Freewill

[Michael John Smith]

It seems to me that what we call freewill is something we have in this phenomenal existence and decreases in significance, as we become more realised and closer to liberation from this existence. All the great religions question why we suffer so if God, Allah or Buddha is so compassionate and of course they answer that it is because we have freewill to do both good or bad, produce positive or negative karma. We as Buddhists know that freewill is limited by karmic traces we have and the only way to use it for our and other’s benefit is to recognise fully its existence and to change our karma by using it. Of course as we progress, using freewill – choosing happiness over suffering – it becomes diminished or less necessary, as we accumulate merit and become more open to Buddha’s compassion. Once the consciousness is freed from mind and body does it become far less susceptible to freewill, which is perhaps only an attribute of mind? Does the consciousness in other bardos or purelands or other higher realms become more open to the forces of karma and the blessings of the Buddha’s (and other’s) compassion and even completely independent of what we call freewill?
I could go further and suggest that freewill is not only connected with our mind but also what we call ego. While we are attached to our ego, we are forced to use freewill to break free of those attachments and recognise our delusion. Later, as our attachments and ego diminishes, so does our need or even existence of freewill and we are more likely to “go with the flow” of things, accept things as they are. Freewill is necessary only for the ego, the karma-driven mind, in order that we recognise (and choose) reality over delusion.
All that we sentient beings do in this samsaric world involves freewill, which is simply attachment, because we are simply unable to let go.

[Dr Di]

well said! go with the flow, release and try not to think or judge and you will find your true nature there.