Response
May 2023
The limitations of AI
I refer to an excellent article by Suma Varughese, Man Must Triumph over Machine, in the March 2023 Life Positive issue, and fully agree with it. The development of a robot may be a very big scientific achievement, but it is not in the interest of humanity. When a number of production processes were automated, a large number of people became unemployed.
There is another danger. A robot consists of various circuits and parts. If they malfunction, what will be its effect on the robot? It is something we cannot predict. Probably it may become a statue!
-A S Dandekar, Mumbai
Script your destiny
I refer to a very good article by Shivi Verma titled The Fault in Our Stars, which appeared in the February 2023 issue of Life Positive. Our prarabdha karma is located as an energy field in our karan sharir (causal body). Planets act as activators and energisers so that this prarabdha karma fructifies. They are the karm phal data —givers of the fruits of our actions. Hence astrologers can predict the future and also describe our past life.
However, planets do not prevent us from carrying out fresh karma in the present. This is called kriyaman karma. With this, we can (to some extent) eliminate the bad effects of planets as well as find new ways and avenues for ourselves.
There is a power that is over and above the planets. Firm devotees, worshippers of gods such as Mahadev, Krishna, and Durga, as well as devotees of great saints and yogis, find relief from the energy field of bad karma. These energy fields and vibrations are nullified or diverted. In some cases, these are transferred to the next birth. In other cases, great and advanced yogis take them upon themselves and suffer so that their devotees can continue to tread the spiritual path.
Ultimately, it is we who are responsible and not the planets. Life is a unique combination of prarabdha and purushartha.
A S Dandekar, Mumbai
Balancing health and wealth
The Ins and Outs of a Well-thy Lifestyle, written by Sujatha Rao, in the April issue of Life Positive, was truly an inspirational piece. We as individuals have to make our own rules to keep ourselves healthy as well as wealthy. Without discipline, one cannot maintain a balance between these two aspects. The writer has shown us precisely how to achieve this. Hats off to her!
-Shashi Rekha, via email
Sujatha Rao has shown us very beautifully in her article in the April issue of Life Positive how to handle our lives, keeping both food and fitness in balance. She has made us understand how we need to prioritise the important aspects of our lives and give enough time and energy to these to ensure we remain healthy in all areas. She shows us that lifestyle diseases can be managed by taking our lifestyle more seriously, which is why they are called lifestyle diseases. As she says, it’s all about input and output in the right manner.
-Pavitra Raman, Chennai