Making Decisions when there's no Free Will

[Wisebaxter]

I'm stuck not knowing whether I should sit back and let the universe control me, as of course the 'I' thought is an illusion, or if I should persist as an ego and knowingly enter that delusion in order to have a sense of control over my life. I've let myself slide pretty badly recently, ended up unemployed, smoking loads of weed. Still doing creative stuff but can't think of any paid jobs I want to do. If I sit down to contemplate it, that feels forced, like I'm trying to have free will when really I have none. It feels like a form of controlling. Also, I don't like needing it so badly. Survival, stability, money, comforts. Right now I'm pretty poor. Living on government hand outs. I'm trying to learn to be grateful for it anyway as that feels like a healthy thing to do, not try and escape it. Saying fuck it has felt nice, just not caring, giving in to the apathy. Now I'm waiting for the universe to work it out. I can't do it can I, me the ego. It's just that the universe/divine isn't coming through for me. I don't know if I need to surrender even more as there's still some resistance. Or force myself to get a job as that's what's creating a lot of stress in my life, money issues. I just can't figure out this free will thing. How it works. Am I supposed to pretend I'm in control? Is that the ego's job? If there's no 'I' and I'm being thought instead of thinking, how does decision making work? I don't feel like I have any control now and it's kind of scary and confusing. 

I have a lot of faith in God/reality to guide me as I've had many synchronicitties in recent years that have shown me the truth of no free will and the fact that everything is mapped out. That's what makes this even harder. When I say faith in God I guess I'm also saying faith in myself. This also confuses me. I'm God, but God has no Free will? 

In the existensial funk right now lol. Need helping out. 

[Truth Addict]

@Wisebaxter

Very simple. Don't decide.

Keep not-knowing, and let the world decide for you.

God's decision might include kicking your ass, so be ready (accept it).

What you want after all is happiness, not survival.

P.S. Take care of your health.

Edited July 10, 2019 by Truth Addict

[tsuki]

The relationship between the Ego (the small self) and God (the big self) is dependent on free will.
The Ego suffers because it exerts its separate will on the world. If it matures to the point where it is able to observe itself, it will become conscious of how karma works and that all suffering is self-inflicted. Surrender to God, willing to not will, is the only expression of will that stops suffering. That is the lesson the Ego needs to learn. Past that point, all suffering is a centering lesson.

Surrender to God does not imply that you should become a mindless starfish.
Maybe the lesson is that you should get your life more stable?
The lack of motivation may stem from the fact that there are very few things that are truly worth pursuing in society.

Edited July 10, 2019 by tsuki

[Nahm]

@Wisebaxter Inject more you into life, not less. What do you really want? Driving to the store to get milk, versus driving to a girlfriend’s house to get laid...exactly the same dude in the same car, just driving. Where you’re going has a bit to do with the experience...experience has a bit to do with where you’re going. 

Where are you going? 

What dream is worthwhile? 

What truly inspires effortless personal disciplines? 

Why would you eat cleaner, want to be fit, etc?

What in this life is clarity, love, and your absolute best - for?

 

[Wisebaxter]

@Nahm

14 minutes ago, Nahm said:

@Wisebaxter Inject more you into life, not less. What do you really want? 

Well I'm into music production and since surrending my will I've actually felt more creatively driven, so that's cool. I'm aiming to turn it into a career. But I think I need to get fired up more in general. This is a longer term goal. I have to create some enthusiasm around what a low paying job could give me. I've got a bit used to my lifestyle, even though it's dull and a bit tough. Homeostasis has kicked in. 

I have a hard time thinking about wants, because I've always felt quite disempowered and not able to actualize much. So I have low self efficacy. I don't believe I can achieve those wants so thinking about them is hard. 

Self esteem is a big factor. 

Edited July 10, 2019 by Wisebaxter

[Wisebaxter]

27 minutes ago, tsuki said:

Maybe the lesson is that you should get your life more stable?

@tsuki Yes I think this is the key. My suffering must be a sign that I need to take action. Problem is I can't help but wonder if it's a sign that I need to let go more and not give a shit lol. Maybe I'm unconsciously using that as an excuse because I don't want to take action.

27 minutes ago, tsuki said:

The relationship between the Ego (the small self) and God (the big self) is dependent on free will.

Would you mind just elaborating a bit on this? Do you mean this relationship needs to be severed or preserved? 

Edited July 10, 2019 by Wisebaxter

[Aakash]

@Wisebaxter the term ignorance is bliss is actually a funny one, it simply means ‘the day you are able to stop thinking about the question, is the day you will be in heaven” so the solution is simple lol, contemplate one and many and get to 0. Once you realise nothing is going on, then who is making the decision? 

No - one. (No-thing) 

Consciousness is existence itself playing out. In other words, it’s neither, both, none , one, so you’ll stop caring about the question. 

The answer is therefore not something you can derive by someone telling you. You will only receive slight truths. 

So in your position, it’s better to tell the person: 

there is no free will, because you are going to nothing. When you are in god consciousnes and you come back to everything. Then you will find, there is complete free will. Still you must have both insights for yourself and the one you are lacking first is the insight. That there is no free will. So realise first there is no free will. 

Edited July 10, 2019 by Aakash

[SoonHei]

believing in free will vs no free will will truly do nothing for you @Wisebaxter

 

it's just a belief or concept you will hold

 

just like if i were to tell you today that scientist have discovered a cubed shaped moon of Jupiter...

sure, it's one more piece of concept/knowledge you hold. what does it change for you on the day to day?

