Ramanisblog

Tag: free will

  • Kayena Vacha Surrender Origin Free Will

    Free Will or Determinism?

    Which runs the individual’s life?

    This is question that engages all religious thoughts.

    Free Will or Determinism?
    Surrender sloka kayen vacha

    Do we have Free Will to do anything?

    Or everything is preordained?

    In the latter case, one does not accumulate sins because everything is determined.

    Equally baffling is the application of Free Will.

    Simple analysis  of the operation of Free Will in our Lives, without engaging ourselves about Free Will in philosophical terms, would show we are not free.

    When we perform an action, choices presented to us are limited.

    We do not have access to ALL options.

    We act on the basis of choices presented to us at a given point of time.

    Hence we have Free Will as well as we are Limited.

    kāyena vācā manasendriyair vā
    buddhyātmanā vānusṛta-svabhāvāt
    karoti yad yat sakalaṁ parasmai
    nārāyaṇāyeti samarpayet tat

    Word for word:

    kāyena — with the body; vācā — speech; manasā — mind; indriyaiḥ — senses; vā — or; buddhyā — with the intelligence; ātmanā — the purified consciousness; vā — or; anus ta — followed; svabhāvāt — according to one’s conditioned nature; karoti — one does; yat yat — whatever; sakalam — all; parasmai — to the Supreme;nārāyaṇāya iti — thinking, “This is for Nārāyaṇa”; samarpayet — he should offer; tat — that.

    Translation:

    In accordance with the particular nature one has acquired in conditioned life, whatever one does with body, words, mind, senses, intelligence or purified consciousness one should offer to the Supreme, thinking, “This is for the pleasure of Lord Nārāyaṇa.”

    ( Srimad Bhagvtham  11.2.36) explained by Rishaba to Nimi of Rama’s dynasty’

    Sri Vaishnava sect (of which I’m a member) uses another verse called the Sattvika Tyaga for much the same purpose:

    bhagavan eva svaniyamya sva-śeṣa-bhūtena maya
    sva-ārādhana-eka-prayojanāya idam (name of the karma)
    svasmai svaprītyai svayam eva karayati |

    The auspicious deity, exerting control on himself, using me (his other part) as an instrument, himself effects , with his pleasure/ worship being the only purpose.

    In the Bhagavad Gita, Arjuna tells Krishna,

    ‘You assert that the cycle of birth and death is because of one’s action and its repurcussions thereof.

    If one were to desist from performing action, is he not freed from the results of action and its reactionKarma Phala?

    Krishna replies,

    ‘ There is nothing in the world that is not Mine nor does anything take place withiut Me.

    There is nothing I desire for everything is Mine.

    Yet I am here performing Duties?

    Why?

    It is because of Swabhava, one’s disposition.

    Once born , he is impelled by his disposition.

    He can not escape from action, it may even be breathing.

    Even that is an action and it attracts karma phala’ reaction.

    So one is not free.

    YET one is endowed with Buddhi, power of discrimination to choose from options available to him’

    That’s it.

    One has freedom to express himself , impelled by his disposition, which he can not avoid yet he has the choice to perform righteously.

    Reference and citation.

    http://www.vedabase.com/en/sb/11/2/36

    http://hinduism.stackexchange.com/questions/8978/what-is-the-source-of-this-kayena-vacha-text-or-where-does-it-come-from

     

  • Choices And Life

    Quote on Life and Choice.
    Choice Quote

    I studied in a premier college with dual scholarship as I could not afford Higher studies.

    I was very active in the Students’ Union and was responsible for three strikes in that premier Institution.

    The causes were just, the authorities knew it, though could not admit it openly.

    I finished my degree as the first rank holder in the University in major(Philosophy,Psychology and Sociology), only first class in The University in the language(Tamil),and one of the seven second class students who scored in English.

    Though the college authorities knew I had created problems, the Chief of the group called me and asked me to continue MA , financial help for boarding, lodging and fees  will be taken care of by them, I could not, because my family circumstances warranted that I take up a job.

    Hence I had to refuse the offer despite their assurance that they will provide me with a job in the college as a Lecturer(Mind you the salary was good for the post in those days) because I could not  wait for two more years to earn.

    I took up a job, went out of the city, fell in love for over three years with my friend‘s( who was around 48 years) daughter.

    As much I wanted to marry her, I did not ask her father.

    in my view to marry one;s friend’s daughter was a betrayal of Trust!

    I got married and me my friend with my wife.

    His daughter along with him extended hospitality.

    As we were returning Home, my wife told me that she saw Love in my friend’s daughter’s eyes and asked me what the matter was.

    I explained her and she admonished me for not having married her and felt sorry for me too!

    (My friend’s daughter , in a fit of anger and desperation to get even with me got married of her own to a non worthy who tortured her and she got a divorce.)

    My wife, whom I loved and love still died in child birth.

    I went off my mind for a couple of months, got remarried , begotten grand children.

    I had choices, at all times,

    to opt for higher study and a sinecure job.

    to marry the one whom I loved,

    to remain unmarried after my beloved wife’s death,

    I did not choose any of these options.

    On hind sight I wish I could have taken them.

    The cost?

    I do not know.

    But what forced me to choose one in place of another, may be circumstances, but still?

    I had chosen what I thought I liked.

    In retrospect, I find it could have been otherwise.

    May be after couple of years  or even a days later I might find my present choice mentioned here are incorrect!

    So a decision is made by one with out his control, though it appears to be voluntary.

    Choice is really determined, if you look at it this way.

    So decisions are made for me and I am under the illusion that I am choosing them!

    True, I feel the pain at all times, I am Human.

    But what is Life with out this!