Do We Have Free Will?

In Buddhism, the concept of free will exists within the context of karma. In the West, karma is usually thought of as a consequence. When something unfortunate happens, a person may say “bad karma!” meaning bad consequence.

In the Chinese traditions of Buddhism, which date back 2000 years and came directly from the Sanskrit sutras, sutras being the teachings of the Buddha, karma is understood to be a deed. This deed may be mental, verbal, or physical. But all are deeds, karmas.

The doing of this karma will have a consequence. This consequence will occur naturally, without an agent, essentially like the natural law of gravity. How might all this work. If I lie to a friend and she finds out, I’ll be in trouble with her. Perhaps this will happen immediately. Perhaps not for a long time. The timing of the cause is known, the timing of the consequence is not.

The timing of the consequence depends on conditions. Let’s say a co-worker says something to my friend and she suddenly realizes that I had lied to her. When the co-worker mentions something depends on activating conditions: being in the room with my friend, speaking with her, and mentioning what I lied about. When the activating conditions are present, my friend finds out I lied. She then angrily confronts me with what she has learned.

For purposes of discussion, let’s bring in free will here. Causes have been planted. The consequences have matured because the necessary conditions occurred. I now have two basic choices: own up or deny. And here is the free will at work. Admitting to myself that what I did was wrong, I make a conscious decision and choose to confess to what I had done. I choose to tell my friend that I am sorry and that I apologize for having not been honest with her. I choose to tell her that I will not lie to her again and that I hope she will accept my apology. I choose to tell her I will understand if she needs time to forgive me and that I hope she will give me another chance because I value her friendship.  

I choose to do all this because I realize that the choices I make will bear consequences. And not for just this lifetime. And not in equal portion to what I did. Unresolved animosities increase over time as they are passed back and forth between those involved. 

Free will is a vital part of our awakening, our becoming enlightened. The Buddha taught about karma to help us understand that we reap what we sow. It is said that “Unawakened beings fear consequences. Awakened beings fear causes.” So we need to wisely create good causes.

Free will is what helps us to mindfully and calmly look at our choices of what to say, think, and do, and decide how to adhere to the basic precepts of keeping our minds pure, doing good, and avoiding all that is bad.

Free will is understanding that we operate subject to our past causes, and current consequences and conditions. Within those constraints I need to—and have the ability to—make the wisest choices I can so that ultimately I will attain enlightenment and work to fulfill my vow to help all beings.

Is Truth Relative or Subjective?

When the Buddha was asked if he was a god, he replied, "No." An angel? No. A spirit. No. When the questioner then asked what he was, the Buddha replied he was awake. He then spent the rest of life teaching how to awaken—to attain a state of mind of perfect compassion and understanding, a state that is attainable by all beings. 

States of mind are important to understand because what we are discussing is whether truth is subjective or objective. In Buddhism when we speak of truth, we speak of two truths:  subjective as relative truth and objective as absolute truth. Which “truth” arises depends on our current state of mind, our level of awakening.

Having observed the absolute truth on his night of enlightenment, the Buddha explained that until we reached a specific level in our practice, we would not experience and thus know what the absolute truth was. For us truth would be relative, subjective, because we’d view everything though our delusion, ignorance, and flawed viewpoints.

Consider a coin, specifically a quarter (an American coin). Asked to describe what he saw, one person might look at one side of the coin and say a coin was a piece of metal with an image of a head on it. Looking at the other side of the coin, another person would say, no, a coin was a piece of metal with an image of an eagle. An awakened being would say the two sides were two aspects of one coin. In other words, to the deluded, the two appear distinct and different: relative truth. But to the awakened, they are one and the same: the absolute truth.

Okay, so here I am, an ordinary being who can’t tell what is true because I have so many mistaken viewpoints and perceptions. Clearly I have a problem. But knowing about the two truths, at least I realize I have a problem because while I may think I’m right, I also know I may well be wrong.

So what do I do? How do I function, wisely?

Until we reach that stage where we can tell true from false, ancient patriarchs and masters advised us to rely on the words in the sutras, the Buddha’s teachings based on what he experienced and witnessed when the boundaries of space and time disolved. What are the basic universal truths he spoke of? We reap what we sow, do not kill, do not lie, do not steal, treat others as you wish to be treated. Not surpringly, these universal, absolute, objective truths are taught by most religions and ethical teachings.

From a Buddhist perspective there are two truths: relative and absolute. Our practice is (1) to be aware that we unawakened beings invariably function from the relative and (2) to strive to attain the absolute.

Essence of the Infinite Life Sutra, Excerpt Sixty

 

Be filial to the Buddha and be constantly mindful of the teachers’ kindness. Let this teaching stay in this world for the longest time and do not let it die out. Firmly uphold it and not let it be destroyed or lost.

