Summarized by: Angila Singh
Today, we chanted three OMs, did meditation, and reviewed key points from our previous classes.
A key takeaway from our discussions was the idea that much of what we do in life—be it marriage, raising children, or pursuing various goals—is fundamentally motivated by our own self-interest.
We also explored a profound moment from the Bhagavad Gita when Arjuna witnesses Lord Krishna in His Vishvarupa (Universal Form). It was noted that Arjuna's ability to see this divine form was due to the Lord lifting the veil of his ignorance; it wasn’t that he gained this vision on his own.
Additionally, we had a thought-provoking discussion about the implications of an accidental death for a Jivanmukta (one who is liberated while still in a body). According to the scriptures, any remaining prarabdha karma (the portion of past karma that manifests in the present life) is erased by the Divine when a Jivanmukta departs.
In contrast, we considered the fate of those who are not Jivanmuktas. For them, if causation is interrupted by an accidental death, the Jivatma (individual soul) enters an intermediate state until it can take birth again, continuing the cycle of causation.
A significant question arose: Do we truly possess free will? While everything can be viewed as God's will, it was asserted that human beings have a degree of free will, especially when compared to animals. Even within the framework of divine will, we exercise free will on a micro level, allowing for personal choice and agency in our lives.
The Paradox of Divine Will and Free Will: Though everything ultimately occurs as per Brahman's will, within the realm of empirical reality, humans experience the sense of making choices. This dichotomy honors both the belief in divine orchestration and the paradoxical experience of individual autonomy. Thus, while God’s will encompasses all, there still exists a space for individual actions and decisions within the manifested world.
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