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Suffering, a creation of a closed mindset

People often go to the Astrologers for predictions as to whether their times to come are good or bad. Often many money-minded Astrologers use these opportunities to instill fear in the people's minds so that they become their regular customers. Once fear takes over, such people approach the astrologers again and again to find the right time to start different activities, find Muhurats, wear the stones, and do the "Totkas" told by the Astrologers.

 It is not that Astrology is not accurate, but the way it is used by some Astrologers to make money is really sad. I have been doing research in Astrology for the last 14 years. It helps us understand how the forces of nature operate inside our bodies. The right understanding of Astrology is quite helpful in spiritual evolution. It makes us realize and see the temporariness of this entire world with our naked eyes. We can see that when Lagna is afflicted and the Dasha of the planet afflicting Lagna approaches, how a person faces difficulties but at the same time, we can also see how such Dasha bring transformation to the lives of many people because they are ready to grow.

All the pains and pleasures are defined by our present understanding of the world. A person inside the well may be quite happy and any compulsion to come outside the well may appear to be a major trouble when such a person evaluates the same from inside the well. He may keep resisting such a possibility if he has a closed mind. However, Mahatma Gandhi saw a possibility of a free country when he was thrown out of the train. Bhagat Singh saw the possibility of inspiring the entire nation with his sacrifice when he was being hanged. Some of the best scientific inventions have emerged from the failure of the original plan.

How can a frog inside the well get to know the possibilities outside the well? How will a person who has made "money" as his winning formula in life understand that money has a very limited utility? Not so that he does not see the real-life examples, but he sees and ignores them. He does not dare to challenge his lifelong beliefs. The delusion of "money being the center of life" is often removed by the circumstances when he faces health issues, the death of family members, depression, and other mental issues. However, he makes mental stories that perpetuate his delusion. Some of the Astrologers help him perpetuate these mental stories for their benefit. They make money by making such people afraid by predicting a "bad" future and then telling expensive remedies whereby they make a lot of money.

Unless we try to understand what suffering is, we can probably never be happy. Life inside a seed may appear to be "safe". However, for "growth", it will have to take up the challenge to go inside the soil, develop the roots, come out of the soil to the open sky, and learn to make food directly from the Sun so that the full potential of a seed is realized. Life is not about being "safe" inside the shell of money, powers, positions, or beliefs. It is all about constant growth. One can "grow" in the most difficult situations. Victor Frankl developed "Logotherapy" in Nazi concentration camps. Rama became "Rama" because he stayed in the forest for 14 years and fought the battle with Ravana with very limited resources. There are opportunities for "growth" even in the most difficult situations. Unless we change the purpose of our life from "comforts" to "growth", we will keep being afraid of any and every change and refuse to grow. The more we are fixated on comforts or beliefs, the more we suffer. The more we are aware of the relativity of every perspective, the less we suffer and the more open we are to exploring new possibilities. All sufferings appear to be just the creation of a closed mindset. 

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