“Be filial to the Buddha.” What do we do to be filial to the Buddha? We follow his teachings and practice accordingly. If our minds, vows, understanding, practices, and virtues are the same as those of the Buddha and we become one with him, this is being filial to the Buddha.

The Avatamsaka Sutra says: “Sentient and non-sentient beings all have the same Buddha-wisdom.” This is the showing of filial piety being practiced to perfection. In this sutra, filial piety is an impartial mind and an awakened mind. When one has discriminations and attachments, one is not impartial. When one is free of all discriminations and attachments, the entire Dharma Realm will be one entity. At that time, the pure Dharma Body will manifest. Filial piety arises therefrom. Phenomenally, filial piety is an impartial, greatly compassionate mind. Great wisdom and great compassion are filial piety at work.

One should “be constantly mindful of the teachers’ kindness.” “Teachers” refers to good teachers. After the Buddha entered parinirvana, the past patriarchs and eminent masters passed down the Buddha’s teachings. Thus, we are able to hear the Dharma. Therefore, we should be constantly mindful of the kindness of the Buddha and the past great teachers who passed down the Dharma.

How do we repay their kindness? By practicing the teachers’ teachings and propagating them extensively! This is repaying the teachers’ kindness.

The Buddha’s original vow teaches us “to provide all manner of sentient beings the benefit of escaping the long night[1] and not let them fall into the five paths of rebirth and undergo sufferings.” We should wholeheartedly and diligently put in our utmost effort to fulfill this.

“Let this teaching stay in this world for the longest time and do not let it die out.” This action truly fulfills filial piety to the Buddha and mindfulness of the teachers’ kindness. “Let this teaching stay in this world for the longest time and do not let it die out” also refers specifically to the Dharma door of mindfully chanting the Buddha-name and seeking rebirth in the Western Pure Land as taught in this sutra. We should diligently practice it and do our best to propagate it so that it will not die out.

“Firmly uphold it.” We should firmly hold on to our belief and vow and diligently propagate the Buddha’s teachings.

There are two ways to look at “not let it be destroyed or lost.” The first: we misunderstand the teachings, so our learning and practice do not accord with the teachings. The teachings are thus destroyed and lost.

The second is that we use our worldly intelligence and do not propagate the teachings according to the true Dharma. As a result, the people who listen misunderstand the teachings, and they cannot attain rebirth in the Western Pure Land. This is also destroying and losing the teachings.

Therefore, we should learn and practice according to the Buddha’s teachings. We should also propagate the Dharma in accordance with how the Buddha taught us. In this way, we will not cause the Buddhas’ and patriarchs’ teachings to be destroyed or lost by us.

This Dharma assembly comes to a perfect completion now.

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[1] “Long night” refers to the cycle of rebirth and death within the Five Paths. There are sufferings in the Five Paths.—Trans.

~ Essence of the Infinite Life Sutra by Venerable Master Chin Kung

Essence of the Infinite Life Sutra, Excerpt Fifty-nine

There are beings who plant good roots and create immense fields of good fortune. But they hold on to form, discriminate, and have a deep and strong attachment to feelings. They seek to transcend samsara but ultimately will be unable to do so.

The previous excerpt talks about people who “are unable to detach from form. They do not seek the Buddha’s wisdom.” This excerpt talks about those who “hold on to form, discriminate, and have a deep and strong attachment to feelings.” This is a criterion for cultivation—if one commits all these, one will not be able to transcend the Three Realms. At most, one will only enjoy imperfect good fortune in the Three Realms. In this world, one who has great wealth or prestige is one who cultivated in past lifetimes but was unable to eliminate attachment to feelings. Consequently, one obtains their good fortune in the human and heavenly paths.

Therefore, if one truly learns and practices Buddhism and wants to transcend samsara, one must correct one’s past wrongs and cultivate good karma for one’s future, and cleanse one’s mind and change one’s behavior. Whether one does a good deed, great or small, one absolutely should not hold on to form, discriminate, or even be attached to it. One should always maintain a pure mind, always be mindful of Amitabha Buddha, and seek rebirth in the Pure Land—everything else should be cleansed.

In “create immense fields of good fortune,” “create” is more wondrous than “plant.” “Plant” means that one plants the field alone. “Create” means that one allows all beings to come and plant.

For example, giving wealth and possessions and making offerings to the Three Jewels are fields of good fortune. If we build a cultivation center, we “create immense fields of good fortune,” as we allow many beings to come and plant good fortune. The larger the cultivation center, the greater the field of good fortune.

Another example is being filial and providing for parents—this is a field of good fortune. If we run a retirement home, this is also to “create immense fields of good fortune.”

Charitable undertakings like these are great fields of good fortune. We should sincerely and wholeheartedly engage in these undertakings, but we should not “hold on to form, discriminate.” Otherwise, we will not be able to handle things fairly and our minds will not be pure.

