Guest guest Posted January 27, 1999 Report Share Posted January 27, 1999 Namaste Just to contribute to the discussion on Free will. I was reading this talk by Swami Vivekananda entitled the Free Soul. Swami-ji says that the existence of a 'free will' is sheer nonsense. And that there is only will. This will is the atman percolating thru this world of Maya. This is his contention. I will extract the exact portion off the book and post it to the next time. Regards. Om Shanti Kathi > > nanda chandran [sMTP:vpcnk] > Thursday, January 28, 1999 3:28 AM > advaitin > Free will and sadhana > > "nanda chandran" <vpcnk > > The question of free will can have an adverse effect on one's sadhana. > If there's no free will and one's destiny is pre determined then of what > use can sadhana be? If there's free will, then the validity of the > eternal atman is shaken. > > The shruti insists "Tat tvam asi" - you are that or you are brahman. > > But Brahman is said to be the changeless eternal. So if I'm brahman then > how can I engage in purification etc which implies change? Am I not > changing from the impure soul to the pure soul? > > What should be understood is that by knowledge, it is meant the knowing > of the "non I". Knowledge implies the knower and the known. You are the > knower. To know everything, which is not you (neti, neti), the body, > mind, intellect etc and discard them and to abide in yourself, which is > the changeless, eternal absolute, is sadhana. > > Sadhana is only towards this - this effort at reductionism involving the > distinction between the Self and the non-self ie you and that which is > not you and the rejection of the latter. The concept of free will, which > involves the doer and the action done, belong to the realm of prakriti, > the non-you - the mind and body. > > Only actual sadhana or self enquiry will make things clearer. > > > ------ > To from this mailing list, or to change your subscription > to digest, go to the ONElist web site, at and > select the User Center link from the menu bar on the left. > ------ > Discussion of the True Meaning of Sankara's Advaita Vedanta Philosophy > focusing on non-duality between mind and matter. List Archives available > at: /viewarchive.cgi?listname=advaitin > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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