Last night I decided to head to Roses Café for a mango lassi.
As it turns out Ashley, the server, is a Philosophy student at Ottawa U who has recently found a love for eastern philosophy. Around the sitting bar, interesting discussion was developing from topics ranging from meditation to fate and free will.
The debate between fate and free will is one which has been going on seemingly forever. The notion of fate says that everything is already predetermined in life and that you don’t really have a say in your destiny. Free will on the other hand argues that we are 100% responsible for our lives and how it turns out.
My take on the whole fate vs free will debate is that they coexist - to some extent. It’s not merely a question of black and white. One exists by virtue of the other in that the options from which you can choose from now, have been determined by all that has happened up until that very moment. What you choose to do next is your responsibility and each choice that you make inherently predetermines what choices will be available for you to choose from next.
Buddhism calls this concept Dependent Origination.
Dependant Origination
At any given moment in time, everything in your life is exactly the way it is supposed to be.
Everything that has happened up until this very moment was necessary to set the stage to determine what will happen next.
Everything that happens next ultimately depends on what has happened just before.
This is dependent origination...at least this is my interpretation of it.
I know it sounds paradoxical, but only if you choose to.
Peace out
-Y
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment