Is Free Will an Illusion?
We are often advised to live in his will, but what does that mean? How do we live in the Lord’s will when we’re faced with decisions and cannot see a clear path forward? Let’s begin by defining free will. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, free will means the ability to think and act out of choice, and without coercion. At first glance, this definition resonates with our perception that we are masters of our destinies. Upon deeper reflection though, the definition highlights how little control we have over our physical existence. Take the simple act of driving a car; we must follow rules like staying on a specific side of the road and obeying traffic signals. These constraints limit our choices and highlight the boundaries within which we can make decisions. Spiritual masters draw a similar parallel between free will and destiny.
Some of us have grown up in a culture that values individuality, which has instilled in us both the belief that we can be whatever we want to be and choose to do whatever we want. However, as Maharaj Sawan Singh explains in Spiritual Gems, our whole life was mapped out before we were born according to a combination of good and bad actions (karmas) that we performed across previous lifetimes:
The disciple’s material welfare and his success or failure in business ventures is a matter of karma. Before he was born, his life course was all chalked out. The number of breaths he is to take, the steps he is to move, the morsels of food he is to eat, his pain and pleasures, his poverty and riches, his success and failure, were determined beforehand. He himself was the maker of his fate.
Echoing the last sentence of the Great Master’s quote, in Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, Cassius remarks, “The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves, that we are underlings.” Whatever happens in our life is the result of something we did in the past. Mystics explain that, under the divine law of karma, our every action is recorded in what can be described as a unique cyber-file, which the book from self to Shabd calls “the sinchit-cloud (or storage in Sanskrit).” Each time we take a new birth, a small proportion of the karma in the sinchit cloud is downloaded to shape every facet of that life, from our birthplace and parents to the schools we attend, our circle of friends, financial standing, physical attributes, and health status. In short, everything that unfolds in our lives, big and small, is the product of a personal karmic blueprint.
Of course, the question that naturally arises upon learning about the intricate workings of the divine law of karma is, if everything is predestined according to our previous actions, how is it possible for us to add new actions to the sinchit cloud? In Spiritual Perspectives, Vol. I, Maharaj Charan Singh, addresses this apparent paradox:
Three-fourths of what we go through in this life is nothing but our pralabdh karmas, seeds which we have already sown. One-fourth, practically speaking, are new seeds we are going to sow, and they are conditioned by our parentage, our environment, our education, our associations. Our new seeds which we are sowing today are influenced by all that. So in the long run you can’t say that you have any free will at all.
Hazur Maharaj Ji explains that while three-quarters of our life is programmed, the remainder is governed by a new set of choices and actions. However, even here, our free will is limited because our choices are influenced by the interplay of our upbringing, environment, past experiences, and societal conditioning. Hazur Maharaj Ji illustrates this point by likening free will to a game of chess, where the initial move sets the course for subsequent moves, stating, “When you start playing chess, the first move is in your hand, but all the other moves are conditioned by the first move.” In other words, while we may exercise free will in certain aspects of our lives, this is constrained by a complex interaction of background causes and influences beyond our conscious awareness.
Given that our past decisions and actions influence our present circumstances and future outcomes, how is it possible to escape this cycle? The mystics encourage us to combine our vivek, our sense of discrimination, with willpower and obedience to comply with the Lord’s will. But what is the Lord’s will? At our level of spiritual maturity, this means not compromising with the principles of Sant Mat, as Maharaj Charan Singh explains in Spiritual Perspectives, Vol. III:
What is the master’s will? Just to be firm on the principles on which we have to build our meditation and attend to our meditation – that is his will, that is his teaching, those are his instructions. That is the base on which we have to start. The real will of the master we can know only when we go beyond the realm of mind and maya.
A practical way of adhering to Sant Mat principles is to stop ourselves from being thrown off course by forming a habit of clear thinking so as to invert the five passions into virtues such as patience, acceptance, courage, honesty, discipline, and selflessness. Patience can be a challenge to master, especially when it comes to being patient with ourselves. It dawns on us that attaining spiritual enlightenment is neither quick nor easy. Frustration may arise if we feel like our progress is lacking. Yet, spiritual growth unfolds over a lifetime. During moments of discouragement, it’s helpful to remember that initiation is a sign of the Master’s faith in us.
Similarly, acceptance is crucial on this journey – who are we to question the wisdom of the all-knowing? If he has the power to bestow, does he not also possess the power to know? In the realm of the physical world, numerous circumstances may not unfold as we desire. We might miss out on securing that coveted parking spot for our car. We may find ourselves halted at every red traffic light. A sibling may have consumed the sweet treat we had eagerly anticipated all day. In each instance where things do not proceed according to our expectations, we can embrace the will of the divine. Our reactions to life’s events can sever our karmic bonds, guiding us towards liberation, or they can fasten us to fresh karmic chains that burden and confine us further in this realm.
Courage is needed to face our weaknesses, recognize our role in problematic situations, and then take steps to correct our mistakes. Critics are our best teachers; if their feedback is accurate, we can use it to change, if it isn’t, we need to let go of any grudges and move on. If we are courageous, we accept responsibility for our own happiness. Just as we can delete the junk mail in our inbox without reading it, we can decide which of the opinions of ourselves or others we ignore or allow to influence us.
The Master knows best how to help us – he knows our past, present and future. Aware of our karmic ties, missteps, and acts of kindness, the Master tailors his support to each disciple so we can do our part to attain spiritual liberation. Upon receiving the technique of meditation, we commit to fulfilling the four promises necessary to live a life dedicated to Sant Mat. The Master promises to open our awareness to the divine sound within, and it is then we may realize we are part of the infinite. Mystics explain that embracing our destiny transcends mere physical existence; it marks the beginning of a profound journey. By placing our trust in the divine design and striving to embody our highest potential, we start the process of becoming the best version of ourselves. In Light on Sant Mat, we understand what it means to be a good disciple:
He who keeps all his love and attention in the Divine Sound, and performs his worldly duties as a matter of routine. He is not affected by anything that comes in his life – good or bad – because he has perfectly submitted to the Master.
This article began by asking how we can know the will of the Lord. The true answer is that we can never know why things are how they are. Living in the Lord’s will comes when we accept the circumstances in which we find ourselves. Accepting someone else’s plan for us can be the most challenging thing when, from a young age, all we’ve been told is to be unique and individual. However, if we use the faculties bestowed upon us, discrimination, and love for the Master, we will slowly recognize that since very little is in our hands, the best we can do is to accept everything that comes our way. Above all, daily meditation will open our awareness to the Shabd. Consumed in its melody we ultimately will surrender ourselves, realizing there is only One. This is what it means to live in the will of the Lord.