 

so don't worry about free will vs no free will as far as your living of the life is concerned

you always have felt you decide what you do or not do

to think about and start this topic and what to write in it...

sure you can also come to see that it's a natural flow

but your living experience shows you free will and choice. so go with that

 

with this, you can learn to always strive to do the best you can but not be attached with the end result. what is meant to happen will happen. as long as you're happy you have given it your best, then that's all you need to do. if you get what you want at the end of the day, good and if not, then also good because it's not meant to be... not destined to be

 

no free will from the POV of GOD watching the play of Life

but free will from your daily living POV

combine the two as such and you're good to go

[Wisebaxter]

34 minutes ago, Truth Addict said:

Keep not-knowing, and let the world decide for you.

God's decision might include kicking your ass, so be ready (accept it).

@Truth Addict I might be getting my ass kicked right now. It feels that way. Perhaps that's God deciding. I wish it would just sit me down on my PC and start job hunting though

Do I wait until I actually want to do that then? Is that what it means to just not known and let the universe decide? Or when it's ready to exert the Illusion of control maybe, or get tough on itself. Leo has talked a lot about emotional labour and how we need to fight through it. 

Edited July 10, 2019 by Wisebaxter

[Commodent]

The question whether you have free will or not has absolutely no relevance to you living your life whatsoever. Don't use philosophical beliefs as an excuse to avoiding effort. Do you really want to waste away the only life you have? Of course, there are barriers, both internally and externally, but these are nothing you can't overcome. You're aiming to turn music production into a career, so my advice is to get started and stop waiting. No one will offer you the life that you want, you have to create it through sheer will and effort.

[Nahm]

@Wisebaxter So wise Baxter. You need some dream esteem bro. Less “creating by default”. Start ‘closest to home’. Start trading the self you think you got, for the life you know you want. 

 

[Aakash]

@Wisebaxter also look up self - deception lol. That’s basixally the whole answer to free will 

[Truth Addict]

@Wisebaxter

I've been there.

I kept surrendering, not that I chose to, until things started to change for me. Believe it or not, things are happening in a specific order for you. Yes, you are important, you are the center of the universe.

Luck (God's decision) always does the trick for me. I'm the luckiest guy on earth. And by luck here, I mean patience and acceptance. Luck is the death of ego (control and manipulation).

[tenta]

55 minutes ago, Wisebaxter said:

I'm stuck not knowing whether I should sit back and let the universe control me, as of course the 'I' thought is an illusion, or if I should persist as an ego and knowingly enter that delusion in order to have a sense of control over my life. I've let myself slide pretty badly recently, ended up unemployed, smoking loads of weed.

 

"Persisting as an ego" still means the universe is taking "control" over you if there's no free will

Edited July 10, 2019 by tenta

[Wisebaxter]

39 minutes ago, SoonHei said:

you always have felt you decide what you do or not do

@SoonHei This is kind of my issue though, because I have it in my head that I've made bad decisions. I was hoping I could tap into something deeper that could kind of take over and run the show. 

39 minutes ago, SoonHei said:

if you get what you want at the end of the day, good and if not, then also good because it's not meant to be... not destined to be

That's very helpful, thank you. You've intuited somehow that I'm attached to results a bit too much. I definitely need to just take take action and learn to happy with what happens. In terms of making that decision though, about what exactly to do work-wise...

39 minutes ago, SoonHei said:

no free will from the POV of GOD watching the play of Life

but free will from your daily living POV

combine the two as such and you're good to go

This must be the key to making a good decision. Combining the two. So I'm operating as an ego but realising it as the will of God. Perhaps if I learn to embrace forms and dualities more and kind of play with them. Teotl is playful after all

Again, letting go of results...is key here. I'm going to contemplate this. 

Edited July 10, 2019 by Wisebaxter

[SoonHei]

@Wisebaxter

check this guy out

 

nicely summed, 14 mins video

 

another student of ramesh who is does satsang is roger castillio

both are very down to earth and have a neat way of explaining and addressing you exact concern I would say

check em out when you got time

 

[Wisebaxter]

5 minutes ago, tenta said:

Persisting as an ego" still means the universe is taking "control" over you if there's no free will

@tenta Good point. So does this mean I should just let it happen? God wants to wear a mask maybe and play with forms. I mean, why else would an ego have been created? 

I guess my main issue is deciding, do I try and play a part, or just sit back and let shit happen? What do you do? 

[SoonHei]

4 minutes ago, Wisebaxter said:

I could tap into something deeper than could kind of take over and run the show. 

that is just the wiser version of you.

that something deeper in which you want to tap in will also be you. i know what you are trying to say, that a higher power takes it over and then all is well... that can be done as well, as surrender but then it must be true surrender... not even having attachment to the process... for there is no process, there's only what's next and you must surrender it all... 

but before that can happen, you gotta carve your way there. it takes hard work but wisen up you will  

 

6 minutes ago, Wisebaxter said:

This must be the key to making a good decision. Combining the two. So I'm operating as an ego but realising it as the will of God. Perhaps if I learn to embrace forms and dualities more and kind of play with them. Teotl is playful after all

perfect. exactly and check out those videos i posted. will tie it up nicely for you. Roger and Gautum are both very good 

[Aakash]

@Wisebaxter survival is always at play, so play unless you are in a Buddhist tradition looking to become enlightened. Then don’t play. 

Its perfectly fine

[tenta]

Just now, Wisebaxter said:

@tenta Good point. So does this mean I should just let it happen? God wants to wear a mask maybe and play with forms. I mean, why else would an ego have been created? 

I guess my main issue is deciding, do I try and play a part, or just sit back and let shit happen? What do you do? 

I don't know what you're thinking of when you say "sit back and let shit happen" but if you do that, you'll still be playing a part

"Choose" to play a part