How we have free will

[Grant Henderson]

Yes we have free will, and there is a simple empirical test by which we can prove it.

Firstly, we have to define what it means for our thoughts and actions to be “determined”, as opposed to “free”. It would be demonstrated that our thoughts and actions are determined if they were caused by any factors of influence other than our own conscious thinking. These factors of influence may be genetic predispositions, observations, memories, etc. For example, one may observe a bird that causes one to think about the specific physical characteristics of that bird. The hypothesis that our thoughts and actions are determined rests on the foundation that our thoughts and actions are caused by events outside of our own conscious control. Contrarily, our thoughts and actions would be free if we could think or act in a manner that opposes these factors of influence.

There is a simple way to demonstrate how we are capable of making conscious decisions free from the compulsions determined by all manner of influences. We can reduce our own conscious activity through meditation. By reducing our own conscious activity and freeing ourselves from thoughts, emotions and impulses through meditation, we have in some manner or degree freed them from the whims of influences outside of our own conscious control. A factor of influence couldn’t possibly have a null influence, for it must induce some sort of effect. Therefore, a factor of influence that may determine our conscious activity could not be responsible for a reduction in our own conscious activity. Therefore, our capacity to reduce our own conscious activity through meditation must be willed by ourselves, and not caused by some other factor(s). As such, our only freedom of will is freedom itself. This is especially apparent when we demonstrate the ability to reduce our own conscious activity, even when our environment becomes more stimulating.

[dattaswami]

Yes we have free will, and there is a simple empirical test by which we can prove it.

Firstly, we have to define what it means for our thoughts and actions to be “determined”, as opposed to “free”. It would be demonstrated that our thoughts and actions are determined if they were caused by any factors of influence other than our own conscious thinking. These factors of influence may be genetic predispositions, observations, memories, etc. For example, one may observe a bird that causes one to think about the specific physical characteristics of that bird. The hypothesis that our thoughts and actions are determined rests on the foundation that our thoughts and actions are caused by events outside of our own conscious control. Contrarily, our thoughts and actions would be free if we could think or act in a manner that opposes these factors of influence.

There is a simple way to demonstrate how we are capable of making conscious decisions free from the compulsions determined by all manner of influences. We can reduce our own conscious activity through meditation. By reducing our own conscious activity and freeing ourselves from thoughts, emotions and impulses through meditation, we have in some manner or degree freed them from the whims of influences outside of our own conscious control. A factor of influence couldn’t possibly have a null influence, for it must induce some sort of effect. Therefore, a factor of influence that may determine our conscious activity could not be responsible for a reduction in our own conscious activity. Therefore, our capacity to reduce our own conscious activity through meditation must be willed by ourselves, and not caused by some other factor(s). As such, our only freedom of will is freedom itself. This is especially apparent when we demonstrate the ability to reduce our own conscious activity, even when our environment becomes more stimulating.

The main point is that one should never blame God for giving freedom to souls. In the unfortunate situation of bad forces acting on the mind, one should realize that the bad forces are the results of his or her own choices. The truth here is that God has given full freedom to souls in a limited sense. The person makes his own choices, which have inevitable results that are also known to him.

The negative forces in his mind are these inevitable results of his own choices. Knowing that fire burns, he still puts his finger in the fire out of his own choice. Then he blames the fire, God and all the other factors influencing him! When the truth that fire burns is well-known to him and the negative factors influencing him are also the results of his own choices, he has only himself to blame for getting burned! Does any grown-up adult blame his parents for not forcibly preventing him from putting his finger in the fire?

You acquired bad qualities by your own free will. Yet God has preached yoga to you. Yoga is the special talent of using your intelligence (buddhi) to analyze and find out the good sides of sins. This good side of the so-called bad deeds can be adopted. The analysis also helps you identify and avoid the bad sides of so-called meritorious actions. This special talent of analyzing and appropriately choosing deeds is the special talent or yoga preached by God in the Gita (Yogaḥ karmasu kauśalam). The person who attains this talent can use his intelligence to turn the sin into merit. He analyzes the good and bad sides of the so-called bad deed and adopts only its good side.

For instance, if you possess the quality of anger, which is generally considered to be bad, you can analyze where the use of anger is good and where it is bad. Anger can be used to condemn injustice and control your children and students from going on the wrong path. This is the good application of a bad quality, which makes it good. Similarly, even if you possess lust, it can be excercised in the case of your lawful spouse to generate issues. Even if you are greedy and selfish, you can use that quality to avoid donating your money to an undeserving receiver. Controlling anger, lust, and greed is mainly stressed in the Gita since these three are the main gates to hell.

You need not attempt to remove your bad qualities. They have been acquired over several births and have solidified inside you like a huge hill. It is impossible to eliminate them. All you can do is to divert the bad quality to its good side. It will reduce the pressure that the bad quality puts on your mind since any quality gets exhausted when the corresponding deed is done.

God also warns you to be careful of the attraction for merit. Merit also has a bad side. Donating to a deserving person is a good deed that brings merit. However, donating even to a deserving receiver, with the aspiration for some good fruit is bad. It is the bad side of the merit. If you donate to the good receiver without any aspiration for fruit in return, it will help you maintain the same attitude when you worship God. In the Kṛta Age (beginning stage of creation), lust towards one’s lawful spouse to produce children was considered meritorious. But having lust even after producing children was considered sin. So, sages controlled their sexual life after producing children and such a stage in life was called as vānaprastha āśrama. In that stage, the husband and wife looked upon each other as brother and sister!

Of course, there are small changes in the definition of justice or merit in every age. This is done to accommodate the changes in the overall atmosphere of human society. But these changes are small and an outright sin remains a sin in all ages. In the context of lust, the maximum relaxation that can be given in the Kali Age is that avoiding sex with anyone other than one’s lawful spouse itself is the highest merit! Intense lust for one’s lawful spouse even up to one’s dying day need not be considered as sin!

Being peaceful and silent is said to be a good quality. But keeping silent towards a horrible sin in spite of having the ability to control it is bad. Bhīṣma and Droṇa committed a huge sin by keeping silent while the villainous Kauravas attempted to take off the clothes of Draupadi in the royal court.

So, we see that God has revealed this talented path of yoga even for the souls who are trapped under the influence of the bad sides of good qualities! Can any human being having even the slightest trace of humanity still blame God?