Not everything is Karma - there is also free will

[Guest guest]

> Everything is karma because free will is included in karma. Free

> will is what we do, karma is what we get back from the activities done by our

> free will. If I go and hit someone on the head, that is my free will. When he

> comes back to hit me in return, that is

> my karma.

>

> Ys, Jahnu das

I usually agree with you, but this time I differ. I think you are not free to

hit him - the desire to do or not to do so is due to your past karma. For the

opportunity to be there for you to hit him is also due to past karma, and

having a man's body big enough to do so is also karma, and for having a reason

is also! And you get the karma for that - that is how the web of karma

entangles us further. Our freedom is (I think - I am guessing) at a very deep

level when we sense these activities are not really in our self-interest.

 

But even the activities we are "held responsible for" by the laws of nature are

also impelled upon us by karma, unless we surrender to the big K. So "free

will" is really not free will to choose our activities as we are impelled 100%

by material nature, but the ability to petition God. How about that?

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 7/2/99 5:30:13 PM Eastern Daylight Time,

Antardwip.JPS (AT) bbt (DOT) se writes:

 

<<

But even the activities we are "held responsible for" by the laws of nature

are

also impelled upon us by karma, unless we surrender to the big K. So "free

will" is really not free will to choose our activities as we are impelled

100%

by material nature, but the ability to petition God. How about that? >>

 

Yes this is my understanding also of free will. The living entities free will

is that at any given moment we have the freedom to choose Krsna or to not

choose Krsna. If we do not choose Krsna, there is no more any question of

free will. We remain entangled and contolled by the modes of nature. We may

think we are advancing because we are acting in the mode of goodness, but

that is just another subtle level of entanglement. Kanti dd