Fate and free will

*Fate and Free Will*

The fields of two farmers were identical in size and had similar kinds of soil. They worked equally hard, tilled their lands well and sowed seeds of uniform quality. The rainfall over the fields was neither excessive nor scanty and so the crops grew well. At the appropriate time, they commenced their harvesting. Before they left for their homes on an evening, they were able to behold with joy large heaps of grains, the result of their efforts. There was hardly any difference in the yields obtained by them. 

That night, while they slept, there was a very heavy downpour on one land and only a light drizzle on the other. The next morning, when they went to their lands, one was dismayed to find that the rain had ruined his grains while the other felt relieved that his heaps of grain were intact. 

Thus, notwithstanding the similarity in their efforts, the results they obtained were markedly dissimilar. It was the unfavourable destiny of one farmer and the favourable fate of the other that led to the loss of the former and the gain of the latter. Those who have faith in the Vedas and sastras and are logical do not regard the experiences of humans as just fortuitous. 

Two students wrote an examination. The boy who had studied better answered all except two questions well. The other  managed to answer just two questions correctly. The examiner was an impartial but a lazy man. He scrutinized two of the first boy's answers. They happened to be the incorrect ones. Assuming the other answers too to be incorrect, he awarded the  boy low marks. 

Then, he took up the second boy's answer book. The answers he selected for checking happened to be the correct ones. Taking it for granted that the remaining answers were also correct, he awarded the boy concerned high marks. On seeing the results, the boy who had studied better grieved, while the other rejoiced. Thus, hard work fetched a poor result and poor preparation yielded good marks. Here too, the hand of  destiny is seen. 

*To be continued...*

*Source: From Sorrows to Bliss - Motivating Narratives.*

*Published by the Centre for Brahmavidya, Chennai.*