Our Free Will, Free?

Our Free Will, Free?

“Certainly. Every one wants what is good, best, most beautiful. Is there any one who intentionally wants something bad, ugly, not liked or loved.” said Si Buyung to Si Upik when they disputed about FREE WILL.
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“If someone chooses a wicked deed, chooses something he doesn’t like, marry a person he doesn’t love, it is clearly not his will, not what he wants, since it is contrary to what he wants, desires, wishes. Perhaps there are things, conditions, circumstances, customs, manners, dogma’s, public opinions which force, drive, persuade, influence him to do so.

“But who are we to judge others, as though we were a faultless, perfect human being. Suppose we were in his place, perhaps we wouldn’t have behaved better than he does or may be worse.

“When asked to choose, the bachelor certainly chooses Si Indah, the girl of his dreams, instead of Si Pengki. How can he not love her? He is unable not to love her. Can we force a mother hate her children? Then, suppose some one is threatened to choose between his life or his money, he certainly chooses his life. It is impossible for him to want his death. He has no choice. An inner voice whispered him that.” So said Si Buyung.

“More over, one is not free to want to be born in the year 3000 AD, born a man or a woman, French or Indonesian, in Tokyo or Jakarta, to live a thousand years, or to choose your parents, choose to be born a fish or a bird or not to be born.”

Sure, I reflected, our free will, our choice is not ours but just of what is implanted, whispered into all of us and all living beings according to the Creator’s own discretion, will.

And I remember Rumi saying: “Save what thou willest, what will have I?”

Berita Buana, 12 April 1997