Free Will vs. Dependent Origination: Do We Really Have a Choice?

Introduction: Are We in Control of Our Lives?

Do we truly have free will, or are all our decisions just products of past conditions?

By the end of this article, you’ll understand:
✅ How Dependent Origination explains decision-making
✅ Why past conditions shape our choices—but don’t determine them
✅ How mindfulness expands our freedom to choose wisely

How Dependent Origination Affects Free Will

🔹 Your choices arise due to causes and conditions.
🔹 But you can influence those conditions to create different outcomes.

📌 Example:

• A child raised in an abusive household may struggle with trust—not by choice, but due to conditions.
• However, by changing environment and mindset, they can heal and form healthy relationships.

💡 Takeaway:
Instead of seeing free will as absolute, think of it as a range of choices shaped by past and present conditions.

🌿 Mindfulness helps us see choices clearly and make wiser decisions.