Destiny...or is it?

Hello people,

Its becoming a rather evryday thing isnt it?Hope u arent gettin bored already? :P Ohh i forgot ...for that u wud actually hav to visit the blog n read it...which doesn seem so (other than for a couple of guys !)...for all i no it seems m talkin to myself here!! :P Neways that is fun too...if u cant talk to urself once in a while then how will u talk to others!!

Ok,enof of fundas...the topic for the day is(without sounding newsreader-ish :P) DESTINY
How is it defined?Is it a micro scale or macro scale thing?Does it allow for free will or does it override it?Or are there different levels of freewill like a more daily n local one,by which u decide what to wear,where to go,what to eat,etc and a more broader and meaningful freewill which makes u the person u are and decides what u do with life? And finally is all of it written in stone...or is some of it editable??

To begin with what do we call destiny?? The power that controls what is to happen in future...hmm...It is what will happen to a a person in future.We all have at sometime or other said, 'Its all destiny yaar' or 'Yeh toh saale ki kismat thi' ,but does this thing exist? I am sure all have heard the classical arguments for and against it existence.
For: No matter what you do life will take its own course.U are destined to a lead a particular life and so shall be.It is all written beforehand.
Against: Life is what man makes of it.What is do or dont is on me and not on some false idea of a all controlling destiny.i decide what i want to become.A pilot or a plumber!! And my hard work is what defines my progress and state in life.

Now we come to a very interesting point.Are the choices we make random are really freewilled? For eg: (lets say) Jay has lead a very measured and a predictable life till now. Some school and then some college. Nothin exceptional or out of the blue. He (like everyone else) learns from the people around forms his opinions on what he sees and reads.When he was in school he took interest in astronomy and space science,like most other school kids.Read those fancy space books and was really fascinated by them. Then school ended and he just went along with the crowd.studied science and then chemical engineering.And in the due course of time he realised that this just wasnt right!!What a waste of time it had all been.He felt wasted bout the fact that he had given into the system and 'what was expected of a boy like him' so easily, specially so being a non conformist that he always was.He dint like the idea of someone else mapping out what he was to do life.Just the kind of person who would say, 'I make my own destiny'. And in one of the college festivals,he met a science professor who rekindled his interest in space science.During the last two years of his life he started taking keen interest in astronomy again.After having studied the best way he could today he applied for a seat in a degree in space science in the best research institute in the country.

He has a 6 hour train journey to make to the examination centre.Being such a crucial exam he plays it safe and leaves a day in advance.In the train he meets a stranger, Mr Sen.Although older than him in years and experience they get along well.Talk about various things both philosophical and everyday like.And they finally stumble upon the topic:destiny. Mr Sen tells him that, ' All that you see around you, my dear friend, is destined' and that it was destined that Jay would write this exam one day and if God willing pass it too. This thought of destiny is repulsive to Jay.He doensnt like the fact that after having faced so much of trouble in life and having studied so hard, all it means is that his destiny and not he himself is responsible what he is today. And that even his passing in the exam should be God's will n not his own.He argues vehemently againt it but realises that Sen does have a point.Afterall Jay has done things in life he never really wanted to do and outcomes he never really wanted but still through all that he sailed through and is here now. Still he doesnt like th idea that he hasnt been the sole controller of his life.He even plays with teh thought of skipping the exam and proving it to Sen that he is sole controller! But other than the idea being absolutely ridiculous he realises that it could be easily argued that his meeting Sen and dropping the exam was destined too, if he were to take that step.He does accept that things hadnt worked out as logically as he had planned...when he wanted study astronomy he went into chemical engg and when he thought having got into it he would continue with research he came back to his original love.Reluctantly accepting that there is some sort of abstarct force controlling the direction of events he bids Sen farewell. He really cant afford to be worked up day before his exam and waste his energy on this...but he puts it on his 'to do list after exam.

Now coming back to the discussion ...is destiny micro level or macro level? As in is it applicable for bigger things in life like career,where u live , ur partner ,etc or is it equally applicable for more everyday things like where i will go tom or what will i wear, etc? Can u plan out of destiny?We all love planning dont we? And making lists...of this and that and what not.Look back and check how many of those plans actually did work out :P somewhere i read...if u wanna make God laugh make plans! So though plans do keep life interestin and giv us somethin to wok on they certainly do not totally define the future! The smaller things we still have direct control over...but the bigger things in life I do believe are affected by a force that is above us(call it wateva u please)..Jay surely hadnt planned on meeting that professor who catalysed his interest back into space science.Maybe he dint even want to go to the science fair...he was just pulled along by his friends.Such arbitrary and seemingly small things do sometimes change the way we look at life and what we make of it.Suppose u randomly pick up a book which changes ur life..is that then destiny?or wud u then argue there is no destiny...and it was ur hand that picked up the book and not destiny's.

Another very famous and overly used application of destiny(and one of my personal favs) is finding your love/partner/spouse.It has been the topic of many a movies and books alike and m sure will be for some more to come.Because all of us love this idea that there is one for each one of us,somewhere in the world and that he/she will come to us.It might take time but will surely happen!!I dont believe in this one so much...Its amazin hw we got arnd to believe such things...movies n books mayb :P and the quest for eternal romance!! Butstill i like the idea of it.The idea that come what may(which includes years of separation,marriage or even children) the lovers will eventually reunite!!Very filmy na...hence appealing mayb! :P Ohh btw if u like this idea too,then watch the movie 'Definitely Maybe'.It makes my top 10.

Now tryin to summarise and bring to end this seemingly never ending set to arguments and counter arguments..Destiny to me definitely exists...it defines what becomes of you.It definitely makes space for freewill(afterall one should have some sense of control in one's life). It remodifies itself according to the actions(karma if u may call it) u take but in the long run I would like to believe that it is defined by the person you and your value system.Actions are like the ATM card required to encash destiny.It is like a river's path.How much ever unrest and expression of freewill the flowing water may cause...finally it has to flow along the river's path.A drop doesnt see the bigger picture and hence believes that wateva it does is totally freewilled.Destiny is surely lot more than a retrospective excuse for something that dint turn out the way you wanted it too!!So if u tell me that Ambani got rich coz he had the stars...that is true!!But he had to encash his stars!!Now since the density of the word destiny has gone really high...i shall stop here!! :P
I do believe that good things happen to good people(they are made to wait a lill or a lot for it) and I would also like to believe that my gal is around there somewhere... :) I dont hope to meet her (or even the possibility of her being her)very soon...let both of us take time... ;)

So my dear reader the question is(if u have infact gotten so far reading this :P ) Do you believe in destiny?

p.s. Jay did pass the exam and is now in the final year of his course.I say that boy is destined to make it big!! ;)

So long people,
PC