If our mind acts according to default settings what is the role of our free will?

Answer Podcast

Transcript

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Yes, please. So, if our mind tends to act in particular default ways, then what exactly is the role of our free will? Krishna has given us free will also, and Krishna has given us a mind also. So why free will is given? First of all, the purpose of life ultimately is to love.
We are all souls, we are parts of Krishna. We love Krishna, he loves us, and then we love other living beings in relationship with Krishna. Now love requires free will.
You know, if a boy says to a girl, I’ll put a gun on your head, love me or I’ll kill you. You cannot have love. So free will has been given for the purpose of love.
Now when the mind conditions the free will in a particular way, that is also Krishna’s arrangement to facilitate what we want to do. That means, when Krishna says, this is what you have done once, you have done twice, you have done thrice, you have done four times, that means you have shown by your action that this is what you want to do. Then I’ll make it easy for you.
So, just like if a river flows in a particular direction repeatedly, then it creates a bed for itself. So like that, when we think and act in particular ways, that creates a groove in our consciousness. And naturally we think that way again and again, act that way again.
So, even the conditioning of the free will is a result of our repeated use of the free will in that direction. That’s how we become conditioned. But our free will is always free.
Yeah, how do we in that case change our mind? There are two things again. First is the intelligence, which helps us to understand, this choice is not right, this choice is right. With your intelligence, situate yourself on the spiritual platform.
Thank you. So, with your intelligence, situate yourself on the spiritual platform. So with the intelligence at least we understand what is right and what is wrong.
And, it’s not just understanding actually, it’s repeated reminders, which we tend to keep forgetting, at least at that moment. And then after that, there has to be repeated practice. So, you know the chariot body metaphor, in which the soul is the passenger, the intelligence is the charioteer, and there are the horses and the reins.
So, first of all, the charioteer has to be strong enough. So, if the horses are going in the wrong direction, the charioteer has to have the strength to restrain the horses. And, second thing is, gradually the intelligence, the charioteer is not just meant to restrain the horses, the charioteer is meant to retrain the horses.
Going this direction, going this direction, no. Train them, get them to work in this direction. So, first is, we have to have the intelligence clear, but after that, we have to have perseverance.
Perseverance means, the mind goes in a particular direction, bring it back. In 6.26, Krishna says that, wherever and whenever the mind wanders, bring it back under the control of the self. So, this requires time and effort, but by this, gradually the mind becomes trained.
And then the mind is focused.