IS DESTINY FINAL?

Memoirs of my Father, HH Shri Bhola Nathji (1902-1992) the Founder of the World Prayer Day for Peace.

There are many people who believe in destiny and many who dont. But for those who believe in destiny, like the millions in India and other parts of the world, this short episode from the archives of HH Shri Nathji may be of importance.

Those who believe in destiny also feel at times that since it is written in their fate, their destiny, that they must suffer, so there is nothing they can do about it but endure the suffering.

Omar Khayyam the famous Persian Poet had written this widely popular verse:

"The Moving Finger writes, and having writ, moves on,

Nor all thy piety nor wit shall lure it back to cancel half a line,

Nor all thy tears wash out a word of it."

But HH Shri Nathji had something else to say. He would often say:

"IT is too bad Khayyam died before I could meet him, or I would have told him otherwise.."

The picture of 1955 below shows HH Shri Nathjii writing with a pen.This picture hung on the wall of his home at Mussoorie in the Hamalayas.

Two visitors who were his devotees and had great faith in him, came to see him. While they waited for him to come they began to look at his picture on the wall. While appreciating the graceful divine look of the portrait one of them said:

"I wonder what he is writing?"

"He must be writing our destiny!" said his friend.

"And what if he has written something adverse in our destiny!" said the first.

HH Shri Nathji had been listening to their words and just then walked into the room and said:

"If you dont like what I have written, I will scratch it out and write it all over again!!"

There was such a depth of meaning in these words. Indeed no destiny written by the hands of God could be irrevocable. He could if He so willed scratch everything out and write it all over again!!

If any ordinary human being has the power to scratch out his own writings and write them all over again then why cannot God, who is All Powerful and Master of His Own Will, have the liberty to erase whatever he has written and write it all over again.

Who is there who would come to stop him? So there is hope for mankind regardless of what the pandits or the astrologers or the religious bigots say!

God can at any time change the destiny of man if it so moves him, or if the prayers or repentance of man reach Him and He is filled with Mercy and Forgiveness.