The
Limitations of Learning Astrology
Learning
astrology is usually a private hobby, or for some – a private
obsession. Once you’ve learned enough to realize that astrology
is a sacred science that can give you reliable insights into your
life and other’s lives you’re at risk of becoming obsessed.
You’ve entered the minority of people on the planet who have
seen beyond the all-too-common notions of astrology as foolish hearsay
and astrologers as fortune telling charlatans. You’ll likely
find yourself buying more books than can fit on your shelf and spend
many late nights trying to make sense of the puzzle of existence.
However, the path of astrology is typically a solo journey. You
may get readings, take local classes, or eventually attend an annual
conference but basically you’re on your own. There are self-study
certification courses available but astrology is generally not recognized
as a valid science. It is not taught at colleges or universities
(except in some parts of India) even though long lists of famous
scientists believed in astrology.
Astrology - The Unrecognized Science
This
is all quite ironic because archaeologists have found ancient records
of the study of astrology in the ruins of almost every ancient civilization
– Greece, Babylon, China, Rome, India. It is the oldest science
in the world and the mother of astronomy. Many of the great Western
astronomers, like Copernicus and Kepler, were also astrologers.
In the East, the great astronomers were always knowledgeable in
astrology. There
is also, of course, the biblical reference of the three wise men
being astrologers from the East.
However, astrology today is assigned an undignified place in the
scientific and academic world. Students of astrology sometimes feel
ashamed of admitting they’re studying or practicing astrology
for fear of ridicule by reputable professionals or academic scholars.
When the famous Swiss psychologist, Carl Jung, told Sigmund Freud
of his professional use of astrology in his psychiatric practice
it represented his break from Freud and the conventional scientific
community.
The
Research Problem
Without support from the scientific community astrologers
have had a difficult time generating substantial research. Without
substantial research astrology has not been able to gain the recognition
it deserves. It’s been a catch 22 situation. The popularization
of astrology through columns in newspapers and magazines hasn’t
helped in this regard and has further removed it from science into
the realm of fanciful superstition.
Today astrology is an unrecognized, virtually unregulated profession
without any licensing requirements to speak of. Anyone can claim
to be a professional astrologer, hence the opinion that astrologers
are quacks and charlatans is not without substantiation. And now
with the explosion of the Internet, and worldwide, unregulated advertising,
anyone can represent astrology in any manner whatsoever.
Sri K.N. Rao
The
Work of Sri K.N. Rao
Sri K.N. Rao was all too aware of these problems with astrology.
He saw the great need for scientific, replicable research to help
restore astrology as a sacred science. Even though he had a full
time government position he spent his evenings doing his own research
into the ancient principles of Parashara and Jaimini - the great
sages of Vedic astrology. He published these finding in astrological
journals and publications across India. He became well known as
one of India’s most brilliant astrologers and made many dazzling
predictions that gained him recognition.
Yogi Moorkhanandji and Sri K.N. Rao in 1981
The
Prediction of Yogi Moorkhanandji
Even with increasing recognition Rao developed a distaste for astrology.
He saw that most people were just interested in mundane concerns
like money, job, marriage, etc. instead of using astrology to understand
their karma and grow spiritually. He decided to give it up altogether.
However, in 1980 an event happened that changed
all that. A great yogi, Yogi Moorkhanandji (a.k.a. Swami Vidyaranya),
told Rao, “This knowledge of jyotisha (astrology) is not lost
but is hidden, as at sunset. There will be a revival of it and you
will be the medium through whom it would happen.” Mookhanandji
forbade him to give up astrology saying that he could not avoid
this mission. It was his karma.
About Yogi Mookhanandji’s words Rao writes,
“Since I believe in the words of such Mahatmas (great souls),
I knew that sometime, even in the India of my times, some chances
would come and I would be fulfilling some astrological mission,
about which I had hints from others also. But none has said it in
so clear a language."
The
Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan School of Astrology
– New Delhi, India
With Moorkhanandji’s encouragement Rao continued with his
astrology work, always giving readings without charge, and focusing
mainly on his research and writing. Even though he had little time
for teaching, Rao naturally attracted students around him. He is
charismatic, articulate, possesses a wealth of classical knowledge,
combined with a modern, systematic approach based on original research.
Teaching was inevitable.
Gradually the vision of creating a school of astrology took shape
in the late 1980’s after Rao’s job was transferred to
New Delhi. This gave him the opportunity to submit a proposal to
begin an astrology school at the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, a worldwide
institute devoted to the preservation of India’s culture,
based in New Delhi. The school began accepting students in July
of 1987 and was designed as a two-year course of study offering
Jyotish Alankar and Jyotish Acharya degrees. Click
here for more information about the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Institute
of Astrology.
Meeting
Sri. K.N. Rao
I first met my teacher, K.N. Rao, in the fall of 1993 on Rao’s
first visit to the US. He was talking at an informal gathering at
the home of Vedic scholar, David Frawley, in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
His school had already become highly successful and had attracted
the attention of the American Council of Vedic Astrology (ACVA).
