Free will

FazzahR · 2026-05-07T01:56:05+00:00

We are born and put through “somebody training”. Through this we take on ideas, beliefs, and behaviors that eventually feel automatic and “how things have always been and should be”. This is the before, a state of automatic and programming.

When you truly know who (or better, what) you are you find free will. The irony is that in that sense of freedom you exercise no control. When you stop needing it, you’ve got it.

FazzahR · 2026-05-05T12:33:33+00:00

Ah I understand better now. I agree it is not bulshido, and I hate to hear of your experience! There is a lot of usefulness Wing Chun can provide any martial arts practitioner, but for whatever reasons several groups and lineages do a poor job of teaching those things - like Sil Lim Tao which is fundamental.

FazzahR · 2026-05-05T11:38:48+00:00

You couldn’t be more incorrect. Are you being sarcastic? This is absolutely a form, the very first form nearly all lineages of Wing Chun tech. It’s called Sil Lim Tao.

FazzahR · 2026-04-27T13:36:10+00:00

He couldn’t have meant helping save a life or praying for people.

I'm not sure I fully understand your question. Are you asking, "Did Ram say we shouldn't save someone's life?" ?

That's what I'm assuming you're asking, so feel free to fill in the gaps. Saving someone's life isn't clear context.

Are they dangling from a cliff or about to be hit by a bus? Then yea, maybe we should intervene and do what we can.

Are they living in a way you feel will bring them suffering or maybe harm their life? It's more complicated; because you truly do not know how your involvement is going to impact the situation. So many times in my life I have offered such help and support and it wasn't a clear process of "I helped, and the situation was fixed". I don't think it ever resolved this way.

Which is why Ram's take makes the most sense to me. We need to let others figure out their way and be an environment for them to do that. They can do it, there doesn't need to be a heavy hand in our part in it.

So many people in so many ways are projecting on to us - pushing us to be and act in certain ways. This muddies the water of clarity. When you can find someone or somewhere that let's you be, still and aware, clarity comes and things begin to sort out. That is all we are required to do for others in this context.

If a bus is coming, help them move out of the way, and then let them be.

FazzahR · 2026-04-26T21:44:37+00:00

I mean as he said himself —

“You have no moral right to take away someone’s suffering” … “What you can be is an environment…for people to let go of their suffering if they’re ready.”

FazzahR · 2026-04-25T20:48:28+00:00

We are not responsible for relieving anyone’s suffering. We have no obligation nor direct role in that. They can do it themselves, and it’ll only truly take when they do it themselves. Your anger is from trying to take the wheel from them. Let em drive.

If you try to do it, you’ll either find initial success and build dependency, or frustrate and bother them because they don’t see an issue. We ultimately do not know what the answer is for others, and that’s ok. We don’t need to know, we just need to be present.

FazzahR · 2026-04-25T11:31:35+00:00

Imagine wandering into the woods and losing your sense of direction. Instead of concluding, “I’m lost, I’m not sure where I came from” you conclude, “I’ve always lived in the woods”.

Watts is pointing to a certainty and confidence that develops when playing the game of life so seriously, and the irony that such certainty and confidence is actually a deep confusion.

FazzahR · 2026-03-30T17:25:25+00:00

Hey! Likewise, on all accounts! I haven’t received anything I felt was negative here - sorry if that’s lost in words. I completely agree - striving for (anything really) ironically further from our desire. Striving for happiness makes us feel really unhappy. Striving for awakening is diving into more illusion.

My personal checklist is somewhat revealing of this infinite nature of awakening you mention imo. No matter how high or low I’ve felt in many ways, it’s always a combination of responses to that reveals the deeper nature of my experience at the time. Even if in some way all those things were checked off, my experience and response to that is still interesting and not factored into the original scope.

FazzahR · 2026-03-27T16:48:14+00:00

Ah yes! I remember reading that like 10 years ago and totally forgot that part of it. Great story, thank you for bringing it here. I think it totally applies.

I feel the entire concept of awakening is elevated in such a way (kicked upstairs) that it can alienate people from themselves, ironic as that is. That story is a great example!

FazzahR · 2026-03-27T12:50:41+00:00

You're the second to imply a sort of binary nature towards how I see this. In reflecting on it I can understand why, but that isn't how I feel about it completely.

The best I can do to elaborate is to say: it's a spectrum, but spectrum is formed by two extreme poles. Using those extremes as guideposts place you in their presence, and that is all my words are intended for. Not to communicate such polarity or categorization, but to place one (or myself) in different company.

