Predestination

Chapter 14

To what extent does God control our destiny ?

Things like…

• Prosperity and decline?

• Fortune and misfortune in human life?

• Salvation and damnation?

• Even the rise and fall of nations?

2

Christianity

Support Predestination

"And those whom he predestined he also called; and those whom he called he also justified; and those whom he justified he also glorified.“

Romans 8:30

Deny Predestination

AFTER THE FALL:

"And the LORD was sorry that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart."

Genesis 6:6

3

Islam

Support Predestination

"No soul can believe, except by the Will of God, and He (Allah) will place doubt on those who will not understand.”

Quran 10:100

Deny Predestination

“God changes not what is in a people, until they change what is in themselves.”

Quran 13:11

4

Sikhism

Support Predestination

"All existence the theater of God’s play... All happens as by His will; Nothing by our power comes to pass.”

Adi Granth, Majh M.5, (pg 103)

Deny Predestination

“By one’s own hands is one’s affairs set straight.”

Adi Granth,

Asa M.1 (pg. 473-4)

5

Hinduism

Support Predestination

“God’s power of wonder moves all things - puppets in a play of shadows - whirling them onwards on the stream of time.“

Bhagavad Gita 18:60‑61

Deny Predestination

"I have given you words of vision… Ponder them in the silence of your soul, and then in freedom do you will."

Bhagavad Gita 18:3

6

Buddhism

Support Predestination

"Any wrong or evil a man does, is born in himself… and this crushes the foolish man as a hard stone grinds the weaker stone.”

Dhammapada 12:161

Deny Predestination

"Make of yourself a light. Rely upon yourself: do not depend upon anyone else."

Digha Nikaya 16, (TB pg. 10)

7

Predestination of God’s Will

Absolute, Unique, Eternal,

Unchanging

Absolute, Unique, Eternal,

Unchanging

“Predestination” of God’s Will = AbsoluteFor example:

1. Purpose of Creation2. Providence of Restoration

God’sWill

8

God

Absolute

God’s Responsibility

95％

HumanResponsibility

5％

Predestination of the Fulfillment of God’s Will is Conditional.

God’s Will

+

Predestination of Fulfillment of God’s Will

But, the fulfillment of God’s will:

9

Two Types Scriptures

Verses that Support Predestination

Focus on the predestination of God’s Will

which is:

Absolute

Verses that Deny Predestination

Focus on the fulfillment

of God’s Will which is:

Conditional

10

Qualifications of a Central Figure

① Central or Correlate history.

② Ancestry.

③ Inborn nature.

④ Character traits.

⑤ Providential time.

11

Accomplishment of God’s Will is Not Absolutely Predestined

It Depends upon us fulfilling our responsibility

OurResponsibility

5%

12

God’sResponsibility

95%

The Value of a Perfected Person

13

The Relationship between God and the Universe

－＋

Image(Map)

Symbol(Flag)

Man

＋

－

GodExternal Form

mind

＋

－body

＋

－mind

＋

－body

AllThings

Embody the Principle

All Things

14

－＋External

Form

Realizing the Ideal of Creation through Love

God created the world in order to realize love. He created the universe so that He could rejoice over people and all things as they become one centering on His love and making a harmonious world of love.

15 CSG, pg. 90

The Original Ideal of Man

Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you?

I Corinthians 3:16

16

Offering and keeping Precepts make the foundation necessary to build a great castle on. Endurance and Endeavor are the walls of the castle…

Avatamsaka-sutra 6

(Teachings of Buddha, pg. 169)

The Original Ideal of Man

17

"And when a man sees that the God in himself is the same God in all that is, he hurts not himself by hurting others: then he goes indeed to the highest Path."

Bhagavad Gita 13:28

The Original Ideal of Man

18

We have indeed created man in the best of moulds.

Koran 95:4

He (Allah)… breathed into him (man) something of His spirit.

Koran 32:7-9

The Original Ideal of Man

19

... Our Soul is the image of the Transcendent God.

Adi Granth, pg 868

The Original Ideal of Man

20

Mind

Body

God

The Value of a Person Who has Fulfilledthe Purpose of Creation

Perfected Person: Divine Value Eternal Value

Perfect First Mind

Second Mind

21

Perfect TruePerson

Only One

God

Joy

A

BC

A

B

CJoyJoy

22

Perfected Person: Unique Value

The Value of a Person Who has Fulfilledthe Purpose of Creation

Cosmos

Spirit World

Spirit Self

Physical World

Physical SelfGod

Internal Character

External Form

23

The Value of a Person Who has Fulfilledthe Purpose of Creation

Perfected Person: Cosmic Value

God

Mind Body

Man

① Divine Value

② Eternal Value

③ Unique Value

④ Cosmic Value

The Person Who has Fulfilled the Purpose of Creation

24

Swami Sivananda

“What you are, is God’s gift to you. What you become, is your gift to God.”

25

Lessons Learned

26

• Absoluteness of God’s will

• Absolute necessity of human beings to fulfill their responsibility

• Perfection of our individual character is based on our relationship with God.

27

Thank you !