Free Will Versus Fatalism
Divine Life
Society Publication: Practice of
Karma Yoga by Sri Swami Sivananda
The controversy between free
will and fatalism is still going on in the West and no one has come to any
definite conclusion. It is a great pity that the doctrine of Karma is mistaken
for fatalism. Fatalism is the doctrine that all events are subject to fate and
happen by unavoidable necessity.
Fate is otherwise known as
luck or fortune. That indefinable mysterious something which brings trials,
successes and failures to man, which shapes and moulds him by teaching lessons
of various sort, which takes care of him like a mother, which brings various
sort of experiences, which brings cloudy days and days of bright sunshine,
which raises a beggar to the level of a landlord and hurls down a mighty
potentate to the level of a street-beggar, which gives different kinds of
fruits and experiences to two people of equal talents and capacities, which
made Napolean at one time a terror in the eyes of the people and at another
time a prisoner, and which makes a certain portion of the life of a man quite
stormy and another portion quite smooth, is called fate. Fate educates and
instructs man. However whimsical the fate may appear to operate, it works in
harmony with the law of causation.
Fate is one’s own creation.
Man acts and thinks and develops his own character. He creates a web like the
spider or a silk-worm and entangles himself in its meshes on account of the
three knots, viz., Avidya, Kama and Karma. He himself has enthroned fate to the
level of a king and obeys its order owing to his ignorance and its effects.
The doctrine of Karma is
diametrically opposed to the doctrine of fatalism. Fatalism causes inertia,
lethargy, weakness of will and bondage. Fatalism annihilates faith. It induces
terrible fear in the people. It destroys ethics. It checks growth and
evolution, whereas the doctrine of Karma is an incentive to action to better
one’s condition. It is a source of solace. It gives man an assurance of a
broader and happier life. It presupposes freedom of the will. Freedom is the
essence of Karma. It gives opportunities for growth and evolution. The doctrine
of Karma affords a most rational and scientific explanation of what is called
fate. It gives a positive definite word of assurance that, although the present
of which he himself is the creator or the author, is unalterable and
irrevocable, he may better his future by changing his thoughts, habits,
tendencies and mode of action. Herein lies great comfort, strength, encouragement
and consolation to the desperate man. This gives a strong impetus for the man
to struggle and exert for improving himself. Even a forlorn and helpless man is
made cheerful when he understands this doctrine of Karma.
The doctrine of Karma teaches:
“Do not blame anybody when you suffer. Do not accuse God. Blame yourself first.
You will have to reap what you have sown in your previous birth. Your present
sufferings are due to your own bad Karma in your past life. You are yourself
the author of the present state. The present is unchangeable. Do not weep. Instead
of weeping over the failure of crops during last year, go on ploughing this
year. You will get abundant rain this year and rich harvest. Do virtuous actions
now. Think rightly. Act rightly. You will have a brilliant and a glorious
future.” How beautiful and soul-stirring is this magnanimous doctrine of Karma!
The doctrine of Karma develops faith and supports ethics. It says: “If you hurt
another man, you hurt yourself.”
Every act produces in the
performer a double effect, one in the inner nature in the form of a tendency,
good or bad, and the other in the form of fruit, reward or punishment. The past
Karma influences the present life in two ways, first in the form of character
or tendency internally and as fate externally. If you do an action, it creates
a Samskara or subtle impression in the subconscious mind or Chitta. The
Samskara causes a tendency. Tendency develops into a habit by repetition of the
actions. The habit manifests as character. Character develops into destiny.
This is the order: Samskara, tendency, habit, character, and destiny.
The faculty of choosing is
termed will. This will is free by its own nature. Man has a free will by his
birthright. It asserts itself at every moment of our lives. Bear in mind that
every small act that you perform is the resultant of triple conjoint forces,
viz., freewill, character and fate. The sphere of activity varies according to
the nature of your Karma and the character formed by it. If you have done
virtuous actions in your previous birth and if you have developed an exemplary
character, your will would have a wider field of activity and vice versa.
Determinism is the doctrine
that all things, including the will, are determined (limited) by causes. This
is the converse of free will. It is otherwise known as necessitarianism. Man
has power to choose between the alternatives which fate brings before him. In
choosing between them he may either follow his tendencies produced by his past
actions or struggle against them. The will of a man is ever free. The arguments
which are advanced by determinists in saying that human will is determined are
not sound and tenable; they fall to the ground.
Dear friends! Man is the
master of his destiny. Wake up now from the deep slumber of ignorance. Never
become a fatalist. Think rightly. Act rightly. Lead a virtuous life. Never hurt
the feelings of others. Mould your character. Purify your mind. Concentrate.
Thou art Nitya Mukta Purusha. Tat Tvam Asi—Thou art That.
Excerpts from:
Free Will versus Fatalism - Practice of
Karma Yoga by Sri Swami Sivananda
If you would like to purchase the print edition, visit:
http://www.dlshq.org/cgi-bin/store/commerce.cgi?
http://www.dlshq.org/cgi-bin/store/commerce.cgi?
If you would
like to contribute to the dissemination of spiritual knowledge please contact
the General Secretary at:
No comments:
Post a Comment