Guest guest Posted January 12, 2001 Report Share Posted January 12, 2001 Frank's use of the word in a different context made me realise yesterday that Free Will is an oxymoron. All willing is of the ego and where is the freedom in that? Dennis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 12, 2001 Report Share Posted January 12, 2001 advaitin , "Dennis Waite" <dwaite@d...> wrote: > Frank's use of the word in a different context made me realise yesterday > that Free Will is an oxymoron. All willing is of the ego and where is the > freedom in that? > > Dennis Dear Dennis, As I understand it will is the affirmation of desire. What does this have to do with belief in the ego? I understand determinism to be the view that desire precedes affirmation (as confirmed by Libet's experiments) and free will to be the view that affirmation precedes desire. It's hard to see how the latter view can be maintained without believing in the ego because if the existence of the ego is not granted this view would seem to entail the creation of desire *ex nihilo* by the simple act of affirmation. So if you are suggesting that one can't believe in _free_ will without believing in the ego I agree with you, but I don't follow you when you say that `All willing is of the ego'. Regards, Patrick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 18, 2001 Report Share Posted January 18, 2001 Namaste, Stating this poetically: [Verse 21 from "sat-darshana bhaashhya", by 'K', 6th ed. 1975, Sri Ramanashram] vidheH prayatnasya cha ko.api vaadaH tayordvayormuulamajaanataa.n syaat.h . vidheH prayatnasya cha muulavastu sa~njaanataa.n naiva vidhirna yatnaH .. On Fate and Effort They are given to talk, That know not whence come forth the two. Those that know the source of both Beyond the twain are they, by Fate untouched and by Effort too. Regards, s. advaitin , "jody " <jodyrrr@h...> wrote: > advaitin , "Miguel Angel Carrasco" <macf12@t...> > wrote: > > Dennis wrote: > > > Frank's use of the word in a different context made > > > me realise yesterday that Free Will is an oxymoron. > > > All willing is of the ego and where is the freedom in > > > that? > > > > That is exactly what Nisargadatta Maharaj said: > > > > "In Hinduism, the very idea of free will is > > non-existent, so there is no word for it. Will is > > commitment, fixation, bondage." (I Am That, page 356) > > > > Miguel Angel > > Very good quote Miguel. It is by commitment and fixation that > we are all here as we pray to be freed from the bondage. > > --jody. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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