The freedom of will

Michael,

When I said we have the choice to do anything you want, I didn’t mean that one choice decides it all. There is always a choice within a choice. Eg. you choose to dig a hole, you can choose to dig further, sideways, stop, etc. then you can stop, or still yet continue to dig further and further. Just like when you make the choice to choose a spiritual path, you have more or less freedom within that path.

But what is the root of the problem that ALLOWS you to make all the decisions? Who you are right now and what decisions you make are based on the negative ego, which is why I said it limits free will.

But, why is your ego negative, why is it the way it is now? Because you made it that way, or more to the point you CHOSE to make it that way. Did you want to make it that way? No. If we had a simple choice of choosing wether we wanted virtuos qualities of love, kindness, calmness, of course we would choose a positive ego, but life is not that simple so we CHOOSE a spiritual path or some kind of formulation to work on the ego.

As for karma, if we speak in a Hindu or Buddhist perspective then we again, made ourselves who we are from our past life. We developed these karmic patterns into our present being. So, the way to regain our original freedom is to work on the ego. But, that is the question, HOW? This is what started the whole debate with Bagua and I, the whole Dao vs. Chan on the ego. Maybe you can clear this issue on soul completion and immortality.

This concludes that negative ego blocks free will, so free will is not really an illusion because we are free from the moment we are born, but the level of will being free is measured my the restriction of the ego.

Regards,
Fajin

Hello Bagua,

I would like to isolate some things you said.

>>This topic leads to lots of fantasies. Does free will mean i can shape change and be a tree, mountain, woman, bird, right now in this life? I can be a world leader, rock star, tao master right now in this life, what does this mean?<< *This here implies intent. Will is free and will always be free, but that depends on just how free which is measured by the grasp of the negative ego. If you replace free will for the word intent in your question above, the answer is yes. Intent can create this possible reality but only if it is strong enough. >>In my experience, we have the free will to realize our true nature. If we use the Wu Ji to Yin-Yang to Tai Chi to Eight trigrams to myriad things in life, this is a specific energy field/pattern, this is the formula, this is the pathway, maybe we have free will as to how we move through this process, but for this alchemy we must follow this pattern.<< *Bagua, this is where we cross again. My view is that because our bodies are a microcosmic reflection of the macrocosmos, ie. the process you described, we have to do the same thing. Going back to what Michael said about wuji NEEDING to manifest itself into 10,000 things by FIRST POLARIZING ITSELF, I would have to say that this is the intent of wuji, to manifest itself in every way. So, the desire or intent as I call it, precedes free will because it is the INTENT to be free. This intent is what sets forth the process of polarization into two then three then 10,000 in order to obtain freedom. What I am saying is that from wuji came spirit then jing at the very end. The stepping down. 5 shen thory is that in the heart-kidney relationship or shen loves jing and jing loves shen as Michael says, the heart is full of desires and kidney stores the willpower. And in Chinese medicine, the fire of the heart comes down to warm the kidneys and the water of the kidneys comes up to cool the heart creating balance and harmony. So, the desire (heart-fire) to be have free will (kidney water) is this reflection of wuji into myriad things being jing the last part of the process. All spiritual paths say that all desires are bad and must go. The heart must be free of desires. But, it is this one desire to be free that simulates the macrocosmos. This is wu-shen(desire)-qi-jing(free will). So, in conclusion, alchemical work SHOULD focus on this desire of becoming free. This requires intent of working on the jing and shen, why the Daoists put such a huge emphasis on physical body/earth/kidneys/lower dantian because it needs the desire (heart) to make it (free will) stronger. Now, just how that's done, we must work on the negative ego to change this desire so that it will not bind oneself in chains, but free oneself, ie. fire will come down to warm kidneys below instead of rising up. Transformation of the ego structure. P.S. I hope you understand the message I am trying to tell you, Bagua, because I'm a little sloppy in this! Smiles out, Fajin

Ba,

Essentially what I get from what you are saying is that alchemists become a slave to their path, and the path does not allow any deviation. I think this is a very narrow interpretation.

The purpose of inner alchemy is to refine the yuan jing here in the physical plane (read as; neutral force in a substantial permanent state). But, you are saying, if alchemists deviate from the path, they will not attain the fruit; my answer is that the alchemical process is open to accomodate whatever that unique individual brings with them or encounters in their life, and to harmonize it.

In the beginning, it is important to follow the map back to the source, to dissolve the layers of conditioning that stand in the way of a free communication. After a certain point in time, when the alchemist starts to operate from that central source, the alchemical process becomes free flowing and more spontaneous. To obtain a free flowing state of open communication with the life force in each moment is the purpose of starting the conversation in the first place (the alchemical practice).

I think a deeper question you may be asking is whether the life force actually follows patterns or not, and whether or not it is necessary to initiate and use the will and intention to harmonize anything, rather than just “be”.

Looking at the physical manifestation of nature, and the resonant pathways of the five phases in humans, I would say that the mind of nature does follow certain patterns and pathways.

A
regarding your free flow, you have the choice to polarize it now
(or you will abide in empty space indefinately
and since endurance is but a puff of smoke
there is no other choice)

B
regarding your pattern (nature), you have the choice to fullfil its destiny
(every polarity (volt in Bardon) has a goal
you fight it
you create it
you feed it
until its wind gets so strong it
knocks you over
and there you go
you have done it.
since you will do it
you have the choice to do it now
is the only definite choice)

SO:
some people keep more free flow
some less

but having some ‘minor choice’ refers only to A
you have no choice regarding B

ELEMENT TRAINING IS MAGICAL WAY OF FULLFILING DESTINY