4. chapter: Free Will
With adulthood comes the manifestation of another of the Eternal Laws – the Law of Free Will. It should lead us to our individual path of development, which usually differs from the one demanded by society. We perceive intuitively how to go through life, because subconsciously we are being led by our own goals and tasks, which we were assigned before birth. If, however, a young person is corrupted very early in life, his straight path becomes crooked, or is changed altogether.
Parents should not force their adult “child” into something which he or she does not want. Even during childhood they should not intervene in important decision making – other than with advice or admonition in, e.g. the choice of school or profession. In childhood – up to adolescence, children develop something which is akin to instinct in animals – the imitation impulse. According to this trait a child acts similarly to his parents, but this is a conscious decision, while an animal acts subconsciously.
In ancient stages of development – in times of slavery and in feudal periods, the average person was not free enough. His private choices, e.g., when choosing a profession or a spouse, were subordinated to the will of his ruler or some authoritarian figure in the family. As mankind matured, free will has grown in all areas of life.
Despite this, many people, even today, do not want to use their free will. It is more comfortable and easier to let other people decide for, and instead of, them.
Free will is closely connected to the ability of independent decision making and the resulting responsibility for the consequences. Many people do not want, whether consciously, or subconsciously, to fully use their free will for this very reason.
Others do the opposite – without thinking or good advice they always want to decide on their own, often on impulse and without reflection. They do not know that the consequences which they will have to bear will be much harder than their own decisions.
We should not shun the advice and experience of others, but should compare them with our own knowledge and volition and only then decide.
Some people think they have no free will. They are controlled by their negative inclinations and traits to such an extent that the Law of Reciprocal Action prevents them from being released from their consequences. Only a strong desire for change, combined with the knowledge of the reasons for the negative attributes, can overcome weakness and mobilize all reserves to remove them.
If someone suffers due to the lack of free will, e.g., at work, he should stop to think about the reason for this feeling. Perhaps it is because he is not interested in his work and has to push himself into it, or maybe the conditions at work or hours of work are not satisfactory. His co-workers could be part of the problem. One has to consider all of this and then perhaps change work or workplace only, if the former or the latter are seen as the disruptive element.
Someone else may feel a lack of freedom because he is being misused due to his or her kindness, skill and willingness to help. In this case he should think about changes in his inner self, because he will fare the same even at a different workplace.
One also has to thoroughly examine the lack of freedom in a relationship and try to find the hidden reasons.
Perhaps, in time, one of the partners realizes that there is nothing in common in the relationship which would fulfill him, which is why he feels hemmed in. We frequently stay in restrictive relationships only because we are afraid to live according to our own will, or we do not have enough courage to break up. We do not realize that suffering pressures us to think about ourselves and re-evaluate our life. The result of this pressure does not necessarily have to be a separation, sometimes it is enough to understand the situation and the partner.
Many people prefer drowning their problems in alcohol to a serious reflection of their life, or else they blame others for their fate. Others waste the time for a serious self-contemplation in escapes – excess of work or a hobby, so as not to have to deal with themselves.
Perhaps the most difficult case of problems due to the lack of free will is the expiation of karma. Let’s look at one example:
An adult son is suffering from the domination of his father, who is making decisions for him, restricts him, sometimes even with violence. Misunderstandings and quarrels are a daily occurrence. As the son is younger, i.e., spiritually more flexible, he should be the first one to recognize the reason for this limitation. He should not continuously ask his father to change, but should try to understand why his father is the way he is.
First of all he should realize that he has been born to this father due to the Law of Reciprocal Action, i.e., in the past he has treated his father the way his father treats him today. The fact that the behaviour of his father bothers him proves that he is still the same, as otherwise he would not object to his father’s behaviour. The same negative traits repel each other.
Recognizing this can immediately change the son’s attitude to his father and remove the karmic obstacle. The son’s suppressed free will is re-awakened and will be respected by his father.
If the reason for the problems is first understood by the father, the son will change as well. They are connected through karma and either mutually support or suppress each other.
If, however, the son will not change and will always only want his father to alter his ways, he will bring his negative attributes into the upbringing of his own children. Some or all of his offspring will also resist his dominance and will reject him. That way the son gets another opportunity to realize that he is like his father and needs to take a good long look at himself first and foremost.
Another reason for the dominance of the father could be the exact opposite. The son is very weak, never expresses his own will and thereby magnifies his father’s will. If the son, at the right moment, shows that he has his own will, harmony will come – things will balance.
To ease decision making and to develop one’s will everyone has his own “Guardian Angel”. It is actually an ethereal spirit – a person who, not so long ago, lived on Earth and is familiar with the conditions on Earth and his ward and his weaknesses. According to the Law of Attraction of Homogeneous Species this spirit also possessed or still possesses similar shortcomings so he understands his ward very well. His role is to advise his ward in difficult decision making and warn him of danger and fall. This activity improves his standing in the Ethereal World and he does not have to incarnate to Earth if the Law of Reciprocal Action is no longer binding him to it.
The influence of this ethereal spirit is perceived intuitively – heard, as the voice of conscience, as advice only, to reach one’s own decisions – to develop free will.
Every Guardian Spirit is a little better and more perfect than his ward. He is no Angel, although this expression is commonly used. Due to the Law of Attraction of Homogeneous Species there is little difference between man and his Guardian Spirit in respect to spiritual development. A much higher spirit or Angel would not be able to understand man’s earthly desires and faults. The Guardian Spirit, being of a somewhat higher level, through his influence accelerates development. If his ward heeds the advice, the Guardian Spirit is pleased, but he suffers when his ward does not listen to the voice of his conscience. According to the Law of Free Will a Guardian Spirit cannot pressure man into, or detract him from, anything forcibly, even if this would prevent his downfall or death.
Everybody, regardless of the quality of his life, has one or several Guardian Spirits – it is a law. No one is without help. A Spiritual Guide is a higher level of a Guardian Spirit. He is assigned to a person with higher spiritual qualities.