Quote:
Originally Posted by Taranjeet singh  The Free will should be , as per my opinion, the freedom to anything as per the will. It is possible if the Jeeva comes back in the new garb as a clean -slate.
What the English translation says [you have come, and now you perform actions to determine your future] amounts to complete freedom given to the man to act as as he pleases.If this is true then it is in conflict with the attribute of the God that He is omnipotent. Man's freedom will hit this provision and hence is not tenable. Man cannot be the chooser as He is bound with in the Command of His hukum.The english translation is, therefore , defective. |
Taranjeet ji
The conversation gets more complicated as we continue. I don't agree that "free will" amounts to doing anything "as per the will"..."freedom given to man to act as he pleases."
My understanding of free will: the freedom to choose among possible actions. And the ability to consider and weigh the consequences of my actions before I make a choice.
Freedom to choose is not incompatible with God's omnipotence as far as I can tell. If God is omnipotent, the range of choices I can make have already been predetermined, though perhaps not the actual choice that I do make in a particular situation. I cannot for example choose to slay my enemy with a ray gun which has not been invented yet. I can choose to slay my enemy with a rifle. The choice to kill is mine, but not the choice of my weapon.
I think we have to consider that ethics and morality are not humanly possible -- without the freedom to choose good or wickedness. And more -- if the choice to do good is completely conditioned by Divine will then there no one should be praised or held up as a role model for a lifetime of good deeds. And if the choice to be wicked is completely conditioned by Divine will then no rank criminal should be held morally accountable for his wicked deeds. The deeds might be punished, but the criminal should be held blameless.
There would also be no need to think in terms of finding God's light within us, nor to overcome hatred and anger toward other beings.
And if Akaal is without enmity, without hatred, then why would Akaal withhold His jyote from some and give it to others.
To me this is an oversimplification of the idea of "hukam." And it casts God into the role of a puppet master. But who knows? Perhaps God is a puppet master, and we are simply his playthings. Of course that is not my understanding of God.