Royal family member: What is the difference between fate and destiny? And if we pray to the Supreme or to God, can we do anything to change it?

Sri Chinmoy: Fate is on one level, and destiny is the ultimate level. Destiny is much higher than fate. Ordinarily we use the word fate. Something good happens, and we say that it is my fate that I have got this thing. It is my fate, it is good luck. Again, fate can be bad, that I wanted something, but God did not fulfil my desire. If it is fulfilled, it is my good fate. If it is not fulfilled, it is my bad luck, bad fate.

Again, fate can be changed, if you know that something is going to happen to you. Suppose you have done something wrong. Then you will feel, “O my God, since I have done something wrong, my fate will be that I will be punished.” Then, if you pray to God for forgiveness for a long time, when the punishment time comes, God nullifies it.

When we do something wrong, naturally we will be subject to the law of karma, which is fate, in one month or two months. But in the meantime, if we pray to God for forgiveness, what happens? God changes the mind of that person who is supposed to punish us. God enters into him in the form of for-giveness, and the person says, “All right, let me for-give him or her.” This is how God protects the person who is the culprit. In such a peculiar way God enters into the person who wants to punish the one who did something wrong. Then the person says, “No, let me have peace and forgive that person.” So you see, fate is changed, by what? By your prayer.

Then there is another way to change your fate: to meet with some people who are praying and meditating. You may not pray every day, but there are some people who believe in God, who believe in Allah, and they pray and meditate. They have good qualities in their lives. If you are unable to pray and meditate every day, but if you can mix with them, it helps a lot. It is called being in the company of good people. If you mix with bad people, then you go out to a bar and drink and all that. But if you mix with good people, then you go to a mosque, or to a church or a temple. It depends on what kind of people we are mixing with. If you are mixing with good people, you will go to a mosque with them. If you are mixing with bad people, they will take you to a bar to drink. Always be in good company. They do not have to pray to Allah, they can pray to their God, for instance, Jesus Christ. If you are praying to Allah, and they are praying to their God, it is all one God, one God. They are good people, they are praying regularly, daily, the way you are doing, so if you mix with those people, it helps a lot to change your fate.

It is very difficult sometimes for one person to change his fate. But if we mix with some people who are also praying, who are also trying to be good people on earth, then it helps a lot. It is like a tug of war. If on your side there are more people than on your oppo-nent’s side, you are bound to win. If many good people are for you and you are for them, then you can easily change fate, alter fate. Fate can easily be changed if you pray and meditate and also mix with good people. There are good people on earth, and bad people on earth. But if you can mix with good people who regularly pray and meditate, they can help you.

You do not have to tell them, “I am in difficulty. Please help me, help me.” No, your prayer is reaching a particular height. Their prayers are also reaching a particular height, and then they mix together. You do not have to be outwardly conscious of those people who are helping you. They do not know even that they are helping you. They do not know even that you are helping them. If you mix with good people, their vibration helps you. When you look at them, you feel some joy, pure joy, so that is a help. If they smile at you, believe me, at that time you are getting help. You are getting more determination, more aspiration, more enthusiasm. When a good person smiles at you, you get so much strength. Then if a bad person looks at you, immediately you feel miserable: “Why did I look at his face?”

But destiny is something which comes at the end, very end. Our destiny is to realise the highest, Allah, and become fully one with Him. According to our Hindu philosophy, our daily activities are meas-ured. Everything that we do, that I am talking to you, you are talking to me, it is all registered. Everything that happens here, the question that you have asked, such a nice question, is recorded, and the answer is recorded.

Destiny is something very high. Our destiny is on a very high level, the highest level. Your life is completely changed because you have become one with Allah’s Will, with the Almighty Allah. You can say that fate, good and bad, is changing every day.

But destiny, the ultimate destiny, is to be fully one with the Will of Allah. That is destiny.

6 February 2006 Malaysia