Luck

Free Will: We both have it and are unable to have it.

cause and effect (I reffer to these as ONLY the result of the energy put into the universe at the big bang) should mean that every atom is pre-determined in its course of action. I generally support this.

However, given how our brains process information and create our narrative of the world around us, we do appear to have free will. Each person acts and thinks as though they have conscious control of their bodies. So in that way it exists, although "conscious control" is a very limited and ambigious term.

Calling things luck is a way of saying that you don't understand probabilities.

[/my2cents]

Originally posted by SpearofDestiny
Free Will isn't entirely free. It is determined by three other factors:

1) Desire
2) Necessity
3) Influence

Ultamately, you may be able to change or condition desire and influence to your choosing, but you can't alter necessity. You eat and drink because you have too.

Originally posted by Shakyamunison
Just what do you mean by free will?

Originally posted by Bardock42
How. What is this "you" you are talking about anyways?

The ability to change something out of the otherwise static cause and effect line.

There are two types of Karma (cause and effect) malleable and non-malleable. The non-malleable cannot be changed, but the malleable type can be changed.

Example:

Malleable: I think about picking an apple from a tree.

Non-malleable: I pick an apple from a tree.

Originally posted by Shakyamunison
There are two types of Karma (cause and effect) malleable and non-malleable. The non-malleable cannot be changed, but the malleable type can be changed.

Example:

Malleable: I think about picking an apple from a tree.

Non-malleable: I pick an apple from a tree.

Originally posted by Bardock42
So, can you decide to pick an apple from a tree and actually do it while you also could have not picked the apple from the tree?

😑

I don't think so, but try it, and let me know if it worked.

Originally posted by Shakyamunison
😑

I don't think so, but try it, and let me know if it worked.

Originally posted by Bardock42
Can I actually choose to try?

Yes, you can choose to try, but doing is another thing all together.

Is there both a live and dead cat in the box? Once you open it, there will only be one or the other.

Originally posted by Shakyamunison
Yes, you can choose to try, but doing is another thing all together.

Is there both a live and dead cat in the box? Once you open it, there will only be one or the other.

Originally posted by Bardock42
Explain the first thing.

I could choose to walk through a solid wall, but if I do it, I will most likely not succeed.

Originally posted by Shakyamunison
I could choose to walk through a solid wall, but if I do it, I will most likely not succeed.

Originally posted by Bardock42
So you think people have a choice. And the power to change some things (of course limited)

It all depends, but generally that is how I feel.

Originally posted by SpearofDestiny
A simple and common misunderstanding.

Buddhist Karma is not like Hindu or "Christian" Karma. Karma is a trail of cause and effect, and can be changed at any time. One little thought will lead to a little action which will lead to another thought which will lead to another greater action, which will cause a chain reaction of thoughts, emotions, and actions, all resulting from the prior thought, emotion, or action.

While Hindus beleive your karma in one lifetime is fixed, and that another lifetime is required to improve karma, Buddhists beleive you can change your karma any time in your life.

If you aim to hurt someone, you are putting out negativity which will become something worse, depending on your next series of choices.

but then, why call it karma? physical cause and affect are obviously the most verifyable realities. but, karma, atleast partially shud have to do with "the law of attraction" as you put it. YOU can change YOUR state by the actions you take. i.e. YOU can do sumthing to atleast partially create your fate. but assume, you slip over a banana peal and due to the shock your spine expiriences, are paralysed from the legs down, for the rest of your life.

now, it is true, that sum1{other than you} threw that banana peal. and it is also true that you were the one who chose to walk that path{unknowing}. what i dont understand is how anything YOU physically did, caused that banana peal to be there and how any decision YOU physically made increased your likelyhood of walking over it{given that YOU as an entity did not know it was there, nor is it statistically proven that that banana peals are usually found in the path you chose}.

furthermore, you didnt have any more probability of walking over it than a person who has done things very differently than you in his life. the same way that we see that there is no identiifying features of people whom bad incidence/bad luck seems to target.

even the inward flowing law of attraction points to some kind of improbable symmetry/mystical force which depending on YOUR actions to judge YOUR fate. otherwise, karma would stop being anything different or more significant than disconnected/non uniform cause-affect which doesnt have to be fair or can be manipulated at all to "better" your life etc. the "outward flowing" ones ofcourse clearly points towards you being able to illogically change the enviornment{be it physically improbable coincidences/manipulating probability or mystically influencing the world}.

dont either one of the concepts, as you see it, require physical improbability/underlying symmetry/mystical influence?

Originally posted by FistOfThe North
Hey. What are you doing in here. You're not smart enough to be in here. (you're not smart enough at all actually.)

So shoo. Scram, Timberland.

...nonedown

Originally posted by lord xyz
Great debating tactic. Instead of addressing the point, attack/question the debator's intelligence...badly.

...nonedown

FistOfThe North always has great debating tactics...

I think this is a coincidence no one control the luck.Some time it happens that we can not get the desired goal by working correctly with all our skills.

I think it's to do with Karma like Shakya says. The whole cause and effect thing.