Is it true that one’s nature can’t be changed in the same life?
A girl devotee (Name hidden) asked like this:
“Hare krishna prabhu. Prabhu is it true that a person’s nature cannot change in the same life? What does Lord Krishna say about this Prabhu? Radhe Radhe. I am really confused whenever I recollect this statement as it makes me think that it means a person who is ill natured will remain ill natured throughout his life! Am so much upset about this. So I thought you can only help me out prabhu. Please help. Hare Krishna”
REPLY:
It is partly true and partly not and all depend on the level of efforts he takes to change his nature through some stages.
But, One’s nature can be changed in the same life ONLY IF he takes serious steps to change the same and follows the devotion to Krishna seriously.
In general, the character that comes through the genes are very difficult to change.
Let us see some examples for that:
(1) Some persons are always remaining unclean. Even if he wears a decent dress, he does not hesitate to pass urine on the road side. Some others never pass urine though he has serious urinating urge. This decency comes through genes. Long time back in a winter, I was walking through the Anna Salai in Chennai and felt serious urge to urinate beyond control. I could not find any toilets there at that time. I never urinate on road side or in hidden places. So, I went to a big hotel and ordered milk and also used the toilet there. So, to pass urine, I had to spend Rs.25 for milk. Thus, being decent or indecent on road is also in our genes.
(2) Many persons (I too) will be very much careful not to expose their bodies publicly. Others may not care much even if some parts of his body is exposed. This is also genetic. Very difficult to change this.
(3) Some persons will behave with opposite gender of people indecently even if they are in high status. This is also genetic. Very difficult to change.
(4) Being careless in the neatness of body is also genetic. That is why, the body and teeth of even some popular persons smell bad because of poor bathing and brushing.
(5) Some persons will throw the wastes on the streets in an irresponsible manner. This carelessness is also genetic.
(6) Some persons may be good financially. However, they will have a silly nature of fighting for small things of just one or two rupees/ dollars. This silly nature is also genetic.
These are just some examples for the nature by birth. This nature is shown in their horoscope itself.
The characters that are shown in one’s horoscope is very difficult to change. The horoscope is for one’s entire life. Only the characters shown by Rahu and Ketu can be changed in the middle of the life. Other characters will be very difficult to be changed.
You may ask whether one can be changed totally if he follows devotion to Krishna. Possible, but, it is not the total stoppage. Only suspension of his original characters takes place when he involves in devotion.
That means, he will not show his character by birth (genetic) ONLY UNTIL he follows devotion seriously and detaching from material attachments. If he allows a small break in his devotional followings, his genetic character will come up again.
That is why, some times, even some big devotees commit violations in their devotional life. Some fall down violating his guru. Some take part in the violations with the people of opposite gender and fall. Some even loot the properties of God. Some misuse the funds collected from the public. Some ill treat the other devotees. Some make politics in a devotee community.
Why these things happen even among the devotee circles?
This is because their genetic nature by birth is still dominating since they did not follow the devotion properly.
That is why, I am crying in my writings that the ritualistic devotional practices alone will not be sufficient. We should reduce and then stop giving importance to the materialistic way of life with too much of material attachment.
Unless we ourselves do not feel that material detachments, that means, we are not sufficiently advancing in devotion.
The apparent sign of growing in devotion to Krishna is developing material detachment gradually. When a devotee sufficiently gets material detachment, his genetic nature by birth is suspended and he behaves like a new person that is called a new birth.
That is why even taking Diksha from a guru is also called a new birth. Because the brahmanas who have been initiated as abrahmana are called twice born, ie, once through womb and again when they are initiated as a Brahmana wearing a sacred thread and chanting Gayathri manthra. However, to make it really as a new birth, diksha should be given only for the serious followers of devotion. If the Brahmana diksha is given for the unqualified and casual devotees without proper evaluation, that leads to a devotee community with offenses. That is, initiated, but, not yet prepared to be a responsible person.
Hari Nam Diksha is the first diksha and it indicates the start of devotional life. It is not the completion of diksha process, but a beginning stage to practice to take Brahmana and sanyasa dikshas. So, further dikshas such as Brahmana diksha and sanyasa diksha are the dikshas that show one’s qualification to perform all the services to the deities and to guide a group of devotees. Hari Nam diksha should not be used as a sole indication to find one’s devotional status because it is just a start of devotional way of life and the activities of that hari nam initiated devotees are closely observed to be considered for Brahmana diksha. So, Brahmana and sanyasa dikshas are to be given only after very rigorous evaluation of his level of material detachment and attachment to Krishna. Taking Brahmana diksha wearing sacred threads and chanting Gayathri Manthra indicated some advancement in devotional way of life. Though Hari nam diksha is the first stage of our devotional development, if you truly take steps to change your materialistic nature and dedicate to serve Krishna, even the hari nam diksha can be considered as a new birth. So, the consciousness only matters, not just the process.
This is the right way of producing a devotee community that has successfully skipped the genetically acquired bad nature and has acquired the taste in the service to Krishna.
So, the result is that changing one’s genetic nature by birth is conditional and only a small percentage of the people succeed in it. Definitely, they are not the majority.
Hope you are clear.