Free will

[Cameron Reilly]

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.

Regards,

Cameron.

-----Original Message-----
From:   Anand Hudli [SMTP:Anand_Hudli_at_USININ31 at BMC.BOEHRINGER-MANNHEIM.COM]
Sent:   Saturday, May 17, 1997 5:44 AM
To:     Multiple recipients of list ADVAITA-L
Subject:        Re: Free will

 The discussion on free will is interesting but I could not help
 noticing the relevance of God's will to the discussion. God or Ishvara has His
 own power or will and is free to exercise it in any way He likes. From a
 purely "theistic" viewpoint, it is possible to argue that this will of God
 represents the ultimate in free will and the fact that free will is
 undeniable. Of course, from an advaitic viewpoint, Ishvara leads to
 Brahman ultimately and Brahman is devoid of any change or action. So
 there cannot be a free will at that stage. For, will implies change
 and change implies activity. Kashmir Shaivism makes a distinction
 between activity and action, saying activity (kriyaa) is something
 that Ishvara engages in spontaneously or causelessly, but action
  (karma) is the kind of deliberative action that we mortals engage in.
 But advaita makes no such distinction between activity and action.
 That is because, again, activity and action alike bring about change
 or transformation. Brahman is without transformation (nirvikaara).
 Or in other words, since Brahman is the only Reality, transformation
 is impossible.

 I will write more on this later.

 Anand