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Originally Posted by markings
Suzuki Roshi ("Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind") writes this in a quote: "Even if the sun were to rise from the West a Bodhisattva only has one way".
It is generally agreed that a Bodhisattva is an enlightened person and the quote above means that such a person has no choice, i.e. no free will.
Likewise, in "The Supreme Doctrine" Hubert Benoit delivers a logically derived argument that an enlightened person inevitably has to come down on the side of the good. Such a person cannot possibly serve evil.
Again this means that there is no choice and without any choice there cannot be free will.
In short, the ignorant have free will, the enlightened ones have not.
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An enlightened being soars above the little separatist self-created "mental prison" called the ego and sees from the perspective of the Big Picture which acts in the best interests of the Totality with no expectation of a return. It is well said that, paradoxically, the pathless path of complete freedom for such enlightened beings is indeed Choiceless.
I am saying the same thing as you but in different words.
When one realizes the limitations of the little personal perspective, one ultimately surrenders to that which lies beyond it all and, at that point, any questions related to "free will" become irrelevant and actually do not even arise any more.
P.S. I read the entire thread before posting and was surprised that no one followed up on your point. Suzuki is an excellent reference.