21. Avoiding Mistake of Taking Ego as Self (Atma) - Nature of Consciousness - Bhagavad Gita, CH2.20

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[@nataliamurgarbo5177]

Andre, since I’ve been listening to your classes, which I love, I’ve started to feel disempowered. I understood that we make a decision because of the vasanas/tendencies. Therefore there’s no free will. So we have no choice but predestination. Could you please help me in explaining or making a special class on KZbin about this topic please? Thank you for your work, it’s amazing. Natalia from Argentina

[@YesVedanta]

Hi Natalia. What I hear is some disempowerment is present because of some notions that have room for refinement. These notions are vasana and free-will relationship. It's true vasanas are contributing to your personality. Additionally, cultural indoctrinations, beliefs from friends, parents and society further add. Amidst that, you're also endowed with power to know, power to desire, power to act. These 3 powers makes up "Freedom to navigate your life and make new decisions". If you know little, meaning power to know is limited, that will narrow your choices. If your power to act (eg: limb is amputated, or brain damage or born with a mental condition), that will further detract from your options to choose. If your power-to-know has been compromised with notions (such as "I can't, I'm not good enough, this life is predestined, we don't have free-will), that will even further limit your capacity of choice (freewill). Therefore, long as you're wearing a human body, these 3 powers (know something, desire something new, act based on what you know and desire) are your blessings. To what extent you use them, depends on how quickly you rise above your vasanas (tendencies).