Is Everything Predetermined?

[Pewdiepie]

I think everything has a predetermined scope (genetics) but the decision to trigger it is not predetermined. For example, lets say both of my parents and grandparents are 6 feet tall. This means that I should be 6 feet tall. But in my youth, lets say I chose to eat a terrible diet and get minimum exposure to sunlight. At age 27, lets say I am fully grown and that I am 5 feet 10. Thus, my potential was determined but the execution of it wasn't.

[Miss Hepburn]

Ha, Do we really know what is really going on here?
I have been told there is a repeating loop...thus, our many deja vus.
Just as we like to watch a movie over and over...the Creator also slips in the tape and watches again and again....
it is our free will and awakening (think of the Star Trek loop episode with Fraser as a Captain) that gets us 'out of the loop'.

So, let's say we always react the same way to a situation...we punch the guy...on the 5007th time we decide
to pull back and shrug our shoulders and walk away....BINGO..we have changed our loop.

Our next altered episode has changed, Voila...to getting closer, not to waking up in This Dream...but waking up OUT OF This Dream.
Jesus, and many other Masters woke up and got 'out of the Dream', entirely.


References: 'The Disappearance of the Universe', Gary Renard...and ACIM© , A Course In Miracles.

[FallingLeaves]

well it seems that everything was predestined... even the fact that it won't always be that way.

OTOH if you assume it is predestined and act accordingly, you may not be doing yourself any favors.

best just to find another game to play.

[FallingLeaves]

and dreaming is such fun. Tell me again why I should want to wake up?

[Uday_Advaita]

Originally Posted by Pewdiepie

I think everything has a predetermined scope (genetics) but the decision to trigger it is not predetermined. For example, lets say both of my parents and grandparents are 6 feet tall. This means that I should be 6 feet tall. But in my youth, lets say I chose to eat a terrible diet and get minimum exposure to sunlight. At age 27, lets say I am fully grown and that I am 5 feet 10. Thus, my potential was determined but the execution of it wasn't.

Look at it this way:
Wasn't your choice of eating a terrible diet also predetermined??

[Pewdiepie]

Originally Posted by Uday_Advaita

Look at it this way:
Wasn't your choice of eating a terrible diet also predetermined??

Good question. First of all this is a hypothetical, I eat a very healthy diet =D. And the answer to your question, in the context of this hypothetical, is no, because I could have chosen the other way.

On a site note, I'm not denying that God can see into the future. God by definition has to be all knowing. I think this topic is one of those duality questions that can be proven by either side of the argument. In the end, a person can 1. think that everything is predetermined. Then from there, they can determine that they are destined for greatness (in this hypo eating healthy and the benefits it confers, because "hey, my genes expressed through my family are healthy") or that they are destined for failure (eating unhealthy and and the negatives it confers because "hey, my genetics say I should be fat anyways, just look at mom and/or dad") or something in between; with whatever self convincing logic they conjure up. A person can alternatively 2. think the opposite way and say that nothing is predetermined, that they are in control of their life, and that they are the author of their future and know that their actions will determine the outcome. The second perspective has a built in failsafe in my opinion because they won't fall into a self-defeating trap (convincing themselves that their actions will make no difference in the outcome because everything was already determined)

But what if God knows what you will choose (predetermined) but also gives you the free will to decide? In other words, we can have our cake and eat it too. Both perspectives are probably congruent


Things change. Was the change pre-determined? Honestly, who cares if it is change for the better. (Growth)

[Altair]

Originally Posted by Pewdiepie

I think everything has a predetermined scope (genetics) but the decision to trigger it is not predetermined. For example, lets say both of my parents and grandparents are 6 feet tall. This means that I should be 6 feet tall. But in my youth, lets say I chose to eat a terrible diet and get minimum exposure to sunlight. At age 27, lets say I am fully grown and that I am 5 feet 10. Thus, my potential was determined but the execution of it wasn't.

This is a good way of putting it.

If even choice and decision were predetermined we would live in a full blown totalitarian universe. Incidentally, this seems to be a building block of many religion's cosmologies though ^^.
They may believe in free will but in actuality their drive to see an orderly cosmos points towards a direction where such a belief would make no sense..

[Uday_Advaita]

Originally Posted by Pewdiepie

Good question. First of all this is a hypothetical, I eat a very healthy diet =D. And the answer to your question, in the context of this hypothetical, is no, because I could have chosen the other way.

On a site note, I'm not denying that God can see into the future. God by definition has to be all knowing. I think this topic is one of those duality questions that can be proven by either side of the argument. In the end, a person can 1. think that everything is predetermined. Then from there, they can determine that they are destined for greatness (in this hypo eating healthy and the benefits it confers, because "hey, my genes expressed through my family are healthy") or that they are destined for failure (eating unhealthy and and the negatives it confers because "hey, my genetics say I should be fat anyways, just look at mom and/or dad") or something in between; with whatever self convincing logic they conjure up. A person can alternatively 2. think the opposite way and say that nothing is predetermined, that they are in control of their life, and that they are the author of their future and know that their actions will determine the outcome. The second perspective has a built in failsafe in my opinion because they won't fall into a self-defeating trap (convincing themselves that their actions will make no difference in the outcome because everything was already determined)

But what if God knows what you will choose (predetermined) but also gives you the free will to decide? In other words, we can have our cake and eat it too. Both perspectives are probably congruent


Things change. Was the change pre-determined? Honestly, who cares if it is change for the better. (Growth)

Hello
The basic premise of Non-duality teaching (I received) is that – there is no individual doer.

My understanding is:

The choice you made at any point of time was made by/through your MBA(Mind Body Apparatus) – and was an event caused by the entire universe (including you, if that gives you comfort) based on your genes, circumstances and the entire surrounding universe influencing your so called decision making process.

Once the choice was made – the event has happened.

Post that – if you say – I could have chosen the other way – simply does not exist.

Hence in our life as we know – What is at this instant – cannot be or rather could not have been otherwise. Because all the choices hitherto made by us have been accounted for. Therefore, the status at this instant (not only your status but that of the entire universe) could not be different from what it is. Hence predetermined???

Putting it in another way:

If you subscribe to the theory that, we as human species have all the free will to make choices of our liking and make our life the way we want it, is absolutely fine. The understanding will however come from your own experience. How practical the Free will is and a simple investigation will show whether choices made by you were really your choices or not.

Alternatively, as Lord Krishna has advised - You have right to action only and no claim on the fruits of your actions. In other words – Do your best in the situation and do NOT own the success or failure of your action as it can never be under your control.
Namaskar