Why Does One Practice If There's No Free Will?

Q:


Dear Gary,

gary weber

This morning as I was leafing through your book " Happiness Beyond Thought", a thought flashed on the subject of the importance of Practice to stabilse one's state of realisation( about which you have dealt with in the book) ..hence this query ..


You have rightly pointed out that Sri Ramana has also mentioned that 'effort is required to stabilise the process of inner search and the resulting peace' In fact, He had while been queried by his long time devotee Devaraja Mudaliar mentioned that ' while all actions and experiences that the body has to undergo are already decided at the time of one's conception , one is free not to associate with what happens and focus within and be always free'..


My question is:-- " Does one really have the freedom to focus within or practice inquiry or meditate ? Isn't this also a function of one's vasanas and combination of gunas..for instance how will one with a predominant proportion of tamasic or rajasic tendencies be able to focus within ? "...in other words "is not the interest and earnestness to engage in sadhana already programmed and ingrained in a body-mind organism as part of its evolutionary process ?! "


Is therefore the message to go within and engage in sadhana or introspection, a matter of encouragement given to the seeker who is spiritually inclined ?"


Would it therefore be more appropriate to say that-"for enlightment to take place and stabilise, inner quest/sadhana/practice accompanied by sincerity,faith and earnestness has to HAPPEN ?"


Would appreciate your response and clarification on the above please.


G.


your analysis and conclusions:


a) "for enlightment to take place and stabilise, inner quest/sadhana/practice accompanied by sincerity,faith and earnestness has to HAPPEN ?"
b) "is not the interest and earnestness to engage in sadhana already programmed and ingrained in a body-mind organism as part of its evolutionary process ?! "
c) "Is therefore the message to go within and engage in sadhana or introspection, a matter of encouragement given to the seeker who is spiritually inclined ?"


are all correct, or at least they correspond w/my personal experiences...and the research that i have found on the issue.


Many folk get caught at several points in this analysis and stop at "well if it is all predestined whether i will be enlightened or not, then i will just sit here and do nothing", which is not what Ramana taught, nor is it correct from our latest science.


Practice is critical - we know what parts of the brain change, how much they change, how fast they change, and what functional patterns change with practice. Some slides from the presentation that i gave @ Haverford College last week and will be part of my presentation @ the Towards a Science of Consciousness Conference in Stockholm in May are attached. You will see in the two studies what parts of the brain are changed and how much with only two months of mindfulness meditation for 45 minutes per day.


The bigger issue is, as you point out, whether anyone will listen to Ramana's teachings, whether they will be drawn to meditate or inquire deeply, and whether they will be able and willing to surrender their ego/I. That is a gift of Grace, and whether we get it or not, is not within our control. Our genetics, conditioning, environment, when and where we were born, our vasanas/tendencies, etc., which are not within our control, determine that.


All anyone can do, even Ramana, is point out the way. If someone is spiritually inclined, they will be inexorably drawn to take up the practice and persevere. As Ramana said, "the successful few owe their success to their perseverance". i do not know "why" i was drawn to Ramana's teachings, but somehow Ramana found me and i could not resist them or His endless Grace.


Hope this useful.


Q:


Dear Gary:
Very, very useful as always and so good to hear from you.
Coming in contact with enlightened souls such as your good self is itself an ample proof of Ramana's grace..as He used to say, "Grace is always available, be open and receptive to it, the Sun is ever shining, we need to open the window to let its rays brighten us!..and with the inner urge to seek, accompanied by good satsanga and sadhana, I am sure one will make progress and attain peace and tranquillity..!"
Will be in touch..
Namaste and saranagathi to Bhagavan Sri Ramana!