Free Will and Conditioning | Ajahn Brahmali | 10 January 2025

[@maraw4085]

Thank you to Ajahn Brahmali for another excellent Dhamma talk 🙏🧡

[@franzcox6643]

🙇‍♀️🙇‍♀️🙇‍♀️

[@bronsonstone725]

Thank you Ajahn Brahmali, I always look forward to your talks. I have something to offer to contemplate on regarding freewill. When you are at home, or anywhere you can feel completely relaxed. Place a small item (cup, pen, scrunched up paper….) on a table that is at about 4 feet away from you sitting in a very comfortable position. Now, breathe , paying attention to the sensations of the flow of the breath. When you feel that you are very comfortable and relaxed turn your attention to the item on the table, don’t force it, remain relaxed and neutral of opinions and emotions. Now, Will the item to move. Contemplate on this process, everything you did and what the task was. I can explain, but you will benefit more trying to contemplate and finding the answer yourself.

[@scotriani]

Another great video Ajahn Brahmali. Thanks. May all beings be happy.

[@jasonwhyttes1679]

I liked the example you gave "If all the conditions were the same, would you still choose toast for breakfast or something else?". Particularly because when examining it further, even if the choice changed, and the conditions did not, then the choice would have to be random, which is also not a state of free will.

[@elainehruby7880]

Wow, this makes so much sense... No free will. Your life is causes and conditions....wow!

[@branimirsalevic5092]

Everything is causes and their fruits. But your actions (kamma) are the main, even the only, cause of Dukkha in your life. And I don't mean some kamma performed by nobody knows who or where or when or how .. I mean kamma which you yourself do every day, all day, in this very lifetime.

[@elainehruby7880]

One can change their by inputting the right causes and conditions.

[@gerardwise67]

🙏🙏🙏

[@atman5230]

8:10 Talk starts

[@jojoanimations3]

35:30

[@branimirsalevic5092]

12:34 Getting to be an old monk and still believes in Atta...

[@rosen1111]

Why do People become nasty to me when I´m kind and understanding? It doesn´t feel good to be nice when people take advantage of you and think they can walk all over you when you are nice to them?

[@derfiemcgoo9673]

I think “no free will” is not considered good news to most people including myself. I feel bad for those well meaning people who are disheartened by it. Perhaps it is an ultimate truth that can only be realized and appreciated when one is “free” from the everyday ego like a very good meditation… but less accessible or teachable otherwise. Or maybe its something that is not practical to apply to everyday life similarly to how relativity and quantum physics is ultimately true and all kinds of wierd things are happenning but are not perceivable at an everyday level.

[@dimitrisjim1216]

As much as i respect Ajahm Brahmali, i disagree with him on this subject. We have critical thinking, and always before taking a decision, there is moment to think and choose. Criminals are not always victims of society who did not have a choice. And just because god does not exist, does not mean that free will also does not.

[@EricKVanHorn]

Ajahn Brahmali is arguing that everything is predetermined. This is an idea that the Buddha rejected. The Buddha's teachings are full of instructions on what we should do and how we should do it. "This is what should be done by one who is skilled in goodness." The 6th path factor tells us to "arouse desire" to abandon unskillful mind states and to cultivate good ones. These are all choices.

[@SaintSanic]

I agree with you - Thanassiro argues this point as well. If everything is predetermined there is no point in practice.

[@EricKVanHorn]

@ I am actually shocked that a Buddhist monk would make this case. The Buddha’s discourses refute this view. There is a parable in the Pali Canon that I will paraphrase. If you kill someone you cannot be held responsible because it was predetermined.

[@superzfighter]

I think you are confused, Ajhan Brahmali is correct. Predetermination is one extreme, free will is the other extreme, Buddha teaches from the middle.

[@andrewcarson9981]

Ajahn Brahmali is not saying everything is pre-determined, this would imply that there are no choices. Far from it… he is simply saying that our choices are conditioned to go a certain way. A pull as you may think of it. You can have conditioning that work against each other! It is the dhamma that is taught by the Buddha (him conditioning us) that teaches us to be aware of these things and not just go with the flow because it feels good.