Greetings, all, from a new member. This is an interesting question; I thought I'd try exploring it from a slightly different direction.
In a strictly philosophical sense, "free will" doesn't make any sense from a Buddhist (or Zen) framework, does it? First, free will is the notion that I have ultimate dominion over my choices and actions. But, of course, Buddhism teaches that there is no inherent or lasting "I" that could act as the controller. So, who is it that controls these choices? The self that appears to be in control is itself fleeting and arisen from causes and conditions, so it can't be that, can it? Second, free will usually comes with the requirement that in any particular situation (i.e., holding constant the forces at play), I *could have* done otherwise. This seems quite incoherent with the notion that all phenomena (including the momentary experience of the self) arise sufficiently on the basis of causes and conditions. The decision or choice could be different -- but first you'd have to find a way to change the causes and conditions that give rise to the self who decides. In this sense, most decisions, in the moment they are made couldn't have been different than how they were. So, in some sense our decisions are fully the product of our karma (I'm using "karma" here to simply mean conditioned patterns of perceiving, judging, and acting upon the world). But karma is not fixed (there's that darn impermanence thing again). Karma, too, is subject to causes and conditions. One such condition, mindfulness, seems to "open up" our habitual ways of acting to alternative possibilities. Mindfulness means awareness of the arising and ceasing of particular perceptions or thoughts. It seems that this awareness takes away some of the usual "power" of habits and allows for alternative courses of action. This isn't really "free will" in any meaningful sense, but it is greater flexibility in our ways of relating to the world, which itself sews the seeds for future behavior. Anyway, these are the musings of my karmic mind. ;) I'd love to hear what others have to say. --- In [email protected], "Bill!" wrote: > > Suresh, > IMO your post below is full of errors. I've embedded my comments in > some of the most egregious, but there are just too many for me to > comment on all of them... > --- In [email protected], "Suresh" wrote: > > > > Dear Joe, > > > > Thanks for the suggestion to take up the job of Bodhisattva > Being a Bodhisattva is not a job, it's a way of life. > It means you > have not observed your life closely. When great > > people like Ramana Maharishi states that this world is illusion, it > > has to be understood as illusion.No one has to accept anyone else's > observations and conclusions - including Buddha's teachings. You have > to experience all this for yourself. If you don't it's not real, it's > just something you read or heard.>What he mean illusion is there is no > > individual `self', ...I agree with the above statement...>...so all > whatever is happening is according to `god'. > > So it follows certain rules, that is `karma' or newton's laws of > > motion....but I don't agree with your conclusion. Where did 'god' > come from all of a sudden? And why do you think that things are > happening? There are no rules. All your ideas of 'god' and 'things > happening' and 'rules' and 'karma' and 'laws of motions' and 'free will' > are ILLUSORY! Didn't you just say Ramana Maharishi said so? > ..."...this world is illusion and has to be understood as illusion." > All these ideas and concepts you've listed are just part of this world > of illusion. Only experience is not illusory. > > > This is as far as I got in your post. I didn't think the rest of it was > worth my time commenting on. > ...Bill! > ------------------------------------ Current Book Discussion: any Zen book that you recently have read or are reading! Talk about it today!Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Zen_Forum/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Zen_Forum/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: [email protected] [email protected] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [email protected] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
