Free Will and sin

 When GOD has created, he has given us a Free will. How we use that free will is up to us. GOD has also created ethical, moral values which we may call them for practical purposes as 'GOD's laws.' If we do not follow his laws, we are committing a 'SIN'. What is a

SIN?

Bhagavad Gita says 'that a SIN is a mistake committed by an individual EGO against its own true nature. That means, that anything we do that is contrary to our true nature, is a SIN. In our true nature, we cannot make a mistake. Because, we identify with our EGO, (false nature), we commit mistakes. That means, we are misusing our free will.

It is our Delusion that is making us forget our true nature. That means, our true nature (SELF) is veiled. When our true nature is veiled, our false nature (lower nature or EGO) takes over and we commit all sorts of sins. Those sins will decide how much of suffering we have to go through in our multiple births. In other words, Lord Krishna's doctrine is, "you are punished by your SINS and not for your SINS.” That means, there is no one sitting some wherein heaven who is going to punish you for your SINS. You are punished for your sins by your own sins. GOD says, I created you in my likeness and gave you a free will. I love you totally, unconditionally. But, if you abuse your free will, and commit sins, then your sins will punish you.

That means, if I develop innumerable desires which will leave imprints on the shores of my mind, they are vasanas.I need to exhaust those vasanas.Untill I exhaust those vasanas, I will have birth, death and rebirth cycles. But, if I do 'NISHKAMA KARMA,' then I can purge those vasanas even in the present life and rise up in the SPIRITUAL LADDER.

That is what LORD KRISHNA says to Arjuna: O Arjuna, If you can fight this battle not for gaining kingdom, but for the sake of Righteousness, without anxiety for the fruit, then you will not only purge your present vasanas, you will not create new vasanas. That means, your mind becomes pure, serene and equipoised.With that steadfast mind and single pointed devotion, you can become aware of me as your true nature. Then you are me. At that time, there is no difference between you and me. You are Krishna of your life and times. That means, there is no fate or destiny. What we interpret as fate is our Prarabdha karma, or, Karma-phala.WE will discuss extensively about karma-phala or Karmic theory or theory of karma in chapter 3.called karma yoga.

we discussed about the qualities of

"ATMAN" or soul or SELF. One of the qualities we discussed was "All pervasiveness" of the ATMAN. The SELF is everywhere. If the self is everywhere, if there is no space infront, behind, above or below the self, how can the SELF move? Hence it is 'IMMOBILE’. If the SELF is everywhere, how can it have form. Hence, it is formless. Self is subtlest of the subtle. Nothing can pervade the self. But, self pervades everything. In the Self we are born, in the Self we exist and when we are decayed and destroyed, we merge back in the self. That is what I was trying to explain in our Satsang.

The Atman or Self is one and the same in all of us. It is the same Atman which is illumining your body and my body. Your analogy about rain drops may not be totally accurate. I will try to explain this way. I explained about the cause and effect theory. I don't know whether you rember it or not. One of the principles that I explained was that the cause is one and the same but the effects are multiple in nature. For example, cause is mud, but you can have mud pots of different sizes, shapes and colours.Similarly, cause is SELF, but we are all men,women,different sizes, shapes and colors and different mind and intellect equipments depending upon our vasanas in previous births. That is why we have names and forms. But the Atman is the same. That is, cause is the same in all of us.i.e; Atman is the same in all of us.

Atman is everywhere. It is all pervading. It is birthless and deathless.

WE discussed earlier that atman is everywhere. It is immobile. You are identifying with Jivatma or Ego-centricity. This Jiva or EGO leaves one embodiment to take a different Embodiment. This Jivatma carries with it in causal body all vasanas to a different body to eke out its remaining vasanas.

Eswara Dutt.