Ramana Maharshi About Free-will And Destiny

Talk 209.

Mr. B. C. Das, the Physics Lecturer, asked about free-will and destiny.

M.: Whose will is it? ‘It is mine’, you may say. You are beyond will and fate. Abide as that and you transcend them both. That is the meaning of conquering destiny by will. Fate can be conquered.Fate is the result of past actions. By association with the wise the bad tendencies are conquered. One’s experiences are then viewed to their proper perspective.

I exist now. I am the enjoyer. I enjoy fruits of action. I was in the past and shall be in the future. Who is this ‘I’? Finding this ‘I’ to be pure Consciousness beyond action and enjoyment, freedom and happiness are gained. There is then no effort, for the Self is perfect and there remains nothing more to gain.

So long as there is individuality, one is the enjoyer and doer. But if it is lost, the divine Will prevails and guides the course of events.

The individual is perceptible to others who cannot perceive divine force. Restrictions and discipline are for other individuals and not for the liberated.

Free-will is implied in the scriptural injunctions to be good. It implies overcoming fate. It is done by wisdom. The fire of wisdom consumes all actions. Wisdom is acquired by association with the wise, or rather, its mental atmosphere.

Source: Talks With Ramana Maharshi Book

More Over in In verse 19 of Ulladu Narpadu

Ramana says that the dispute whether fate (vidhi) or free will (mati) prevails is of interest only to those who do not know the (mulam) — the root, base, foundation, origin or source — of both fate and free will (namely the mind, which misuses its free will and experiences whatever fate results therefrom), and that those who have known the truth of this mind have thereby separated themselves from fate and free will and will not hereafter become entangled with them again. In other words,fate and free will appear to exist only so long as our mind appears to exist, but when we scrutinise this mind and thereby know the truth that it does not really exist, fate and free will will also cease to exist.

Talk 426

D.: Has man any Free-Will or is everything in his life predestined and preordained?

M.: Free-Will holds the field in association with individuality. As long as individuality lasts so long there is Free-Will. All the sastras are based on this fact and they advise directing the Free-Will in the right channel.Find out to whom Free-Will or Destiny matters. Abide in it. Then these two are transcended. That is the only purpose of discussing these questions. To whom do these questions arise? Find out and be at peace.

Readers interested are requested to read below articles as well

http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/12/bhagavan-ramana-on-surrender-free-will.html

http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/03/ramana-maharshi-about-complete.html

http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2010/02/ramana-maharshi-explains-regarding.html

http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2010/02/ramana-maharshi-about-sanyasam-and.html

http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/09/ramana-maharshi-says-ones-course-of.html

http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/10/ramana-maharshi-says-success-and.html

http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/09/ramana-maharshi-answers-to-how-did.html

http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2010/02/ramana-maharshi-says-root-of-prakruti.html

http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/09/important-couplets-from-tripura-rahasya.html

http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2010/01/devikalottara-translated-by-t-k.html

http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/06/nan-yar-who-am-i-from-original-tamil.html

http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2010/03/few-important-points-from-ramana.html

http://plaintruthsfromprasad.blogspot.com/2009/06/illustration-of-i-mine-past-and-future.html

http://plaintruthsfromprasad.blogspot.com/2009/06/truth-about-action-change-event.html