Within chaos is
less apparent order.
Within order is
no chaos at all.— Stonepeace | Get Books
Is every single experience in life part of some master plan, designed to lead us to some predetermined destiny? Romantic optimists and disillusioned pessimists tend to think so. The first pine for the ‘magic’ of wonders to automatically unfold, while the latter imagine they were doomed from the start, with no hope for betterment. Either way, if all is fated, diligence and deliberation would be illusory and meaningless. This makes no practical sense because all worthy goals achieved do arise from some effort and decision-making. The directly opposite believe that the possibilities of their lives are entirely in their hands. This other extreme is also not sensible, as there are clearly some limiting conditions due to how we are now.
The truth that realists believe in is thus somewhere between. Life does have some sort of ‘plan’ — according to personally created past karma’s tendencies, with each individual being the careless or careful ‘master’ of his or her plan. Yet, this ‘plan’ morphs, ‘redesigning’ with our current diligence and deliberation. Just as we might forgo a previous plan for a trip entirely, we can also alter the itinerary during the trip if taken. Life is thus neither a play with a fixed plot for its scenes, nor totally meaningless chaos without cause and effect.There is no escape from being its directors and actors, be it in the past, present or future. We tend to be not so mindful actors though, who forget we are also the directors!
The tension between absolute fatalism and absolute free will is then natural. Few things are totally cast in stone while nothing is totally free to be shaped into anything too. To be wise is to recognise the limits of control in any given situation, while exacting as much available control as possible to better the situation, which includes increasing of control. As an example for contrast, belief that there is a destined ‘soulmate’ could lead to complacency — to not build, maintain or better any relationship. Having some ‘good’ connection does not mean its quality will never change. People, like things, can and do change. What matters is that we keep learning, to wield the truest control possible, beginning with our own karma.
There is nothing truly
‘meant to be’ or not,
while you can work to make
that less ‘meant to be’
more ‘meant to be.’— Stonepeace | Get Books