The dynamic between fate and free will is often misunderstood. Many believe fate to be an immutable force, an unalterable script governing existence, while free will is seen as an absolute agency, a boundless power to shape reality at will. However, neither is entirely true.
The truth lies in awareness—in the quality of Attention that the Soul maintains as it moves through the currents of Time. Fate is not an external imposition but the unfolding of unconscious patterns, while free will is not a given but a function of consciousness. The more fragmented and conditioned one’s Attention, the greater the pull of fate; the more luminous and self-aware, the greater the possibility of true choice.
The more unconscious, patterned, and scattered the Attention of the Soul, the stronger the grip of fatedness.
When one's consciousness is fragmented—dominated by conditioned responses, habitual emotions, and unconscious karmic patterns—life unfolds in a seemingly predetermined way.
The individual is pulled by the forces of causality, reacting rather than consciously acting. This is why most people (including myself) feel trapped in cycles, believing that their fate is inescapable.
On the other hand, the more the Soul is conscious of its own Light, the greater the possibility of free will.
Through proper meditation, self-inquiry, and the guidance of a true Guru, the Soul begins to detach from its habitual identifications, realizing its own timeless essence beyond the fluctuations of Time. In this awakened state, the forces of karma and planetary influences remain present, but they no longer dictate one's movement.
A person anchored in Awareness moves freely regardless of external conditions. They may still experience difficulties, but they are not bound by them—they navigate through life with grace, wisdom, and inner stability.
This is the real meaning of spiritual liberation—not an escape from the world, but the ability to move freely within it without being enslaved by its patterns. Fate, then, is not an absolute law—it is a function of unconsciousness. The greater the Awareness, the greater the freedom.
Thus, Jyotish is the first moment of realization that something of this sort is even happening—the moment one sees the patterns patterning themselves and recognizes the underlying order of existence.
Yet, this realization alone is not enough. Without the proper means to integrate it, Jyotish can lead to fear, fixation, or paralysis in the face of karmic structures.
This is where Yoga becomes the true remedy—not just in the physical sense but in the deepest meaning of the word: Union with the Timeless. Proper Yoga, in its highest form, is the dissolution of unconscious patterns through meditation, self-inquiry, and direct experience of Awareness (of that which experiences).
The Guru, proper meditation, and conscious engagement with one’s inner Light are the keys to unlocking the highest form of free will—the ability to live aligned with the Timeless while moving through Time.
No amount of singing, dancing, rituals, or anything else will solve the problem of Time, the problem of Fate, which is also the problem of Death. It is only dhyāna (ध्यान) that is the true remedy.
To arrive at that remedy, we may need many more remedies, but dhyāna is the final boss of all remedies. The realization of this is the end of all seeking and searching. There is no more looking for answers, no more reliance on external aids—there is only simple practice, relentless practice of dhyāna.
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