"Is my life pre-destined?" - Sadhguru answers

[Questioner] Weve grown up believing in destiny that okay this was predestined

so and this is the first time Ive heard from you that,

you know its basically in our own hands.

So I would like to know how really it is in my own hands to get something done. Thank you.

[Sadhguru] See if it is predestined there is no such thing as right path and wrong path

because you cannot even choose the path, isn't it?

So you saying it is all destined and still making an effort to walk the right path - doesnt make sense. Isnt it so?

So definitely it's not predestined; otherwise thats why you are still trying to see what is the right thing to do. Isn't it so?

If everything is predestined where is the need for you to think why, which is right, which is wrong?

Anyway this is the way youre going to go. Is that the reality? No, thats not the reality, isn't it?

If two paths come you can chose this one or this one? Do you have the choice or no?

See you are trying to absolve yourself of all the mistakes that you make in your life.

[mumbled speech]

[Sadhguru] Now, when you say whenever I make a wrong choice it's all predestined -

you are only trying to absolve yourself on the mistakes that you make, isn't it?

You dont want to see that Ive made a mistake. You want see Oh it happened because it's Gods will.

Now too much bull like this has been going on for too long, too long

and this is the reason why something thats a natural progression of life has become so difficult for human beings.

Enlightenment is not something that you have to force upon yourself;

it is a natural progression of development but youre not allowing that natural progression to happen

because you are creating these kinds of contradictions.

We will take, what you said as example there are many many examples different ways.

Now you say on one level everything is predestined;

on another level you are a choosing a way out of your present whatever, isn't it?

[mumbled speech]

[Sadhguru] You are causing the confusion because first thing you started I believe everything is predestined.

That means you are starting...

[Questioner] I have been brought up to believe.

[Sadhguru] Okay whichever way. [All laugh] Okay we pass the buck to the parents. [All Laugh]

I have been brought up to believe, so now I believe is it okay? [Laughs]

And even that believing is not mine; I have been brought up to believe. [Laughs]

Youre believing means you are assuming something that you do not know, isn't it? Yes?

Why do you believe something? Like for example, how many of you believe in God, please raise your hand.

The sleeping ones also please. [Laughter]

Okay. How many of you believe no God? Please raise your hands. 1 2 3 4

what is this half hand? [Laughter] You? Okay 6.

Okay. Some people believe there is God; some people believe there is no God.

How many of you believe that you have two hands?

All such people just raise one hand. [Participants Laugh] Yes maa? Yes?

Okay. Do you believe that you have two hands or do you know that you have two hands?

[Participants] We know.

[Sadhguru] You know. Even if you have no eyes to see these hands, still do you know that you have hands?

[Participants] Yes.

[Sadhguru] Yes. Its a living experience, isn't it?

Even if you cannot see them you still know you have hands.

With hands you know, with God you believe why?

[mumbled speech]

[Sadhguru] Hum?

[Participant] No experience with God.

[Sadhguru] So you are full of bullshit thats what it means.

Somewhere you are not sincere enough to admit I do not know thats your problem.

Everything that you do not know you want to say, I believe with great confidence.

And if you go on like this your life will become a bigger and bigger mess

because you are assuming things and trying to live.

And your assumptions are not so strong enough because your mind is not simple enough.

You may assume one thing but the other part of the mind is continuously asking questions.

If you had a very simple childlike mind your assumption is all that you had you would become a devotee. It will work.

That will work but now you have a little more complex intellect.

It doesnt accept any assumption totally.

It accepts only to the extent it's comfortable, convenient beyond that it doesnt.

Right now your belief in God is just like this.

You do everything that is important to you God is like an insurance on the side.

I have also paid my premium [Laughter]

in case something goes wrong. Isn't it so?

All the vital aspects of your life you are holding it in your hands.

(Are you or..) Are you holding it or no?

Your money, your children, everything that matters to you, you are holding it in your hands.

God is like insurance, just in case something goes wrong,

I also paid my premium. Every week I came and saw you God what are you doing? [All Laugh]

This doesnt work. Because of this deception life has become such a mess.

It's not because of God or no God you become a mess. You become a mess because of all this deception.

This is the nature of your mind. We are not talking about God, I want you to understand.

We cannot talk about God; we are only talking about the deceptions of your mind.

On a certain day a bull just sort of strayed into the forest.

Nice greenery so he just strayed into the forest grazing, grazing, grazing, he went deep into the forest.

An old lion who was little past his prime, who was having trouble hunting for his food just saw this big fat bull.

His mouth salivated. A bull is a easier thing to hunt compared to the animals of the forest.

So he just waited, stopped the bull and attacked him, killed him and ate him up.

His stomach became real full. With this full stomach with great satisfaction he roared.

A few hunters were passing that way. They heard the lion roar;

so they tracked him down and shot him dead.

The moral of the story is when you are so full of bull you should not open your mouth. [All Laugh]

Too many assumptions. Too many assumptions; with these assumptions people are going on with great confidence.

Disaster is all that can happen. What else can happen?

If you are not in touch with reality and if you (grow at) go at great speed will you head for disaster or no? Hum?

You will definitely head for disaster either as an individual or as a whole society;

you definitely head for a disaster if you are running on too many assumptions. Isnt it so?

Can we keep our assumptions aside, just look at reality the way it is.

It doesnt matter what your mother said, what your grandmother said,

what your father said or your forefathers said; they said whatever they knew or whatever nonsense they believed

or whatever nonsense they wanted you to believe that is also there, [Laughs] isn't it?

They might have put many things they themselves dont believe because they wanted you to believe something.

Havent they done it? Arent you doing it?

So it's okay. They said whatever they knew but you have your intelligence to look at life, isn't it? Yes?

You have a father or you have a mother; does it mean to say you should not employ your intelligence?

Is that the law? Is that the law? Then why do you say I was brought up to believe?

They can say anything they want; you still have your intelligence, isn't it?

Nobody can bring you up to believe anything. They can only feed you and make your body grow.

Everything else they can speak whatever nonsense they speak;

you still have your intelligence which is discerning enough, isn't it?

But you kept it in your pocket; you dont want it to come out because if it comes out

then you have to struggle through knowing things and figuring out things and all this.

No my father said this, this is the reality. My grandfather also said the same thing so that is the reality.

With this kind of attitude you know where we have taken the world? Huge disaster, isn't it? Isnt it so?

So now if you really want to know where I stand - first thing is strip off all the assumptions from your life;

just come to bare essentials. What is it that I know; what is it that I do not know; let's start from there.

Then we can go somewhere. Now you don't know which way, it doesnt matter but do you understand this;

if you want to start a journey you can only start your journey from that point where it is experientially true for you. Yes? Yes?

Is that the right place to start your journey? Is that common understanding?

First let's come there then which way to go, we will see later.

First get there; first drop all your bull; come to the place where you are right now;

what is the next step then well chart it out.

We dont have to chart out the whole path right now. We will just chart out what is the next step.

According to your understanding you take the next step.

When it works we will chart out just one more step.

If it works, the next step. Okay is that fair enough? Yes?