Saturday, March 24, 2012

Part-I: Of Karma and Predestination

Does a belief in predestination negate free will? Does predestination make efforts unnecessary? The normal arguments against a belief in predestination are all focused on these questions. Thus, whether or not the hypothesis of predestination is true or not, a belief in predestination is seen as detrimental to human progress.

Hindu philosophy has to be seen holistically. From the very earth from which the idea of predestination arose also sprang the Gita saying ‘Karmanyevadhikaraste ma phalesu kadacana’. This and the verses of Karma Yoga enjoin people to action without regard to whether or not such action would lead to success or failure. Thus, even if the results of the action are predestined, it is prescribed as the duty of the person to act.

In one form, you could see predestination as a form of self counseling. If your actions yield success, a belief in predestination would keep you from becoming arrogant about the success since you would not consider the success as the result of your own inimitable brilliance and hard work. If your actions fail, you would not get depressed since you would ascribe the failure to predestination rather than your own unworthiness.

The Hindu religion, probably, was not created to act as a home-made psycho-analyst for people. Thus, predestination is probably considered as the truth of the way the universe is rather than as a fiction to keep people sane. Then, if what happens to you is all predestined where, then, is the role for free will?

Assume that you are predestined to kill your grandfather and inherit property. You could want to inherit the property, push your grandfather down the stairs and inherit his property. You could love your grandfather but slip on the floor, bump into your grandfather and knock him down the stairs. In either case, predestination is served. Are both occurrences one and the same? So, if you are destined to kill your grandfather, you might as well go ahead and plan his murder since there is no room for free will?

As long as you see results exclusively in the realm of what is getting done, you would see predestination as something that negates free will. The moment you start seeing that the motives for what gets done are also important, you can see you have free will in deciding what motivates you. That, to me, is a far higher freedom.

The other aspect that predestination does not pre-define is the way you react to what happens to you in the world. You could feel rich with USD 1 million, Anil Ambani would feel poor with it and, a Saint, would be indifferent to the presence or absence of the money. Predestination would only define that you would have USD 1 million and not how you feel about it. Free Will, again!

What you get may be predetermined whether or not you put in efforts. The efforts, themselves, alter you as a person and changes the way you view what you have as well as how you see the world. If you are destined to be a millionaire, you could become one either because you earned your way or because someone gave you a hand-out. It is a miserably stunted person who would view both as being the same.

Efforts matter because they determine the sort of person you are and how much respect you have for yourself. Free will exists in determining the motives and in dealing with consequences. Predestination, thus, has room for both efforts as well as free will.

You can read the next two parts here - Part II and Part III

20 comments:

  1. Good explanation. The example of one getting USD 1 mill but not how he would feel about it is striking.

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  2. i like your blog-at least you talk of something different & meaningful..i will follow.

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  3. Glad to hear that you think that my blog is worth following.

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  4. Provocative piece, Suresh!

    I guess I'm of the school of thought that we are co-creators with our Creator. I'm destined to be whatever I choose to be. I guess that falls under free will!

    Great piece!
    Penny

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    1. It does! One of the Hindu philosophies actually says you too partake of godhood - you only do not realize it.

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  5. Thank you for the profound thinking.

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  6. great information that is different.

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    1. Thanks Amar! The information belongs to the sages of yore. I only describe my way of understanding their information.

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  7. Very educative post Suresh. The $1M piece kinda sums it up doesn't it...

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  8. Great post, Suresh. It certainly gives me a lot to think about.

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  9. The right insight at the right time for me ! Thanks Suresh !

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  10. Love the thought process. I read the comment too about the godhood concept.Hindu philosophy is so rich that we can interpret it however we want based on the level of IQ and life lessons..following your blog 😊

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  11. What if you are pre- determined to kill your grandfather by sliiping, or by murdering ?

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    1. There is no end to these what-ifs :) My point is simple. That there are a lot of possibilities where free will exists in the realm of the mind, even where in the realm of the world it seems to not exist under a theory of predestination. And, needless to say, my own belief is in such a theory of predestination where the realm of the mind is free. Else, this idea of acquiring good karma and bad karma would be ridiculous. Unless my will is free how can I be praised or blamed for the choices I make?

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