead, destiny affects two factors that shape how we use our free will: the external conditions we find ourselves in and the internal conditionings we have to deal with. While these factors prompt us in certain directions, making particular actions more or less probable, they never render our actions inevitable.

Consider the interplay of conditions and conditionings as a four-quadrant diagram. The x-axis represents external conditions, which can be either positive (supporting virtue) or negative (tempting vice). The y-axis represents internal conditionings, which can similarly prompt us toward virtue or vice.

  1. Positive conditions and conditionings: When both external conditions and internal conditionings support virtue, we are least likely to fall.
  2. Mixed scenarios: If one is positive and the other is negative, the likelihood of a fall increases, depending on which influence is stronger.
  3. Negative conditions and conditionings: When both are negative, the risk of a fall becomes significantly high.

For instance, consider someone recovering from alcoholism. If they find themselves at a party where everyone unexpectedly starts drinking excessively (negative external condition) and simultaneously experience a surge in their craving for alcohol (negative internal conditioning), the convergence of these factors creates a double danger. The bhagavad-gita 2.67 warns about such scenarios, likening it to a boat being swept away by a stormy wind.

This analogy highlights how vulnerable situations arise when a fragile inner state (like a small boat) coincides with provocative external circumstances (stormy winds and rough waters). Even seasoned individuals—whether they are boatmen navigating a sea or spiritual practitioners navigating life—can be overwhelmed by such a confluence. However, seasoned boatmen stay alert to their surroundings and steer clear of danger, just as serious spiritualists should strive to be vigilant about their internal and external states.

A serious spiritualist can avoid such double dangers by:

  1. Noticing when their internal conditionings (such as cravings or frustrations) start becoming disruptively negative.
  2. Being aware of when their external conditions (like tempting situations) turn dangerously provocative.
  3. Steering clear of situations where both influences simultaneously escalate.

Thus, while destiny can reduce the scope for free will by creating challenging conditions and conditionings, it never takes away free will entirely. If we remain committed to ethical and spiritual standards, we can stay alert and proactive, protecting ourselves from fall downs even in difficult circumstances.

Summary:

  • Destiny affects our actions by influencing the external conditions and internal conditionings that prompt us in certain directions, but it doesn’t eliminate free will.
  • The risk of moral or spiritual fall downs is highest when negative internal conditionings coincide with provocative external conditions, creating a dangerous confluence.
  • By being vigilant about changes in internal and external factors, and by zealously steering clear of double dangers, we can protect ourselves from fall downs.

Think it over:

  • How and to what extent does destiny shape our actions?
  • Reflect on a time when you experienced a double danger due to a confluence of negative conditions and conditionings.
  • What clear and doable steps can you take to proactively notice and steer clear of such dangers in the future?

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02.67 As a strong wind sweeps away a boat on the water, even one of the roaming senses on which the mind focuses can carry away a man’s intelligence.