chance / random actions

The theory of chance can best be explained in the Vedic literature by the words ajnata-sukrti, which refer to pious activities performed without the actor's knowledge. But these are also planned. For example, Krsna comes like an ordinary human being, He comes as a devotee like Lord Caitanya, or He sends His representative, the spiritual master or pure devotee. This is also the planned activity of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. They come to canvass and educate, and thus a person in the illusory energy of the Supreme Lord gets a chance to mix with them, talk with them, and take lessons from them, and somehow or other if a conditioned soul surrenders to such personalities and by intimate association with them chances to become Krsna conscious, he is saved from the material conditions of life. Krsna therefore instructs: (More...)

Karanatmane: everything has a cause. The theory of chance is repudiated in this verse. Because everything has its cause, there is no question of chance. Because so-called philosophers and scientists are unable to find the real cause, they foolishly say that everything happens by chance. In Brahma-samhita Krsna is described as the cause of all causes; therefore He is addressed herein as karanatmane. His very personality is the original cause of everything, the root of everything and the seed of everything. As described in the Vedanta-sutra, janmady asya yatah (): the Absolute Truth is the supreme cause of all emanations. (More...)

Trivikrama: They say that it all happened by chance, that it... (More...)

Trivikrama: If given enough time, then everything would work out like this. The thing that they say... (More...)

Trivikrama: No, but you say that because the earth isn't too hot or too cold. But they say that just by chance it came into this order. (More...)

Prabhupada: No, no, "by chance..." This is childish reason, "by chance." It is not very good reason. A child will say, "Chance it has come." That is childish. You must give solid reason. Chance, you can say anything as chance. Everybody can say like that. That is not reason. When you bring in chance, that is not logic. That is not knowledge. If somebody says, "By chance I have come in this world," that is not logic. I must have my father. I must have my mother. And on account of father-mother being united, I am... This is scientific. "By chance I have dropped from the sky here," [laughter] this is not logic. This kind of logic is vague only. That is no... It has no value. Do you give any value to this logic, nonsensical logic? No sane man will accept "by chance." When you are caught and you are convicted, then if you say, "By chance I became convicted..." By chance? No. You committed theft, you were arrested, there were due judgment, and the judge has given you punishment. You must suffer. It is not a chance. And if you say, "By chance I am now convicted," that is not chance. There is no question of chance. This is a false logic, "chance." Nothing takes place by chance. That is sound reasoning. Chance means ignorant. One who does not know, he says "chance." That is ignorance. That is not knowledge. Knowledge is different. So they are rascals, you can say. This kind of logic, "I have not seen," "It has come by chance," "There was a chunk," these are all nonsensical proposition. There is isvara. This is sound knowledge. As you conclude by seeing the arrangement in the Tokyo city there is government, similarly, if you are intelligent enough, then you can understand there must be a controller. That is theism. That is knowledge. (More...)

Prabhupada: Yes. You cannot say it's by chance. And who is making this chance arrangement, that one is born so exalted, one is born so low? Then again, we have to accept somebody. So these are all foolish theories, "By chance, by kama-haitukam." No. There is great arrangement. As the same... Just like the traffic control. There is a very big, great arrangement behind this. It is not by chance. By chance there has been not line, and they pass the car in certain line. No, it is not chance. How you can say "chance"? [devotees offer obeisances as altar curtains open] So these theories are made by the demons. Read the purport. (More...)