Is using anti-ageing treatments against karma? Can we extend life?
A male devotee (Name hidden) asked like this:
“Hare Krishna sir and I hope you are doing well. I was watching some K-dramas recently and I also read some scientific journals on aging. At this point I had doubts. The doubts are as follows:
Is using anti-aging compounds and medications a violation of karma? Technically, you are artificially extending your life. However, I am also aware that karma may still find a way to end your life at a particular time if you are meant to die at a certain age.
That would be all from my end for now. On a different note, I am now up to chanting 3 rounds instead of my former total of 2 rounds. I hope I can keep on improving further until I reach a total of 16 rounds a day. Thank you and Hare Krishna!”
REPLY:
Using anti age treatments is not sinful, but an unnecessary practice.
Beautification is done by most of the people.
Beautification is allowed only for women.
The wives are advised to beautify themselves ONLY TO please their husbands.
Even during Krishna’s period, Radharani and other Gopis decorated themselves to please Krishna.
(Different ways of adding karma and Tips for preventing it! READ HERE!)
However, your question is different. You have asked about anti-age treatments.
You have written as “anti-age treatments to extend life”.
Here, there is a misunderstanding.
Anti age treatments may delay the shrinking of the skin, but it will not extend the life.
Not only this anti ageing treatment, but no treatment can extend the lifetime.
Only breathing can be extended for the dying person, but it is just dormant breathing, but he can’t be made active.
When we take birth, our dying date and even time are also fixed and written in our Prarapth karma account for this birth.
My father was an astrologer. During an Ekadasi day, he told me when I was 15 years old: “I will not be alive after next ekadasi”.
We did not believe that. He was alright till 8am on the next ekadasi. But after that, he started feeling difficulty to breathe. At around 9am, he passed away.
That is why, I have not yet analyzed my own date of passing away. Let us live peacefully till we are alive. If we know our leaving date, we will lose peace of mind.
(Does freely using Pirated Softwares & Games add karma to us? READ HERE!)
Only a divine power can extend our lifetime. Srila Prabhupada was given lifetime by Krishna though he faced heart attack thrice.
If the death date has not yet come, one will survive from any type of situation.
However, interestingly, in the year 2019, when I was declared as dying by the doctors, I did not review my death date, but, I just checked whether that particular period was my dying period or not. My horoscope showed that that was not my period of death.
So, I told the doctors: “I will not die this time. My time has not yet come”
For their surprise, my heart strength started to increase and I recovered on the third day.
(Will Ekadasi fasting reduce the doshas and karma? READ HERE!)
During these testing (dying?) days, I was posting for the devotees and was attending their mails and messages from the ICU of the hospital by keeping Laptop there under special permission got by our relative who is working as a doctor in that hospital. I was also doing horoscope service.
Thus, our dying date is already fixed.
One can extend the date of death by being a very important devotee of Krishna if Krishna feels that his presence is needed for this world for some more period.
But, one can’t extend the life thru material way though heu spend all your wealth.
So, the anti age treatments can just keep the skin soft with less shrinking, that too, till a certain age only.
Those anti age treatments can’t extend one’s lifetime.
So, it is not negative karma.
If it is negative karma, all those who use fairness creams, face powder, hair oils, moisturizing soaps, etc will go to hell. Ha Ha. I myself am using a Glyserine soap because I have dry skin. If I use regular soaps, my skin dries more and itching starts.
(Karma involved in serving family & using the service of others! READ HERE!)
So, this is my advice in this matter:
Use any vegetarian soap; Use any vegetarian cream; these are all small things. What you should not do?
Don’t cheat others;
Be vegetarian who takes only Krishna Prasadam.
Fulfil your assurances/ promises strictly.
Follow your assigned duties;
Be Krishna Conscious. Follow discipline.
Respect others irrespective of their race, religion, etc., because Krishna resides in everyone.
These things are enough.
Don’t bother about Karma, fate, hells, etc., etc.
Don’t bother about whether using anti-ageing treatments against karma, extending life, etc.
(Why big Punishments for small sins are given by karma network? READ HERE!)