Sri Lanka, Feb. 1 -- Astrology has been humanity's obsession for centuries, if not millennia. The discipline sermonises personality and life events. It offers insights into karmic patterns of our life. The planets, the zodiac signs and the houses fascinate us endlessly. Be that as it may, a fundamental question arises for a practising Theravada Buddhist: Can one study astrology and become an astrologer without contradicting Buddhist teachings?

I won't be the one to answer such a vast question, of course.

I approached a practising astrologer, well-versed in Buddhism (who wishes to remain uncredited), before ambiguous answers began to drift through the air. "Buddhism does not reject astrology outright," my friend offers an explanation, an...