Frawley, the president of ACVA, had visited Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan
and invited Rao to be the keynote speaker at the Second International
Symposium on Vedic Astrology in San Rafael, CA that fall.
K.N.
Rao’s mission had begun to take on a global influence. Never
had an astrologer from India captivated a Western audience like
Rao. His visit to the US represented a landmark in the study of
Vedic astrology in the West to the point that David Frawley summed
it up as, “Vedic astrology in the US before Rao, and after
Rao.”
Even
with increasing global recognition, Rao preferred to remain in India
and focus on developing his school. In April 1997 he launched the
first issue of the quarterly magazine called the “Journal
of Astrology" which was created in order to publish the ongoing
research produced at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. They have since published
more than 25 issues, which are currently distributed worldwide.
Click
here for more information about the Journal of Astrology.
A typical classroom of students at Bharatiya
Vidya Bhavan
The
Largest Astrology School In The World
In the spring of 2000 I had the great privilege of spending a month
in New Delhi studying at the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan with K.N. Rao
and the other talented teachers of the school. For many years the
school had been recognized as the largest astrology school in the
world. Today there are over 850 students and 26 teachers! For me,
it was like an International Symposium on Vedic Astrology every
weekend. I was thrilled.
Under
K.N. Rao’s guidance many of the teachers had written their
own books that had not only become required course reading but had
also become unique contributions in the field - M.S. Mehta, Col.
A.K. Gour, Manoj Pathak, Naval Singh, Deepak Kapoor, K.K. Joshi,
Dr. K.S. Charak, Shiv Raj Sharma, Vinay Aditya, and more. Nowhere
had astrology reached such a high level of academic and scientific
excellence. What I've always appreciated is that Rao and his students
books are always filled with many practical examples showing how
the classic principles can be applied in a modern context. Click
here for more information about books by K.N. Rao and the faculty
of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan.
Some of the teachers in the lounge between classes.
Author M.S. Mehta is at center.
Soon
after arriving I learned that this was definitely an advanced course
of study. K.N. Rao’s approach to teaching is systematic, practical,
and rigorous. He requires that everyone learn to make many calculations
on the spot, preferably without the use of pen and paper, let alone
computers! He also requires that students learn through practical
application and not just through theoretical knowledge. Students
are required to produce papers showing the application of classical
principles on a regular basis. It was obvious to me that even many
of the first year students knew more than some of the professional
Vedic astrologers in the West.
Author Col. A.K. Gour teaching a second year class
I had
never been in such a dynamic learning environment for astrology.
Producing the quarterly research journal was a brilliant part of
the system. The kinds of researches that K.N. Rao used to do on
his own in the evenings could now get the additional collaboration
of hundreds of students and teachers. Publishing the journal also
brought excitement to the research projects that many classes were
engaged in because of the possibility of being published later.
Individual students were also given the opportunity to have outstanding
research papers published. For instance, one student, who was a
veterinarian, was doing research into the common astrological combinations
seen in a cross section of many veterinarians.
Sri K.N Rao teaching an advanced research
class
It
was academically satisfying to be in the midst of such excellent
teaching. During one class K.N. Rao showed with remarkable ease
how the same events in the life of Rajiv Gandhi, India’s former
prime minister, could be seen from several different dasha or predictive
systems. In fact, Rao always promotes what he calls a “composite
approach,” which utilizes many dasha systems side by side
in order to confirm accuracy in chart interpretation. Rao has also
revived the use of many obscure dasha systems, written about in
classical texts, and proven their validity with modern research.
The
Restoring of an Ancient Tradition
Astrology
may still have a ways to go in order to become recognized as a valid
science and academic subject in the scientific community. But without
a doubt, K.N. Rao and the faculty and students of Bharatiya Vidya
Bhavan are in the process of making a significant contribution towards
this end. Arguably his school has produced the finest replicable,
scientific research on astrology ever. They are also setting an
example for other institutions to follow by teaching astrology with
such a high degree of academic excellence. I can’t help but
think that Yogi Moorkanandji and the great sages would be pleased
with the great strides that are being made towards restoring the
ancient tradition of Vedic astrology as a sacred science, or perhaps
better yet, establishing it as what Rao likes to call the “super-science
of the New Age.”
Vaughn Paul and Sri K.N. Rao. May, 2000 in
New Delhi
Interview
with Sri K.N. Rao - January 2004
VAUGHN PAUL: Tell me the history of the Bharatiya Vidya
Bhavan institute of astrology. What year did it begin? How did you
get the idea to start it? What was your original intention?
KN RAO: In 1972, when I was in the eastern state
of Bihar in Patna I had to teach the nephew of a lawyer friend of
mine who picked up some astrology very wrongly, took disastrous
decision and landed in serious trouble. I scolded him and told him
not to misapply the knowledge of astrology from some books available
in the market.
Other students also joined and I experimented with a non-Sanskrit
style of teaching as is done in Indian universities in teaching
other subjects. This direct method of teaching, without having to
learn anything by rote, was an instant success. I continued it in
my subsequent posting in new stations like Calcutta, and Delhi.
