The difference between mantra sthaana and upasana sthaana.

we all know that 5th house is the mantra sthaana and 9th is upasana.
can 5th and 9th be different directions?
for eg. if mercury is in 5th house in mesha/aries and ketu in 9th house, leo, who should one pursue?
sreekrishna or ganesha?

lagna is this birth, 5th is poorva punnya, ie carry over from past birth and 9th is parapunnya or what you carry to next birth.

from this logic, isn't it better to pursue the 9th instead of what is already over, namely, whats indicated by 5th?

but can one pursue what is indicated in 9th without the support of 5th?
so, may be we should start with what is indicated in 5th and then progress to 9th.

changing fate through remedies/propitiations

Is there some thing called absolute destiny, or can we do any thing to influence it?

As we are the media through which so many dramas (leela) are going on, surely there must be some thing that we can do about it.

Every time we think of exercising will power, we will remember our past futile attempts.
Or some climate which worked against our will.

Do we have the real power to exercise will power?
Or even that is a leela of the Absolute?

(can an iron piece decide how it should behave, or is it fully about the decision of the one who is handling it?)

During Kuja (occupying 7th house) dasa - Shukra (occupying 12th) apahara period, i had told one lady who consulted me that she will have to be careful of her loyalties in relationship.

She wanted to be careful, yet she couldn't resist the temptations and reached a situation which made her tremendously guilty.

This is not a stand alone case.

Why is it that we can't exercise will power even when we pray?
Prayers are supposed to make us more strong, then what goes wrong?

I know a thousand mothers who have prayed so ardently for their dying kids.
I know only a few who succeeded.

So is it that only a small percentage succeed?
Then is it all just a chance?

When we have a clear intention for a prayer, our heart may not be fully absorbed in the prayer.
May be, the mind takes over.

Many times, i have observed that only after i become fully helpless, only when i get desperate that my prayers won't help me, at His own Time and pace, Help appears.

Mantras and prayers, if done not bribing, but with a full heart..work.
Mantras and prayers are positive distractions for the street smart mind.

We may start quite mechanically, but with time, we may get layam (absorption into it)
But, even for this we need Grace.
So, whose game is it?!!

May He give us the power to pray.
To be absorbed into our prayers.

Om Shanti..shanti..shanti: