Author Daniel Parmeggiani explains how a simple, subtle shift in our concept of free will renders us all equally deserving of forgiveness and love. 

As a culture, we are obsessed with freedom. We will march, revolt, and even wage wars to protect our freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and freedom to live our lives and express ourselves exactly as we please. Of course, there is nothing wrong with being free from external oppression, and in the Western World, we have done a pretty good job overall of achieving this. However, there is another, far more important freedom that always eludes us, and that is freedom from our own self-inflicted oppression and condemnation.

While we may appear free on the outside, we remain prisoners of ourselves on the inside. Guilt, shame, low self-esteem, judgment, anxiety, and depression are the bars that form our prison cells. But why do we do this to ourselves? The answer lies in a mistaken concept that most of us take for granted.

In our current, modern world view, we see ourselves as different from each other, disconnected and independent from one another. We think we each possess a “free will” that determines our choices and actions, and, by extension, our quality and worth as human beings. We believe we have the freedom to be good or bad, innocent or guilty, saints or sinners, worthy or unworthy.

If we stop to think about it, this world view is what creates our inner prison. Rather than being comforting, the belief that our wills are completely free, as opposed to being naturally aligned with something greater than ourselves, is actually the cause of our distress, preventing us from finding real inner peace and happiness.

As we constantly rate our performance to determine how much love or hate we deserve, we fail to sense that our incessant judgment of ourselves and others is actually based on a simple, basic misunderstanding: Rather than having erratic and often destructive free will, deep down we all equally possess the same uplifting, unifying, and divine will to aspire to harmony, peace, and love.

It can be pretty disturbing to consider the idea that our actions, decisions, and even our thoughts are predetermined and destined to follow a specific path. But I am not claiming that we are not free to choose as we please. What I discovered through deep and honest introspection during a desperate time in my life was that, yes, we are free to choose what we want; however, it just so happens that, underneath it all, everyone always wants exactly the same thing. And that makes all the difference.

So what is that same thing we all want?

At the simplest level, we all want to just feel better – to avoid pain and gain pleasure. Everything we ever do has this end in mind, as we constantly seek to maximize our well-being. At a deeper level, however, what we are really seeking is a deep, rich and lasting state of happiness, love, and inner peace, which results from sensing harmony in our lives.

When we see the bigger picture, our individual wills are but manifestations of the One Will that permeates all of life. I think of it as the One Will, but you can call it the will of God or whatever you like. In Kabbalah, they talk about the general law of the universe, a term that describes a universal energy that affects each individual equally, and humankind as a whole, to lead us back to “the perfection of the Garden of Eden.” By any name, this One Will, which we all share, is what makes us equally innocent and worthy of forgiveness and unconditional love.

The spiritual ideals of unconditional love, true forgiveness, and real inner peace and happiness are simply incompatible with our current concept of free will. But our true nature is never sinful or unworthy. At the deepest level, we are all equal in our intentions, and our ultimate desire is pure. Know this, and you will find the only freedom that really matters: Freedom from yourself.

Thanks for checking in, and may these truths bring you the perfect happiness, love, and inner peace that you so rightfully deserve.

Understanding the basis of our innocence is the key to finding real forgiveness, inner peace, and unconditional love. I invite you to learn more about this and other crucial subjects on April 29th 2014, when my book The Magnificent Truths of Our Existence becomes available. The book is now available for pre-order at a specially discounted rate of 20% off for a limited time. Please click the link on the right side of this article and your copy will be mailed to you on 29th April 2014.

What do you think about free will? Leave your comments below!

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Daniel Parmeggiani

4th April 2014

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