Kamma teaches freedom of choice in the face of one's own desires and the desires of others

"For the Buddha, any teaching that denies the possibility of freedom of choice contradicts itself and negates the possibility of an end to suffering. If people aren’t free to choose their actions, to develop skillful actions and abandon unskillful ones, then why teach them? (AN 2:19) How could they choose to follow a path to the end of suffering? At the same time, if you tell people that what they experience in the present is independent of what they choose to do in the present, you leave them defenseless in the face of their own desires and the desires of others (AN 3:62). Kamma, however — despite the common misperception that it teaches fatalism — actually teaches freedom of choice, and in particular, our freedom to choose our actions right here and now. It’s because of this freedom that the Buddha found the path to awakening and saw benefits in teaching that path to others."

~ Thanissaro Bhikkhu "We Are Not One"

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Develop the equanimity of a good doctor who realizes he can't solve all the cases in the world

Introduction to Karma Q&A, A Study Guide

You know that you’ve got some past mistakes. There’s going to be some pain coming in the future. This shouldn’t be news. Having concentration as an alternative to sensual pain and pleasure puts you in a safe place.