Fate Vs Free Will - Opinion

So, this is in continuance of last live session on Fate Vs Free Will - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdcRPoSSgd0&t= . Let me add few more points to this complicated topic which easily could be misunderstood and I always feel that I can explain things much better while writing.

So, there are two ways you can deal with a situation or event in your life.

1. It was God's wish and destined. I can't do anything about it. 

2. I acted in a certain way which made this event happen. It is result of my act.

Both ways have its positive/negative points. Like,

For the path of destiny -

a. Leaving everything on God looks very spiritual and it looks like person is directly connected with source energy but its real test is when person leaves all events on God. It doesn't matter if he suffers any loss or profit in life, he leaves on destiny whatever is the result. But that's not what happens in reality. Whenever we achieve anything or some positive things happen in life, we assert ourselves that "I did this and I took this decision and I was so smart then this positive result was possible". And whenever we suffer a little bit of pain then automatically blame goes to God/Destiny that "how can God do this to me? I am such a nice person. I go to temple daily.  :D ".

b. Well, if achievement is yours then how failure can be God's and likewise, if failure is God's then how achievement can be yours? So, when I talk about everything is destined then I include EVERYTHING. All positives and all negatives. In that case, you can't keep anything with you. It is a path of total surrender. So, if you can do that then path of destiny is yours.

c. Now, there are 2 problems with this path. One age-old argument that what if a person commits a crime and blames it on God or Destiny. And there is no scope of improvement as this path can make a person lazy as he may say that how I can go beyond God's will?

d. For both issues, simplest response is that such people didn't understand the concept of leaving everything on God or Destiny. As I said, this is the path of total surrender, i.e. surrender of ego. Now, any crime or any negative action is done to satisfy ego. Like, I may steal money because I need money. So, ego satisfaction is involved here. But path of destiny is of a person who has totally surrendered his ego and willing to live on God's wish. Such person won't commit any crime because he knows that blame will go on God. Likewise, such person will never stop improving because again blame will go on God. Basically, he surrenders all his actions to God. So, there is no chance that he can surrender any crime to God or laziness to God.

Now, for the path of free-will -

a. It looks like the path of ego assertion because person says that I can manage my life and do actions as per my will. So, this is one drawback but there is one positive thing here that this person is taking responsibility of his actions if he is totally following the path of free-will. Here again, the problem is that people are selective about paths. When they get positive results then it is because of their own actions as per free-will but when they see bad results then they blame it on destiny.

b. So again, if person is truly following the path of free-will then he should take responsibility of ALL his actions, i.e. good, bad or ugly. Now, if he takes responsibility of his actions then there is a huge possibility of improvement. Person won't accept that because of his own actions he is in a mess. Hence, next time, he will put better actions to improve because as per him, results are only as good as his actions. So, positive thing attached with the path of free-will is immense possibility of improvement.

c. As Osho said in one of his preaching that whatever life you are living is result of your own efforts. If you are happy then it is because of your actions and awareness. If you are unhappy then also it is because of your inactions and ignorance. And you can change the scenario in this very moment through your actions and awareness again. Osho says, there is no need to blame God for your situation because God doesn't get any benefit by making you suffer. So, take responsibility on yourself.

So if we see, then both path have its drawbacks and positive points but as I see, the positive use of both paths is on improving your situation. A person who leaves everything on God has to look for better life because if he is living a life of suffering then his God will be blamed for it and as a true lover of God, he won't like to see that. A person who thinks that there is free-will would obviously put his best efforts to improve his situation as he knows that there is none else to do the same for him.

This is how I see it.

Now, the working area of free-will and destiny?

As I said in video, when you put your best effort in achieving anything, at that time you are in free-will zone. During that time of putting efforts you feel that you can manage things your way. Then when you completely exhaust yourself and there is no strength left to put a single more second of effort in that area of life then you have reached to the destined result. So for me, free-will is a way to reach destiny. For ex, there is a guy/girl who is trying hard to get a job and they tried for long time and made all efforts possible but didn't get any favorable result. Now, someone tells them to apply for a job again and all they felt is disgust at very thought of applying again and no strength or desire to go through that process again, then it shows that their free-will is over and they have reached their destiny in that particular area of life.

And as I said in video, we can change things through free-will only in the very initial stages of any thought coming in our mind. But once we get ourselves attached with that thought and give it our attention and energy, it will be stronger than free-will then and will be able to overpower us.

Hope this helps. Thanks,

SPB