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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 knowledgeable 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, V.P. Goel
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 student's 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
Copyright
2010. Vaughn Paul Manley. All Rights Reserved.
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