Free will

[Guest guest]

Q. Is there such a thing as free will?

A. Whose free will is it? You believe it is yours, but you are

beyond will and fate. Abide as That and you will transcend them both.

That is the meaning of conquering destiny by will. Fate can be

conquered. Fate is the result of karma, but bad vasanas are

conquered by satsang and one's experiences are viewed in the proper

perspective.

I now enjoy the fruit of karma, I did in the past and will

in the future. Who is this 'I'? Finding this 'I' to be pure

Consciousness beyond karma and enjoyment, freedom and happiness are

discovered. There is then no effort, for the Self is perfect and

there is nothing to gain. So long as there is individuality, one is

the enjoyer and the doer. But if it is lost, the divine will act

and guide the course of events. Restrictions and discipline are for

jivas and not for muktas. The scriptures imply that free will is

good and can overcome fate. It is done by jnana, "As the fire which

is kindled reduces all fuel to ashes, oh Arjuna, so does the fire of

knowledge reduce all karma to ashes',

Others are not responsible for what happens to us. They are

only instruments for what would happen to us some way or other. Let

us be strong in faith and not succumb to fear. Whatever happens,

happens according to your prarabdha. Let it exhaust itself. Evil

intentions and evil actions are natural to the evil-minded. But

their evil will only turn back on themselves, and not affect us

simply because they desire it. One is required not to think of

oneself, so why should there be anxiety regarding others.

 

 

Individual human beings have to suffer their karma, but Iswara

manages to make the best of it for His purpose. God manipulates the

fruit of karma; He does not add or take away from it. A human

being's subconscious state is a warehouse of good and bad karma.

Iswara chooses from this warehouse what will best suit the person's

spiritual evolution at the time, whether pleasant or painful. Thus

nothing is arbitrary.

 

Hari Aum !!!

[Guest guest]

This topic is a oft repeated one, and maybe either the most difficult

to understand or the most difficult to accept.

 

 

> That is the meaning of conquering destiny by will. Fate can be

> conquered. Fate is the result of karma, but bad vasanas are

> conquered by satsang and one's experiences are viewed in the proper

> perspective.

 

We have talked a lot about the details about Karma and its different

forms in earlier posts. (If interested, I can give some post #s.) We

know that the present is merely a reflection of the past actions, and

the present thoughts/actions will lay the ground work for the future.

The question that I am approached most often, is, for instance in

your example above, do we have a free will whether to attend the

satsangh or not? Or do the vasanas and samskaras, (desires, thoughts

inclinations and interests) which are a product of the karma,

determine whether we are going to be inclined to be in a satsangh?

Does our past determine whether we are even inclined to seeking

spiritual knowledge, practice, experiences and enlightenment? Whether

we are disciplined in practice or not, isn't that too determined by

what baggage we arrive with this time? Whether we are dogmatic, or

flexible, whether one Guru-hops or whether one is willing to "die

for" one specific Guru, is that also determined by our past? Whether

we are ready to be a detached "witness', is that also not determined

by what we have "accomplished" in the past?

 

A personal example - Once when I was being advised to do certain

routines for my health, I asked one of my Guru's, "If I have no free

will, then why should I care? Does it matter whether I do anything or

how well I do it?" His answer to me was, "Not really, if you are

supposed to practice it, you will do so, no one can stop you from

doing it! My work is to give you the practice, you will do it if you

are supposed to!"

 

Tat twam asi

 

Uma

 

, s_v_c_s <no_reply> wrote:

> Q. Is there such a thing as free will?

>

> Hari Aum !!!