Having impure minds and handling things unfairly—doing good deeds this way, ultimately, we will not be able to succeed in seeking to transcend samsara.

~ Essence of the Infinite Life Sutra by Venerable Master Chin Kung

Essence of the Infinite Life Sutra, Excerpt Fifty-eight

 

The Buddha said: “They plant the good roots, and they are unable to detach from form. They do not seek the Buddha’s wisdom. They are deeply attached to worldly pleasures and the good fortune of the human world. Although they repeatedly cultivate good fortune, the rewards they seek are in the human and heavenly paths. When they obtain the rewards, everything will be abundant, but they are unable to leave the prison of the Three Realms.”

“The Buddha said: ‘They plant the good roots, and they are unable to detach from form.’” This is cultivation with attachment to form. When one has wandering thoughts, discriminations, and attachments, and aspires to do good deeds, one will receive good rewards in the future. But having the thought of seeking the good fortune of the human and heavenly paths is a great obstacle.

“They do not seek the Buddha’s wisdom.” “Buddha’s wisdom” is mentioned in the previous excerpt: “You should understand and believe the supreme wisdom of all Buddhas.” To seek the Buddha’s wisdom is to seek rebirth in the Western Pure Land. The Pure Land is “the supreme wisdom of all Buddhas.”

True wisdom is not to be sought.[1] It is the complete understanding of everything. When the Buddha taught all beings, he answered questions as they were raised, without thinking or contemplating the answer. This is because true wisdom is the innate ability of the true nature. It is innate in the true nature and is not acquired from learning. This is why Ashvaghosha Bodhisattva taught us to be free of the mark of speech, the mark of terms, and the mark of mental cognition.

Being free of the mark of speech means not being attached to the words when one listens to the lectures on the sutras. Being free of the mark of terms means not being attached to terminology. Being free of the mark of mental cognition means not using the sixth consciousness to think and contemplate.

Listening to lectures on the sutras without being attached to the mark of speech, the mark of terms, and the mark of mental cognition is cultivating meditative concentration. Listening clearly and understanding perfectly is cultivating wisdom. Listening to the lectures on the sutras in this way is the simultaneous practice of meditative concentration and wisdom.

“They are deeply attached to worldly pleasures.” Being deeply attached to worldly pleasures is a hindrance that arises from afflictions. One is deeply attached to the Five Desires and the Six Dusts, and to riches and honor and is unwilling to let go of them. “Not seeking the Buddha’s wisdom” is a hindrance that arises from the attachment to knowledge. These two hindrances are extremely serious.

“Although they repeatedly cultivate good fortune, the rewards they seek are in the human and heavenly paths.” This is saying that if one truly observes the precepts and practices goodness, one will have the karmic result of being reborn in the human or heavenly path. If one practices good deeds but transgresses the precepts, one will have the karmic result of being reborn in the Three Evil Paths.

When one who practices good deeds but transgresses the precepts is reborn in the path of hungry ghosts, one will be a king of the ghosts or a deity. Generally the spirits that the Chinese people worship have great influence, are rich, powerful, and have many followers. If one is reborn in the animal path, one will be a pet in a wealthy family and enjoy good fortune in that path. These are examples of those who cultivate good fortune but transgress the precepts.

“When they obtain the rewards, everything will be abundant.” When one receives the good fortune in the human and heavenly paths, one may be a high government official, a general, or belong to a rich family. But which one of them has not created negative karmas or wronged people since ancient times? When one uses up one’s good fortune, one will probably go to the Three Evil Paths in the next lifetime. Even if one does not go to the Three Evil Paths, one will not be that rich in the human path. Each lifetime will become worse and worse than the previous one.

When we realize this, how can we not go to the Western Pure Land?

When we look at the conduct and actions of the powerful or influential people in today’s society, then we know that we do not want to come back to this human world again. If we do come to the human path again, we should come as a Buddha or a bodhisattva manifested as a being. If we do not come as a Buddha or a bodhisattva manifested as a being, it is still karmic retribution—this is terrible!

We should be constantly vigilant: enjoying the good fortune in the human path is very frightening, but enjoying the good fortune in the heavenly path is not the ultimate either.  Although there are few opportunities for us to commit evil deeds in heaven, we will still fall into a lower path when the good fortune is used up. As it is stated in the Lotus Sutra: “There is no peace in the Three Realms, just like a house on fire.”

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[1] Wisdom comes by letting go of attachments, discriminations, and wandering thoughts. From deep concentration, wisdom arises. It cannot be sought by thinking that one wants wisdom. The thought about seeking wisdom is a wandering thought.—Trans.

~ Essence of the Infinite Life Sutra by Venerable Master Chin Kung