In every station I had small group of students from five to fifteen
coming to me.
In 1985, when an all India body of astrologers was being formed,
I was unwilling to join it. When persuaded very strongly, I laid
down the condition that we should introduce the teaching of astrology
as its main or a very important activity.
In 1987, when I was transferred back to Delhi from Bhubaneshwar,
I decided to introduce this in an organized way and thought of the
Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, which believes in the ideal of encouraging
Bharatiya or traditional Indian vidyas (knowledge). In July 1987
the school began.
The intention was to teach it systematically, with different branches,
after an introduction of astronomy relevant to astrology.
VP : How many teachers and students do you now
have? What is your role today?
KN RAO: We have now, eight hundred and fifty students
and twenty-six teachers. I now teach only three research classes,
which are the higher classes and make the students do research and
write articles, present them in our monthly workshops and six monthly
seminars. I also take them to different places, mainly pilgrimages
where we combine pilgrimage with astrology seminars.
I do not think about any role. I leave it to God, something comes
up and I find myself in the midst of it. It is a new experience,
which is both exhilarating and disgusting. For instance, in the
year 2000, astrology was introduced as a course of study in Indian
universities though it has been there always in Sanskrit colleges
and universities. Some leftists and scientists opposed it and filed
cases in courts of law. It reached the highest court of India, the
Supreme Court and was heard on 4 November 2003. Under the Indian
law a non-lawyer can intervene in such cases as petitioner-in-person.
I did it since I am a non-lawyer and I was the only astrologer fighting
this greatest battle for astrology. Other
astrologers stayed out of the fight totally.
A fairly crowded court heard me and I was told by senior lawyers
present that I had made a very impressive case. One such senior
lawyer told us privately that he could infer that the court (meaning
the judges) were in our favor. The judgment has not come out yet.
It may come after some weeks or months. (The court did rule in favor
of the study of astrology in Indian Universities thanks to K.N.
Rao's petition).
VP: Where did you get this drive to preserve the ancient
systems of India's astrology?
KN RAO: In 1980, a great Yogi Moorkhanandji (Swami
Vidyaranya) told me that I would do it and would have to do it.
I never had any bank balance (which I do not have even now), no
house, and no car. He told me that if God willed it the institution
would spring in spite of these handicaps. That has happened.
VP: Who has been the most instrumental in instilling
this passion of yours?
KN RAO: My mother initially, later my Jyotish Guru Bhaskaranandji
and last Swami Moorkhanandji encouraged me in original research.
Once started, it continued in spite of the burden of office work,
which continued till 1990 when I retired. After my retirement I
have been doing it individually and now, with groups of students
collectively.
VP: Did you intend to publish a journal based on
your research from the beginning or did that evolve?
KN RAO: No. I had been contributing articles on
astrology, popular and technical articles for various astrological
journals both in English and Hindi for many years. The idea of having
an astrological journal for the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, New Delhi,
was that of the authorities of the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. The entire
burden had to fall on me, guidance, editing and even rewriting some
articles. And on popular demand, we had to make it bilingual, with
English and Hindi sections.
VP: What are some of the latest researches that
are being carried out by yourself or your faculty and students at
BVB?
KN RAO: In various dashas, for example books on
Dwisaptati Sama Dasha, Chatursheeti Sama Dasha, Yogini Dasha have
come out and the book on Sthira Dasha is also completed. Then a
collective research on Varanasi Hora is being completed. Besides,
there are many small researches.
VP: What are your future directions for the school?
KN RAO: Continuing to do statistical, replicable researches
as we have done in recent years and making it a tradition. I know
that only a few will stick to this line of painstaking research
but I know that some will.
VP: What is left to still accomplish?
KN RAO: There is so much left to be accomplished
because in the constantly changing society new challenges keep cropping
up. For example, the subjects of study now available in educational
institutions are so many that to do research on them, our students
have been working hard and we are to going produce a book initially.
It will help many astrologers do sound educational counseling. Psychologists
cannot find out the correct combinations of subjects for students.
The book will contain horoscopes of Americans and Russians and of
different non-Indian countries to show how the combinations we are
working on apply universally.
VP: What are you most proud of in regards to what
you and students and staff have been able to accomplish and how
the school has evolved?
KN RAO: It is a weekend school and therefore meeting
only twice a week creates some limitations which I overcome by calling
some of the students to my house on different days for in depth
discussion. Yet, we have produced now more than forty books publishing
our researches, thirty-two of them being mine. The students producing
fine researches gives me pride and joy. But really I am proud of
nothing. You are a nobody. What God wills alone happens, and you
are onlythe instrumentality through which HIS will works.
VP: What is your most important advice to students
of Vedic astrology?
KN RAO: Do not take what is given in books literally
but interpret them liberally as in changed times. Newer applications
of ancient principles will have to be done constantly.
For more information please visit Sri K.N. Rao's website:
www.journalofastrology.com
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