Fate vs Freewill

Thoughts on Fate vs Freewill

Some people have a fatalistic approach towards life, where they believe all life's happenings are due to fate; and that we are powerless to do anything.

There are others who believe that we as humans are capable of anything and we can control our lives.

Both views are true; partially.

Here, we attempt to explain the topic using logical extrapolation. That we have no say in whatever is happening to us at this point in time, is the truth, but it is only the partial truth.

Because, in life, there is a past and there is a future. The point is that we cannot change the past. And therefore, we cannot change the outcome of the actions made in the past.

My grandfather planted a mango sapling thirty years ago. Now, I am eating the mangoes from the tree. I cannot eat a jackfruit, because the actions of the past cannot be reversed. This is fate.

Fate is the interest that we are accruing on our loans or the interest that we are receiving on our past deposits. No bank gives you any interest unless you open a deposit account with them. Similarly, no bank or credit card company will come behind you asking for interest, unless you have a payment default with them.

This fate, essentially is the effect of our past actions. This cannot be changed, technically because it is the sum result of a past deed or a set of deeds and therefore, predetermined.

Fatalists generally follow the view that what will happen will happen irrespective of our actions.


But, we know that we can make a difference on how our future life will be is also the truth; this is our freewill.

Our free will cannot change what will happen today or tomorrow, which are the result of our past actions of free will; but what will happen in the far future, will be determined by our present actions.

So, freewill, is the fate that we create into the future, which will be the result of our present actions.

Yoga Swami of Jaffna, Sri Lanka

There used to be a yogi called "Yoga Swami" [Kadai Swamy >> Chellappa Swami >> Yoga Swami] in Jaffna, Sri Lanka, from the late nineteenth into the twentieth century. He is famous for the words "Summa Iru", meaning "Be Still". I used to wonder what he actually meant by these words.

Did he mean that you do not do anything at all; keep lazy; sit idle? I guess not. It means keep yourself alive to what is happening around you; but do not react. Act, pro-act, but do not react.

Someone said that only when we know the answer to anything, will the question arise in our mind.

We have heard these quotes in life; show your other cheek when you are slapped; and action is indeed better than inaction. When someone slaps you for no reason, it is to be inferred that the incident is the result of a past incident.

What is to be inferred here is that any action will result in a reaction. But, there cannot be inaction. We have been born here and we have to act till the time comes for us to take leave.

Since, all our present actions will result in equivalent reactions, it is mandatory for us to do actions that will result in favourable reactions. 

Essentially, try and do only good things, since they will result only in favourable results. Using our freewill to consciously do good deeds all through our life, will mean that the future of our soul will be in safe hands.

We smile and bear our fate; but exercise positive actions to attain positive results in the future using our Freewill.