Destiny
In a comprehensive way, destiny is a predetermined or inevitable course of events that is bound to happen to a person irrespective of their how differently their lives turns out. Let us firstly understand that destiny is a spiritual and not a logical concept. We as humans have come to accept that the there's more to life than we can see, feel, know or even comprehend. The concept of destiny is born out of the acceptance that the spiritual aspect of the existence of man irrespective of how inconspicuous it appears to be, controls the physical that we all know.
This is to say that before a person can accept the concept of destiny, they have to be spiritually incline and believing that every course of events that happens in the life of man no matter the road they take, the change they enacted, the life-changing decisions they make will result in one particular outcome as decided or perceived by an all-powerful and all knowing sovereign entity; God.
A Workable Perception?
Now because I am a spiritually inclined person, I believe in destiny, but I do not believe that it is static, redundant or overly irreversible like so many people champion it to be. This is because why I'm spiritually inclined, I'm a logical and realistic person because I do believe that we have to attain a state of balance in every of our belief, in other to form our own workable perception of what is and what "isn't". I would have to refer to the Bible.
A man called Jabez, his destiny was to be poor, miserable and unfortunate and this was because the circumstances that surrounded his existence determined his destiny. A lot of people do not know that the concept of destiny is often coined from the circumstances that revolves around one's state of reality. This Jabez of a person changed the course of his destiny, by taking actions, real-time spiritual and physical decisions that eventually changed the course of his life.
In my own way, I define destiny as the default state of one's existence that is changeable or unchangeable
So because I believe in God, I believe in the concept of destiny, but due to the different manifestation in so many biblical allusions, destiny has been proven to be escapable rather than inevitable. Destiny might not appear realistic in the actual sense, but there are certain bizarre happenings in the life of people that might have made them feel that destiny is unavoidable, however, when destiny takes a positive out turn, it might individually require discretion, recognize that destiny and working towards attaining or repelling it if it turns out to be negative.
However, destiny isn't a result, it's a state that is attainable dependent on the physical or spiritual contribution of a person. However, for people who are not spiritually inclined, it might be totally difficult, because it doesn't work on the plane of logic. Fate feels more realistic because it deals with the present, but what isn't realistic is believing that despite one's striving they'll meet a certain future. It's also believed that destiny is what one is meant to do, but at the end of the day, most people cull a separate and unique definition of destiny based on their individual story and experience.
Karma
Karma in a comprehensive way means the effect of an action. It's the belief that every action has a corresponding reaction, causality in a nutshell. I know that a lot of people believe in the law of karma, it isn't just religious but systemic. It taps into the core of how humanity tends to narrow down what is right or wrong how we tend to form our normative values. The simplest logic behind the explanation of karmic effect is that, "good goes for good" while "evil goes for evil".
Most times people subconsciously believe this without knowing they're tapping into the very fabrics of spirituality. Most of the time, people take comfort in the fact that karma eventually catches up with people cannot be tamed or punished for their good deeds, but then, irrespective of the fact that this might be true, it isn't always true. Now the afterlife is a huge aspect of karma, however, since no one has died and come back alive to prove that karma has a complete cyclical perfection, we keep on holding on to it as a more spiritual and religious perspective to life rather than what can be empirically proven.
How Intertwined Is Karma & Destiny?
Destiny and Karma are all about what will "happen". They're intertwined to an extent. However, I wouldn't really say I believe in Karma, inasmuch as I believe in destiny. As for Destiny, it's probably the aspect of reckoning with metaphysical phenomena that makes me see it as a thing. Karma on the other hand is more about causality. In reality, we've seen how systemic it can manifest, but we can't exactly say the law of karma is certain. This is because it's more about what we believe in rather than what is actually factual.
We believe in a supernatural force, punishing people for their bad deeds and rewarding them for good deeds vice versa. However, to how realistic this is, is what we cannot prove. However, is there a way to believe in destiny without believing in Karma? No. This is because these concepts feels believable when we reckon with the spiritual, forces of good and evil and the existence of an all seeing one. At the end Of the day, people believe in these things not on reasons that are obvious, but based on how their experiences have formed the convictions they have.
Interested in some more of my works?
A Personal View Into The Meaning Of Spirituality (ecoTrain QOTW)
Why You Couldn't Create Good Contents In 2021, Why You Still Wouldn't In 2022.
