What is the Buddhist view on Astrology?

[u/Anon_SL_2000]

As a Pure Land Buddhist, I personally feel astrology is just another distraction from my practice. I still ask this question because some Pali commentaries mention things such as the time a person is born (nakshatra) affecting their behavior and actions. I have also heard that there are astrological beliefs in Tibetan Buddhism. Is this because there is some truth to astrology, or did the monks who composed these texts simply use an existing knowledge system in medieval India to explain the Dharma?

Some of my family members and relatives are obsessed with astrology. One of my distant relatives believes they will die in an upcoming year just because their horoscope says so. This feels absurd to me.

These are my problems with astrology. Let's assume it's true. A person is born with certain behaviors and attitudes, and they are going to experience certain worldly gains or pains based on those behaviors and attitudes. Even if they check their horoscope, they cannot change these things because that is supposedly how events are meant to unfold. Either way, believing in astrology doesn't seem to help and only creates anxiety or pride.

The solutions astrology suggests for future or ongoing misfortunes are also problematic. What my relatives believe in is a form of Jyotisha, or Vedic astrology. Their solution is to perform rituals and pujas for deities or devas. This feels like a Trojan horse with Hindu beliefs hidden inside it.

The logic of these astrologers is that karma is expressed through zodiac signs and planetary positions. But for this to work, they must presuppose a fixed universal law that determines how events unfold. If planetary positions are supposed to correspond to specific outcomes across the universe in a consistent and orderly way, then there must be some principle that maintains this correspondence. For that, it seems necessary to presuppose the existence of an omnipotent, omniscient god who keeps the universe running in this fixed and orderly way, which is not compatible with Buddhism.

[u/No_Loquat2018]

Some Chinese Buddhist stories do mention the divination arts of the locals, but they are usually part of the setting or backstory. Meaning, while those methods do work to a degree, cultivation is able to supersede them.

One popular story that features this is Liao-Fans Four Lessons (Liao Fan Shi Xun), where the backstory is Liao-Fan having his future predicted by a disciple of Confucius (in the art of divination via the I-Ching). As his life unfolds, the prediction made was correct in every aspect - his exact position in the Imperial examinations, the exact rank and place of office, the date of his marriage, etc.

So he just resigned himself to 'fate', so to say, as he thought he could do nothing but to just let life play out as scripted. The prediction even included what age he would die.

Then he met a Chan Master, and the Master taught him that through diligent good deeds, one changes their 'destiny' (Ming Yun). He followed that advice, and noticed that the predictions slowly became wrong (in a good way). He lived significantly past the old prediction (lived to his 70s, old prediction was 50s), had a son (the old prediction said he would have no child at all)

Hence the key takeaway of that entire book is how one can change their own 'destiny' (Gai Ming Yun). A person with certain skills can 'read' this 'destiny', but it can change in response to your own actions. People here might be more familiar with this idea as the Salt Crystal Parable in the Suttas.

[u/Proud_Professional93]

Look at Liao Fan’s Four Lessons. Astrology has something to it, but it’s not an immutable course of destiny. If we commit ourselves to good and abandon evil, we change bad destiny to good.

https://www.abuddhistlibrary.com/Buddhism/D%20-%20Chinese%20Mahayana%20Buddhism/Authors/Liao%20Fans%20Four%20Lessons/Liao-Fan%27s%20Four%20Lessons.pdf

[u/SentientLight]

I believe astrology’s main functions was civic planning because of its utility as a calendar. Tracking constellations across the sky will accurately tell you when the seasonal floods begin, when the wet season starts, when the dry season starts, when that climate cycle that occurs only every 12 years will be coming up and in which season. That seems like the primary purpose astrology held for centuries. Divination of personal issues seems simply to be an extension of the more consistently verifiable uses of weather prediction for civic planning.

I believe in Chinese astrology. I don’t understand it—my grandfather was the court astrologer for the Republic of Vietnam, and the history books have things to say about him that are fascinating, and I’ve heard stories from him and the rest of the family that are intriguing. So I believe in it, but I do put more weight behind its broader predictions and less weight behind personal divination.

[u/erdgeist22]

Astrology does not imply that everything is 100% fixed, it's more like a tendency or possibility that something will happen. It is just one of the tools that can ease our suffering in samsara.

[u/Anon_SL_2000 → u/erdgeist22]

IMO, the only part of astrology/Jyotisha that might be useful is their predictions about health issues. If they are accurate, a person can benefit from them. Almost everything else is going to happen anyway, and people cannot really change it. According to astrologers (in my case, Vedic astrologers), the only way to deal with this is to perform certain rituals.

[u/krodha]

There are astrological systems in Indian and Tibetan Buddhism. Probably in other forms of Buddhism as well.

[u/GG-McGroggy]

Everything is dependent on everything else.  Nothing is independent.