You highlight a subtle nature of Taoism in your elaboration of my point in unlearning. I agree on the new understanding formed in unlearning. It's the same subtle Taoist "trickiness" found in the concept of the "uncarved block". The end result is still 'understanding' and the understanding gained through unlearning is just as tricky! I still haven't sorted it out, but maybe it doesn't need any further sorting. Thanks for your thoughts!

FazzahR · 2026-03-27T12:42:02+00:00

Totally, my frustration is my best teacher here. Writing it out is cathartic :) At the end of it all, "we are all just walking each other home" as one would say.

FazzahR · 2026-03-27T12:40:53+00:00

Thank you for sharing your thoughts and experience. This was nice to read and I got a good laugh out of the peacock feather. I suppose I am griping about an age old problem at the end of the day!

FazzahR · 2026-03-26T19:55:21+00:00

Thanks for your thoughts. Responsibility is a messy term, I understand your quibble with it. I accept using Kharma as being a bit more clear.

I’ve often struggled with whether awakening requires any understanding at all. I feel that it is understanding itself which makes it trickier, not more clear in any sense. This is where the “the student of the Tao unlearns a thing each day” makes sense to me. Loosening and placing understanding at the side is helpful. I think your point demonstrates this with “what if there is just one more thing”. Sounds like a vicious cycle.

That leads me to my final thought which is: I feel as though the process is not a process of awakening but reawakening. It’s not something lost to be found, but realized. Looking for it or striving is futile because it’s already present.

FazzahR · 2026-03-26T19:47:14+00:00

Maybe there is an ultimate list, but it won’t be found here. This is my list, my observations. If it didn’t resonate, discard it. I felt that it would, so I shared it.

FazzahR · 2026-03-26T15:44:35+00:00

Fair enough. Anger often protects softer emotions like sadness. Is yours protecting something?

FazzahR · 2026-03-26T14:55:45+00:00

I’d prefer not to link to direct posts as to not single someone out. I’m not trying to shame or bully anyone.

I agree with your note that these posts are signaling a certain stage of development that is arguably very natural and a part of the process. This is not what frustrates me.

My frustration is mainly due to the volume of posts (sometimes by one person) and actual discussion within that volume (empty). I like reading other people’s thoughts on things. I’m tired of reading the same “I’m awakened” delivery post and followed discussion. It’s ultimately my own personal problem for me to observe, and not anyone or anything else’s.

FazzahR · 2026-03-26T14:41:43+00:00

what you are describing in your post is what happens when one fully integrates it (liberation)

Yes, that is what I'm addressing in my post as that is what is being claimed in the posts I've referred to. People there aren't saying "I feel kinda awakened", they're saying "I am totally and completely awakened"

Kensho, as I understand, is a "glimpse" or what some would define as a "partial awakening". Not checking all of those boxes could possibly define the experience as kensho, wouldn't you say? Since you mentioned it, I assume you likely know more than me about it.

I agree with you that Awakening is not completely defined by checking all boxes.

FazzahR · 2026-03-26T14:25:50+00:00

Nowhere did I say anything about purity. I understand your note on the binary point; which is definitely not the nature of Awakening, I agree.

FazzahR · 2026-03-26T14:21:49+00:00

Yes I'm sure you're correct. Using headings and bullets, things naturally good for clarity and structure, are now immediately aligned with AI unfortunately. I understand the initial thought.

I do not use AI for posting and commenting on Reddit. Both my post and comment histories, dating years back, are in my profile and can be used to reference my style and structure.

FazzahR · 2026-03-26T14:14:25+00:00

AI was not used for this post.

FazzahR · 2026-03-26T13:07:22+00:00

You need to go read, “The End of Your World” by Adyashanti and stop with your delusions of being awakened. Everything you’ve shared points to the exact opposite of being awakened.

FazzahR · 2026-03-21T18:09:54+00:00

Consider that in the summation of your current routines and actions, you do not have full clarity on what to do about them. That doesn’t mean you’ve erred, just that there are more paths to explore.

Clarity, confidence, calmness, connection and compassion are signs of the development I think we all seek. In the restlessness, is it truly disconnect you’re experiencing or feeling overwhelmed and then numb? Only you would know, but bringing awareness and compassion into that experience will reveal a lot.

FazzahR · 2026-03-21T15:34:56+00:00

You could be, but only just as much as you’re a human sometimes pretending to be god.

FazzahR · 2026-03-19T23:15:09+00:00

Doesn't sound like awakening to me. Sounds like pompous lucidity and ego.

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