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Author: Aaron Mcnaught Article source: http://www.advicelife.com/. Used with author's permission.
What role if any, does 'choice' play in the shape and direction our lives take? Is there a choice in what can and will happen in our lives?
The predetermined 'body/mind'
First of all, what possibly can happen to an individual (i.e. what is possible) is predetermined by ones genetics or physical/biological/psychological potentials and limitations. You cannot grow to be 100 feet tall. If you are a Caucasian you cannot be an Asian. Your eyes cannot see atoms. If you are slow witted you will be limited in your intellectual capacity, even if you work hard to make the most of what potential you have. We come into this world with a variety of predetermined physical and psychological limitations and potentials, and life is played out within these parameters, for better or worse.
Also, what can happen to an individual is limited by the laws of Reality. At this point in time, you cannot jump and stay in the air, due to the laws of gravity that operate here on earth. You cannot physically disappear. You cannot hold your breath forever. And you cannot say "1-2-3 die" and end your life, no matter how hard you wish for that to happen.
An individual can only ever 'be and experience' what they have the capacity and potential to 'be and experience'. We are limited beyond choice by the biological and psychological capacities of the body/mind operating within the laws of Reality.
The random 'stuff of Life'
In the Life of an individual, most of what one will experience is the product of a series of random events. In other words, most of what we experience in Life in not a matter of choice. Things happen to us, beyond our choice. The body/mind we are born with, the family we were born into, the geographical location, time period, and sociopolitical environment we became a part of, are a few of many things that simply happen to us, and play a deep role in the shaping of our lives. We do not choose these factors, but they do happen to us.
Most of what is occurring and what will occur around us is simply beyond our choice. Things are happening and will happen, and we are unavoidably in the midst of things happening. Life imposes itself upon us beyond our choice.
The biased and conditioned 'me habit'
Starting at birth, as a genetically predetermined individual lives out its limitations within randomly occurring situations, events, and circumstances, the body/mind of this individual becomes deeply conditioned (habituated) by its interactions with the arising random experiences. The individual develops a conditioned 'desire system' that is based on the positive or negative outcomes of these random interactions and experiences. What's more, one interprets an experience within the biased parameters of the history of the conditioned 'me habit'. One interprets new experience through the biased lens that was determined by past experiences of the body/mind 'me habit'.
Ones past determines ones interpretation of the present, which in turn will determine the course of action one will seemingly choose. The seeming biased choices one makes is determined by past experience and the conditioned desire system that is created by these biases.
The freedom to choose?
Ones Life is the interplay of: the predetermined physical/biological/psychological capacities, potentials and limitations (the 'body/mind') operating within the laws of Reality, the random family we were born into, the geographical location, time period, and sociopolitical environment and culture we became a part of (the 'stuff of Life'), the deeply conditioned and biased interpreting desire system based on the positive or negative outcomes of the predetermined body/mind interacting with the stuff of Life (the 'me habit').
To summarize, as humans we are an interplay of: a predetermined 'body/mind', limits of laws of Reality
a conditioned 'me habit' (self), biased interpretations , random 'stuff of Life',
Where is the CHOICE in all this???
A situation occurs. An opportunity to choose. Yes or no? If a 'yes' arises within awareness, or, an impulse to move towards the affirmative of two options arises, what is it that chooses that 'yes'? The predetermined 'body/mind' and its conditioned 'me habit' operating with the laws of Reality is what 'chooses', based on the biased preferences determined by a history that is itself constructed by the same predetermined 'body/mind' and conditioned 'me habit'.
Freedom FROM choice
For MOST, much if not all of life is lived automatically, that is, out of awareness. A Life lived on 'auto pilot' is already without choice. There is only action and reaction endlessly, like a robot or zombie. When one is Awake or Aware, one is Aware of the possibilities that arise in a situation, even if those possibilities are still limited, biased, and conditioned. But, and here's a big but, it is still the predetermined 'body/mind' and its conditioned 'me habit' that supposedly 'chooses'.
What does this mean?
It means our hopes and dreams, our past and present, our desires and aversions, our personality and potentials, and our family, language, race, and all other events, situations, qualities and conditions simply HAPPENED to the predetermined body/mind and conditioned 'me habit'. A multitude of un-chosen factors came together to create an un-chosen body/mind "me habit" that based on an un-chosen past, seemingly chooses. That sounds amusing, but what does it mean?
It means that there is no 'one' that chooses, but choices seemingly occur. There is no 'one' to decide, but decisions seemingly occur. Ultimately, freedom means a deep realization that what was was, what is is, and what will be will be, and that no 'one' is in control or ultimately responsible for any of it. Freedom means abiding as THAT that is AWARE of the seeming possibilities or choices available to the 'me habit'. Abiding as Awareness. That Awareness Itself does not, and cannot, choose. Awareness is choice-less. 'Choice' is but a another biased idea that occurs to a predetermined body/mind and conditioned 'me habit' within the open space of Awareness, that gives the illusion of 'someone' whom can choose.
The predetermined 'body/mind', the conditioned 'me habit' with biased interpretation, and the random 'stuff of Life' are all but various arbitrary expressions of the one Reality. Awareness is beyond predetermination, conditioning, bias, or choice. Freedom means freedom from the burden of believing there some 'one' with a choice. Awareness is the undetermined, unconditioned, unbiased, and choice-less Reality.
What then, am 'I'? I am an expression of that Reality! I am expressed…as Reality expresses me! There is no choice!!!
Choice is the ultimate illusion. Disillusionment is the ultimate Freedom. I am already free. I have no choice.
I am a mysterious expression of the undetermined, unconditioned, unbiased, and choice-less AWARENESS or REALITY that was, is, and always will be the common flavor of freedom, inherent in the vastness of this unending now. Aaron McNaught is the owner and service provider of a Red Deer based company called: Aaron McNaught Education/Consultations.
As a Public Speaker, Aaron describes himself as a 'Wake-up Artist', which means he helps people remember or 'Wake-up' to who they truly are, beyond stories and descriptions.
As a Consultant, Aaron offers unique approaches to
Life Exploration, Healing and Development.
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