W is for (Radical) Will
Willfulness isn’t Willingness
In many spiritual traditions, there is a practice in which a selected scriptural passage becomes the theme for the week. At Radical Spirituality, we do the same thing, but in a radical way.
Each Sunday, I offer The ABC’s of Radical Spirituality, a single, simple word distilled from the common principles of all the world’s faith and wisdom teachings that serves as the exploration for the week. They are the roots of Radical Spirituality. And because I am that person, the words are in alphabetical order. We start with A and go to Z.
It’s a simple practice to get to the roots of what matters on our spiritual path. The best part is that you will get out of it what you put into it. If you just keep the word on a sticky-note on your computer, it will still work it’s magic. But to dig deeper, delve in, dive in, and see what you find.
W is for (Radical) Will
What we call the secret of happiness is no more a secret than our willingness to choose life. – Leo Buscaglia
Ah, the perennial question: do humans have free will, or not? While we don’t really have an answer, ultimately, it’s a spiritual question that goes way beyond whether or not we choose our fate or it is predestined. It has to do with our willingness to choose.
Etymologically, Will comes from the Old English wyllan, related to Dutch willen, German wollen, from the Indo-European root shared by Latin velle ‘will, wish’. It’s the same velle that is at the root of Benevolence, or “good wishes/will.” Another source cites the Old English willa "mind, determination, purpose; desire, wish, request.” Will, then, is directional: it is a definite leaning in or moving toward something or someone with purpose or intent. When we use our will, we have a desire or wish for something, an intention. What is it?
In every spiritual tradition, our Will is directed toward the Divine, or those qualities we ascribe to Divinity: Kindness, Love, Generosity, Patience, Compassion, Mercy. Our Will is our intention to live according to those highest values. Some would say that our Will is inseparable from the Divine Will, which wants Life to life. When we align with Life (or with Divine Will), we become better people in a better world. When we deviate from that, well, you can see how well that works.
So, the radical understanding of Will is our capacity, or willingness, to make choices. Even if our circumstances are not of our choosing, we choose our response in each moment, every moment. What choices will we make?
At its purest root, Will becomes our deepest wish or desire, and what we intend to choose to achieve it. Why choose to behave in ways that support Life when we could just as easily choose differently (and sometimes do)?
This week, we explore Will: What is your deepest wish or desire? What choices do you make? What are you willing to do? Why?
Deeper Roots
Is there a conflict between our Will and Divine Will?
Biblically, there are theological problems with free will, as God is said to be omniscient and clearly interferes in human actions. However, it is also said that humans make choices to behave well or not, and that there are consequences. So, which is it? Does God predetermine our every move, or are we also responsible for our actions? Can it be both? Or are there limitations to what can be predetermined? Does it matter?
It matters.
Every tradition says that while we may not have control over our circumstances (Life is what it is), we can make choices as to how we react to those circumstances. Hinduism, for example, says that our will is not ours, but the choices we make affect our Karma. Do good things, you have good Karma. Do bad things, you have bad Karma. We make the choices, but Karma isn’t up to us. Karma is a natural law that we have no control over.
The non-dual traditions of Advaita Vedanta, Daoism and Buddhism would also say we have free will to make choices, but there are greater forces at work. According to these traditions, it is, in fact, the lessening of our individual will that allows us to merge with the will of the Dao, Buddha-Mind or Brahman. In some respects, it’s more about non-willfulness: not doing, not striving, not exerting our will.
This is similar to the Abrahamic teachings, of “Not my will, but Thine.” Our willfulness – wanting things to go the way we want and trying to make it happen that way – is often the problem. Our willfulness actually gets in the way of our willingness —the willingness to allow things to be as they are. When we stop telling God what to do, and simply allow and accept, we are willing to let the Divine Will be what it is. We can let Life life.
Here’s where it gets a little tricky. While all traditions say we are responsible for our choices, we are not the sole “do-er.” Who is making the choices? If our small self, our egoic construct of identity, is making the choices, then who is in charge? If our True Self, the one aligned with or inseparable from whatever we understand as Divine, is running the show, then isn’t the Divine the do-er? Isn’t it really that the Divine is doing through us? No matter what choice we make?
So whose Will will be done?
Reflection Questions
What does Will mean to you?
Where does Will appear in your life?
What prevents you from willingness?
How can you bring more willingness into your life?
Suggested Practice
This week, explore how your willfulness gets in the way of willingness. If you find yourself trying to “make something happen,” explore what happens if you let go and allow a greater “will” to take the reins.
Personal responsibility is not only recognizing the errors of our ways. Personal responsibility lies in our willingness and ability to correct those errors individually and collectively. – Yehuda Berg