A Psychoanalytic Dive Into Incentivized Loyalty
The Nigerian/African Disposition On Marriage As An Endowment
Living & Living Unintentionally (The Financial Repercussion)
@Josediccus, your brother-in-pen & heart
I'm hoping to reach more people who are broken at heart and spirit, so share on any platform or reblog
really great response! In particular i like that you have understood that Destiny may well not be as fixed as many people thing. WHen we realise this, things start to make more sense! glad to see you take part this week!
Yeah, I do tend to believe that destiny can be influenced to turn out rather differently, it's a spiritual concept and from all my experience and learning, i've come to see that it might not be as fixed as its often championed.
This is beautifully written. Truth be told, I learnt a lot going through this piece. Thanks so much for sharing...
Bringing it down to our mentality as Nigerians, most of us believe karma exist. They believe that karma will surely catch up with you someday and you will have to pay for the bad things you did.
But again, the believe that it happens later isn't feasible anymore.. Just like the saying goes, "the evil men do love with them and not after them anymore". So should we now say karma isn't an after effect anymore but an instant punishment?
While karma can be true there's not certainty to prove that it its predominantely sovereign like web often champion it. If its so, then all Nigerian bad leaders will be paying for all the attrocities they've committed. Sometimes karma works when we least expect it, but it's not certain and hence not truly feasible. Thanks for dropping by.
This alone sums it all.. Karma truly works when we least expect. Thanks for reminding me about this.
You are truly a great man.
Many people have made this look as if being spiritual gives you access to all things forgetting that there is a place for hard work and serious commitment and for some reasons most people will fold arms and be demanding that God will drop manna...
I so like your content because it will help another to sit back and rethink on his/her life, check where there is an imbalance and try to balance it 'cus that is where destiny can be changed unlike Jabez, he did not balance his life with God until he realized the meaning of his name.. thank you
Exactly, there's always the need for hardwork and the reliance that destiny is unchangeable and fixed is why some people never cuts it and hardly live up to the expectations sorrounding them.
That's the aspect. The experiences design our perceptions and that becomes our very reality. How vague are these concepts that we cannot explain them fully. They are like tastes that can only be sensed but not explained to others.
As spiritual and religious beings we have scriptures to believe on Destiny, but I wonder if the concept is that limpid in scriptues as we usually portray it to be. For instance, we are told that destinies cannot be changed but then we are also insisted to pray for bringing the goodies to us.
In the scripture, God's words reiterated that one can change their destinies or at least alter them to a fault. However in some other religion, this can be surprising different, nevertheless, people believe in what they believe based on their experiences and perception like you've rightly pointed out.
That's true, but what is believed on generally is that the destinies are unchangeable. In scriptures there might be written something like that nothing can happen against God's will and/or design. It might have a very different exlplanation for it but we surrender like we do not have any power at all.
Honestly speaking, Destiny is a way we use to hide our flaws. For instance, I see this too much in my society. People give (marry) their daughters to someone without really investigating in which circumstances they are putting her into, if the environment of in-laws, the man is apt for her, then they blame the destiny for her discomforts and pains. And, in the names of destiny, these women are taught to manage their lives in whatever situation they are.
I say this all the time, the fact that you are a spiritual person does not take away your ability to reason. And a lot of times I find people especially religious ones make spirituality look like a person has to be gullible to be truly spiritual.
Even the Bible preaches wisdom in all things and wisdom comes from the application of knowledge using the mind.
This is totally true, gullibility feels like a feature of spirituality but then, the truth is, at every point in time, we should try balancing it out. I believe in destiny, but this doesn't mean I don't have to work hard, there's logical to how we can duly practice the true meaning of spirituality. Thanks for dropping by.
There are some things that our belief or disbelief can't change. Because they are universal principles that guides the world irrespective of your age, race, religion, culture, etc. And one of such things is this topic. Its rather better to accept rather than to choose to believe or not because belief system is irrelevant here.
You're right. Whether we believe or not, there are things that are existent, beyond our natural phenomenon that play important roles to how the world works. Something like destiny is part of it. Thanks for dropping by.
You're welcome. Then thanks for putting this out as well. It will enlighten more people at least.
Very interesting way you put it...tells me you did put in a lot of thoughts into this....thanks for the light of knowledge