Ramana's views on free will

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Hello friends,

 

Here is the extract from " The Teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi " edited by

David Godman, Penguin. Just to refresh your memories, this is in response

to Hur Guler's invitation to post on the topic.

 

Chapter 21, Page 215-216.

 

Q: Is there such a thing as free will?

 

A: Whose will is it? So long as there is the sense of doership, there is

the sense of enjoyment and of individual will. But if this sense is lost

through the practice of vichara(self-enquiry), the divine will act and

guide the course of events. Fate is overcome by jnana (knowledge of the

self), Self-knowledge, which is beyond will and fate.

 

 

Q: I can understand that the outstanding events in a man's life, such as

his country, nationality, family, career or profession, marriage, death,

etc., are all predetermined by his karma, but can it be that all the

details of his life, down to the minutest, have already been determined?

Now, for instance, I put this fan that is in my hand down on the floor

here. Can it be that it was already decided that on such and such a day, at

such and such an hour, I should move the fan like this and put it down here?

 

A. Certainly. Whatever this body is to do and whatever experiences it is to

pass through was already decided when it came into existence.

 

 

Q. What becomes then of man's freedom and responsibility for his actions?

 

A: The only freedom man has is to strive for and acquire the jnana which

will make him not to identify himself with the body. The body will go

through the actions rendered inevitable by prarabdha and a man is free

either to identify himself with the body and be attached to the fruits of

its actions, or to be detached from it and be a mere witness of its

activities.

 

Q: So free will is a myth?

A: Free will holds the field in association with individuality. As long as

individuality lasts there is free will. All the scriptures are based on

this fact and they advise directing the free will in the right channel.

Find out to whom free will or destiny matters. Find out where they come

from, and abide in their source. If you do this, both of them are

transcended. That is the only purpose of discussing these questions. To

whom do these questions arise? Find out and be at peace.

 

Q: If what is destined to happen will happen, is there any use in prayer or

effort or should we just remain idle?

A: There are only two ways to conquer destiny or be independent of it. One

is to enquire for whom is this destiny and discover that only the ego is

bound by destiny and not the Self, and that the ego is non-existent. The

other way is to kill the ego by completely surrendering to the Lord, by

realising one's helplessness and saying all the time, " Not I but Thou, O

Lord " , giving up all sense of 'I' and 'mine' and leaving it to the Lord to

do what he likes with you. Surrender can never be regarded as complete so

long as the devotee wants this or that from the Lord. True surrender is

love of God for the sake of love and nothing else, not even for the sake of

liberation. In other words, complete effacement of the ego is necessary to

conquer destiny, whether you achieve this effacement through self-enquiry

or through bhakti marga.

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Thanks to all.

 

Swamy SV