Dear Anita

Thank you for your deep and thoughtful question.

Every person is a collection of thoughts, beliefs and desires. The world that each person sees 'out there' is always a reflection of their habitual thoughts and beliefs. Beliefs are just thoughts held for so long that you forgot that you had a choice.

If one believes in fate, then one will experience a world in which there is little free will and in which fateful things appear to happen. If one believes in total free will, then one will experience the opposite. Responsibility does not disappear in the first scenario. One is still responsible for adopting and maintaining the belief in fate.

It is possible to change beliefs at any time and then the world 'out there' will always change to reflect this. It is also possible to adopt no belief at all and to simply observe reality as it is, directly, in the moment. Then there is no concept of cause and effect at all. Time disappears. What is, is. Here and now. Uncaused. The notion of cause and effect is a belief. The notion of separate people is also a belief. The notion of linear time is a belief.

You remain completely responsible. Responsible for choosing beliefs (or not choosing any beliefs at all). If one chooses to believe, then one is always restricting possibility and freedom. Belief is a kind of self-hypnotism. It is a fencing off of part of infinite Reality. Things will feel more safe. More certain. More predictable. You have made a nice, safe, comfortable, easy little box for your well-defined self. Some may prefer this approach to life. Others may prefer freedom and infinite possibility, challenge and difficulty, courageous adventure into the completely unknown.

All is choice.

Much love to you,

Happy Cow

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