Immutable Karma and Unchangeable Destiny
According to the reviewed materials, the idea that one person could live someone else’s life contradicts the fundamental principles of karma and destiny. The core perspective is that the conditions of our lives and all their manifestations are directly linked to our individual actions (intentions) and accumulated karmic residues. As one source states:"Every intentional act, by producing results in the external world, also changes the actor; this change is recorded in their deep memory, becoming a tendency (usually unconscious)… The law of karma is generally illustrated either by a reversal of roles in a situation (the murderer will himself be killed), by being assigned to the corresponding layer of the world (a serial and ruthless murderer will end up in hell, whereas a savior of many will ascend to heaven), or by changes in natural tendencies in future lives (a lover of learning will be born intelligent, a quarrelsome person will again be quarrelsome)..." (source: link txt)This quote emphasizes that every deed leaves an indelible mark on an individual, shaping their future tendencies and life circumstances. In other words, each person’s life is "programmed" by their own past actions and cannot simply be taken over from someone else.It is further stated that the conditions of life are already determined by a previous life and cannot be altered:"Founder of Tibetan Lamaism (always mentioned with unconditional reverence by the Roerichs) Padmasambhava taught: 'The conditions of our life entirely depend on our past life, and nothing can be done to change anything!'" (source: link txt)This idea underscores the inevitability of destiny as predestined by personal karma, confirming that each person lives a life largely as the result of their own previous choices.Furthermore, examples are given wherein karmic residues may be transmitted through veneration or dislike for a wise person; however, this by no means implies that someone can literally 'live' another's life. According to the authors, interactions and the "transfer" of karma merely influence the development of certain qualities while leaving the individual's uniqueness and personal karmic history intact:"[Vedantists, starting with Shankara ...] describe a third type of karma—produced by someone who is knowledgeable after attaining knowledge; they also introduce the idea of karma transfer (likely borrowed from Buddhism): those who venerate the 'knower' receive his karmic merit, while those who despise him inherit his negative future karma..." (source: link txt)Thus, the collection of quotations clearly indicates that every individual’s life is shaped by their own karma, accumulated through previous lives and current actions. This makes it impossible for someone to 'live another’s life,' as each person’s destiny is inextricably linked to their personal deeds rather than the possibility of adopting someone else’s experience.