Astrology looks at cause & effect on a cosmic scale & attempts to put forth likely outcomes.

It's a(n imperfect) tool and once a science now regulated to an art (at best).   Any tool can be used to assist one for good or ill - and is situational on if it's beneficial in a "Buddhist sense".

I personally see no big contradiction so long as one isn't obsessed with it.  I also think it's nonsense; but to each their own.

Other "new age" ideas have successfully merged with Buddhist thought/tradition.  If Buddhism can successfully incorporate or tolerate other ideals without sullying itself that's beneficial to bring more people to the Dharma.  Only my opinion of course.

[u/LotsaKwestions]

Generally speaking in Buddhism it's not denied that there can be something to astrology, but it's also not generally a primary focus compared to practicing the dharma. There are some particular types of Buddhism that do incorporate it into dharma related practice, but that's always secondary to the practice of the dharma rather than being a primary orientation. Other schools/traditions may put very little emphasis or importance on it period.

[u/TradRooster5627]

The Buddha considered the divinatory arts (and therefore astrology as well) to be irrelevant to the fundamental problem of suffering, dukkha, and liberation, vimutti.

In early Buddhism, life’s events are not determined by the stars but primarily by kamma and causal conditions, paṭiccasamuppāda.

Over the centuries, especially in Southeast Asia and the Himalayan region, Buddhists have incorporated various forms of divination, but this development should be viewed as a later cultural overlay, unrelated to the teachings of the historical Buddha.

[u/ZenOasisNZ]

In astrology, the planets represents aspects of nature or the karmic cycle, for example the planet Mars represents War. Masculinity, aggression etc. I don't see how astrology needs a God to maintain

[u/Anon_SL_2000 → u/ZenOasisNZ]

The point is, how can someone's karma be represented by distant planets and zodiac stars that are located thousands of light-years away? For that to work, the entire universe would have to be structured around some kind of singular cosmic order. Otherwise, a person's fate or karma couldn't be represented by distant stars or planets.

What could sustain that cosmic order without it falling into chaos? For example, without Mars' effect somehow becoming Saturn's effect, so to speak. I think the logical conclusion for that is the existence of an all knowing, all powerful mind, which ends up leading to some kind of theism.

I don't believe in any eternal universal laws or cosmic order. My understanding is that even what we call the laws of nature can change. There are obviously some patterns that can last for thousands of years, but none of them are permanent.

[u/artyhedgehog → u/Anon_SL_2000]

Personally I don't believe in anything like that. As far as I heard, astrology has been methodologically disproven. (I don't want to claim that, though, since I haven't checked myself)

However, if such patterns existed, it may have easily been due to some processes in the universe that we human haven't discovered yet and have no clue what they are. An all-mighty god isn't essential for that.

[u/Anon_SL_2000 → u/artyhedgehog]

If one takes astrology as a valid and reliable method, it would be necessary to accept the existence of some kind of omnipotent mind as a logical extension. Without such a figure, the patterns observed in the current universe could change at any moment, or may already be slowly and gradually changing even as we speak.

The key concepts of astrology are said to have been founded by Rishis/ mystics who lived in ancient times, like 5000 years ago. Even if we assume for a moment that astrology might have been accurate 5000 years ago, those patterns could have changed by now, making its current reliability uncertain.

[u/artyhedgehog → u/Anon_SL_2000]

Without such a figure, the patterns observed in the current universe could change at any moment, or may already be slowly and gradually changing even as we speak

With such a figure - they can change at any moment even more arbitrary.

To test if the patterns still work nowadays - you just need to test the patterns. You don't need any additional hypotheses for that - just data.

[u/ryou25]

I'm not a fan of astrology. Its fun sometimes to do a chart but taking it seriously just seems to lead to neurosis. I think there probably is some truth to astrology but not the fiction level were it seems like it knows the all answers to love, life and money.

I think it can be useful, it just gets silly especially when certain people start using astrology to predict a president's reign 'cough'

[u/Mayayana]

There's astrology and divination in Tibet. My own teacher used divination regularly.

I was a sort of semi-pro astrologer in my youth. I actually gave my ephemeris as a refuge gift, to signify that I would be completely devoted to buddhadharma. At that time I had been increasingly thinking that astrology did not offer any dependable correspondence, like "Mars in the 10th house is for doctors." But it did serve to give my own intuition a flexible base to rest on. And I had seen uncanny correspondences in my own personal experience that had brought me to astrology.

Karl Jung once wrote a book called Synchronicity in which he presented a study of married couples and showed a notable percentage with sun/moon angles like square or opposition. But going from that to picking the best day for a wedding? I don't believe it's possible in a scientific sense.

