The Free Will / Self / Compassion Link
The notion of a free will, either explicit or implied, is a manifestation of our sense of self. It is the 'self' which chooses to do or not do this or that. It is the 'self' which chooses to live right or otherwise, and to feel compassion or otherwise, yes?

Now, most world-views hold that the 'self' is real, and so none of this would seem ironic in their eyes. However, Buddhist hold that the 'self' is an illusion which can be 'extinguished'. Mmmmm? If 'self is an illusion, then there is no 'self'. If there is actually no 'self', then who chooses to live right or feel compassion? Who chooses to extinguish self, for that matter? Who has free will? Who follows the Dharma? Such an oxymoron as this imparts great irony, does it not?

I notice with Tai Chi, when I?m truly present in the moment, the movements flow of themselves. The sense of ?self? melts away. The irony is that when the ?I? disappears, and there is just the moment, living right and having compassion seem the truest, because I?m not ?trying? to live right or feel compassion. To me this is the ?doing nothing and yet nothing is left undone?.

Our judgement of 'it' predetermines what we see.

Just like quantum physics, where one cannot observe without changing what's observed. At least that part makes sense to me and very much clarifies "he who knows does not think, he who thinks does not know ".

That's pretty much all that's sunk in right now. But another thing that comes up for me is that I still carry around a basic concept drummed into me by the Catholic Church that there is something outside of me (or even inside of me, but separate) that is perfect, pure, good, holy, sacred. Maybe it was not put there by my Catholic upbringing, maybe it is hardwired into my brain. It's a very pleasant feeling, to feel the sacredness of everything. Perhaps, that's the mysterious sameness of the Tao.

Or maybe not. Now I'm wondering if the ability to feel the sacredness is part of the instinctive nature...needs and fears. ??? My big brain feels pretty small right now and I feel plenty hesitant and tentative.

Ah! Oooo! Oh! Lots of grist for my heretical nature. Thanks Topher!

Topher:

1...What about the idea that the physical human being and spritual human being are two types united?

2...Can you image dogs having a religion to discuss how to be a dog? No, they are able to be perfectly as dogs with no thought or discussion.

3... What is it that gives a human being such trouble? What is it that gives a human being such power to act if many diverse ways?

1) The idea is an emergent property of our brain. We have chopped Nature into this, that, and those. A good survival ability which enables us to manipulate nature. Well, the unseen consequence is that the manipulators have become manipulated by their own skewed way of viewing Nature's 'suchness'. Physical and spiritual are two sides of the same coin.

Now, to really appreciate this point, take a coin out of your pocket and look carefully at it. Imagine one side is 'physical' and the other side is 'spiritual'. Silly uh?

2) Just as we are able to be perfectly human with thought and discussion, other creature are able to be perfectly themselves with their natures. Discussion is to humans what sniffing each other's butts is to dogs. If our noses were as highly developed as a dog's, we would probably sniff more. If dogs had big brains they would talk more. So? I can't imagine dogs having religion any more than I can imagine humans spinning spider webs... or getting to know our neighbors' butt scent.

The magnitude of difference we assign the differences we perceive is completely relative to our own needs and fears. There's no basis in reality. Differences are illusionary... 'only skin deep' as they say. Less so, I say.

3) What "trouble?" Life is a struggle from virus and bacteria on up the tree of life. Life battles against inevitable entropy. That's life. We have the innate instinctive drive to maximize our comfort and security - as all life forms do. That is the survival instinct. This need for comfort and security drives us to ideate a 'more perfect world', where there's no struggle. And we struggle with ourselves, within our mind... we are our own worst enemy as they say. For all the myriad creature, each advantage comes with its 'other side' disadvantage.

"Diverse ways?" First, that 'diversity', like 'magnitude of differences', is in the eye of the beholder. Second, according to who? Who is judging humanity as a remarkably diverse creature different from the other animals? Again, I would suspect that this tendency to see ourselves as 'unique' is driven by survival instinct. If the tree outside my window could speak, it would say how 'unique' it was. Each person not only feels themselves unique, but also imagines themselves unique and that is what gives us our particular brand of struggle in life. The Monarch butterflies don't have to endure our kind of struggle, they have a struggle which is 'unique' to their nature. Each life form has a unique struggle in life according to its nature. We are no different - either way. And that's

Topher:

(1)... some people spending their whole life killing others and some people spending their whole life serving others.

(2)... You might say that it only appears different but the results are quite different in how one creature impacts another.

1) The common ground is that each is doing what they NEED to do. If you believe in choice and morality, then you will likely make 'moral' judgements, one being 'the good' choice, and the other 'the bad' choice. But one person's good is simply another person's bad. For example, Al Qaida feels killing Americans is good. Americans feel killing Al Qaida is good. So? Your moral point of view all depends on where you are standing, no? Moralist just hate this view for it puts into question their cherished bias.

2) Concerns about "results" and "impacts" are a peculiar human obsession which obfuscates our moment. We are obsessed with the end and negligent with the means, always leaping ahead out of being (what is) into thinking (what could be - what should be). If what is, is yin, and what should be is yang... we are much too much yang oriented for our own well being. Simply put... we are nuts! ... (I know, speak for myself ops: )

Topher:

So, it is not free will in the sense that I cannot chose any path because my inner nature will ultimately be in control.

I think that is why taking the lower position feels so deeply natural.