Free Will (God's will)

[Anand Hudli]

  Cameron wrote:

>Anand,

 >I have a problem with the concept of God's free will.

 >God's will - I accept. In fact, I would argue that every action is God's
 >will,
 >for there is nothing but God.

 >But free will?  This to me suggests that God is an anthropomorphic entity
 >who
 >wishes to choose one course of events over another.

 >I rather think of God or Ishvara as the primal energy which we all are -
 >Formless. Choice-less.

 >Too often we try to invest God with the characteristics we believe humans
 >have,IMHO.


   The point that God lacks free will leads to a contradiction. If He were
   acting in a predetermined manner, who/what is the entity that decides
   His acts? This entity cannot be a lesser being than God. It cannot be
   higher than God, because as the Lord says in the Giitaa, (7.7) "mattaH
   parataraM naanyat.h kiJNchidasti dhanaMjaya!", "There is nothing whatsoever
   beyond (higher) than Me." If the entity that decides God's acts is
   God Himself, it is the same as saying God has the free will to do what He
   does.

   Further, Lord Krishna (Ishvara) makes it abundantly clear why He
   engages Himself in action in the third chapter of the Giitaa. As per
   3.22, there is nothing in the three worlds that has not been attained
   or is yet to be attained by Him. He is not bound to work nor is He
   working under the control of somebody else. But still He works ceaselessly.
   Why? "yadi hyahaM na varteyaM jaatu karmaaNyatandritaH", "If I ever do not
   work tirelessly", "mama vartmaanuvartante manushhyaaH", "people will follow
   my path (of not working)." (3.23)

   What will happen as a result of God's not working? "utsiideyurime lokaa na
   kuryaaM karma chedahaM", "these worlds will be ruined/destroyed if I do not
   work." (3.24). Shankara, in his commentary on this verse, adds:

   prajaanaam-anugrahaaya pravR^ittaH tadupahatiM kuryaamiti mama Ishvarasya
   ananuruupam-aapadyeta|

   "Being interested in conferring blessings on living beings, I might bring
    about their ruin, (if I do not work). This will not suit My nature as
    God (Ishvara)." Thus thinks God.

   So God works because He has the welfare of the worlds in mind, not because
   He is controlled by something else. One can also say that He works according
   to His own plan. Questions may also be asked at this point: Why does
   Ishvara play the role of Ishvara? Why does He engage Himself in the
   creation, maintenance, and destruction of the universe? Surely, He does
   not *have* to do all this? From the advaitic viewpoint, the answer is
   simple, because there is no creation, maintenance, and destruction of
   anything in the first place. But schools based on bhakti would answer
   the same questions by saying that all the creation, etc. is the liilaa
   or the sport of Ishvara.



 > Cameron.

   Anand