Query:
It seems
sometimes like I’m a robot, performing a role and I don’t control the script at
all.What is your view of free
will?
Response:
About free
will, there is so much debate, unending one on it. In my experience I would say
we do have free will but in matters which are relatively free and less
dominant.
Like areas
of birth, death, parents, city you live in, career, people you meet, money you
earn etc. these broader aspects are destined and cannot be changed even a bit. This
is the area of predestination which I would say will cover 80% of will .
The left 20
% can be said to be free will. It can be practiced in how we react and
whether we form a new karma cycle or we let it exhaust and let our karma burn completely.
Here comes the role of free will. Like for example in marriage/relationship, which is
destined, partner is destined, fate of marriage is also destined. Now suppose
if partner is abusive and marriage is going to break. Now if other partner has
decent consciousness (so that free will can be practiced) then there will be
two choices, either blame partner, hold grudges, create legal mess, and after
separation hold on to that person and experiences. This approach would further
bind you to same person and it is likely that same person now will have to bear
your aggression, hatred and punishment in next life
Second act of free will could have been understanding that
this relation was bound to end and hence tolerating with grace, letting go of
person, situation and forgiving that person and yourself as well. Just taking
the lesson ahead. This approach will majorly burn all karma with this person,
and you will create freedom for your next life when it comes to choosing life
partner. (This doesn’t mean that necessary and right action should not be
taken, rather formation of new karmic cycle refers to unnecessary and prolonged
attachments, keeping strong grudges and not forgiving that person (or self), something
that comes from area of free will) .
May be free
will exist in small and irrelevant activities of day to day which are minor. In
my humble opinion amount of free will is very small and most importantly even
to use this free will a person has to get awakened to some extent else this
amount will also be lost owing to automatic responses to people and situations.
So more
awake a person is, more he or she can feel and apply free will and mainly it
will come in areas of how we react to people and events, which very gradually
but ultimately, design the bigger patterns of our immediate and future karmic
webs.
Heart of
the matter: This is
not an article in strict sense of terms but just a response to a query. This is
vast and extremely complex area and this piece is just is an opinion, of course
coming from long experiences and observations and tries to touch the essence
only on this subject.
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