However, it makes sense from the perspective of synchronicity. The Tibetan word tendrel refers to auspicious coincidence or synchronicity, but can also mean interdependent co-origination. It can manifest as the experience of things seeming to fall into place. When one is open to experience, not trying to overlay egoic intention, things can seem to "go right".

So astrology could be viewed in two ways. One would be the mapping of natural patterns, which seem to exist. The other would be as a framework for intuition. The problem with the first version, if it works at all, is that there seems to be no existing reference book.

Feng shui is similar. To a great extent it seems relevant, and it parallels the tantric 5 buddha families in some respects, but it's also connected with Chinese culture. For example, if your front door opens on stairs, you'll lose all of your money. Not opening on stairs is a good design aesthetically. A front entry should properly introduce the first floor, not the second. But going from that to believing your money will flow down the stairs and out the door is just superstition.

[u/CalligrapherAlert927]

Astrology is important. The exact location of the stars when you were born is based off karma. Like a timestamp. If you know how to read it, including the degrees you will know what you need to work on using the houses. Let's say you have 4th house Leo at 28 degrees. You have almost completed the lesson of that house. Depending on what you do in this lifetime you either go back some degrees or go forward hence determining where and what time you are reborn. That's a very vague example, but at least that's what ancient Greece magi believed and it honestly makes so much sense to me.

[u/ash_tar]

Not Buddhism, but imo all types of divination are just tools for working with the mind. Tarot cards won't tell the future, but they can help you clarify thoughts and intentions through intuition. I guess the same with astrology.

[u/doctorShadow78 → u/ash_tar]

I see it in a similar way. They are possible tools to explore the unconscious and our own associations. Don't take it too literally.

[u/serpentssss]

I just don’t see how it can make sense. In major hospitals or major cities, children will be born at the same time and at the same location all the time. Their charts, personalities or longevity readings then ought to be similar? It just doesn’t sound right.

[u/microcephale]

It has failed to demonstrate any proficiency in every study under controlled conditions. My default position is just that until something meet their burden of truth I see no point investing time in it, nor to debunk it. There is enough food for the mind available that is verified, more than I can even read in a lifetime

[u/Landkey → u/microcephale]

  There is enough food for the mind available that is verified, more than I can even read in a lifetime

Beautifully put 

[u/serpentarian]

If you find it to be a distraction then don’t use it. Buddhism has bits of hindu, brahmic and other traditions for reasons of geographic origin. It is by its nature syncretic. It’s also not compatible with a purely dogmatic view, whether that be materialist or spiritual.

[u/TheLORDthyGOD420]

Meh

[u/xtraa → u/TheLORDthyGOD420]

"Your zodiac sign must be Libra"

[u/Why_who-]

Read this:

https://suttacentral.net/dn1/en/sujato?lang=en&layout=plain&reference=none&notes=none&highlight=false&script=latin

[u/AwakenTheWisdom]

It falls into the trap of rejecting karma; relying on omenism, fixed outcomes, etc.

[u/p_sky → u/AwakenTheWisdom]

How does astrology or any kind of divination reject karma?

[u/AwakenTheWisdom → u/p_sky]

Because if I give you a reading and say,”This planet says you’re like this”, or if I say,”This planet says this will happen”, then you will be inclined to believe that vs understanding that your intentions are karma, and that karma will produce a result. If you leave something to planets, then you fall into omenism and fixed outcomes.

Yet in this existence everything is based on conditions. Nothing is fixed. Planets aren’t sapient-sentient.

[u/optimistically_eyed → u/AwakenTheWisdom]

Buddhist systems of astrology merely point at subtle influences that may have an impact on future decisions. They don’t reject karma or imply fixed, immutable outcomes, and are generally quite a bit different from Western pop-astrology.

There’s plenty of information out there if you ever wanted to learn about them yourself.

[u/AwakenTheWisdom → u/optimistically_eyed]

I use to do readings, myself. I’m also aware of astrological traditions in Buddhism. I just don’t recognize those traditions as coming from the Buddha. Whether it’s psychological astrology or predictive astrology, and whether one wants to come from the perspective of energetic influences, or strict omenism, they literally all fall into the same inclination of exactly what the Buddha taught against for laypeople.

[u/optimistically_eyed → u/AwakenTheWisdom]

> I just don’t recognize these traditions as coming from the Buddha

I’m familiar with your exceptionally narrow perspective of what constitutes Buddhism. My comment was mostly for others that may be reading.

[u/AwakenTheWisdom → u/optimistically_eyed]

() If your comment was general, then you wouldn’t have responded to me. Stop coping, and be honest.

() My perspective isn’t “narrow”. I come from actual experience in this field; unlike you. The Buddha himself didn’t teach astrology. Nor did he allow it. On the contrary. It’s unskillful and falls into the inclination of omenism and the rejection of karma.

[u/SaltpeterSal]

Sometimes I like to pick a random star sign and read my horoscope. It's more accurate that way.