FROM DESTINY TO CHOICE

In this brief examination of free will and fate, a psychotherapist and dedicated follower of Zoroastrianism outlines evidence for both.

Spitama, the author, notes that he’s simply the messenger for the writings here; he’s “a mail carrier delivering packages” for enlightened thinkers that came before him, including Zarathustra, the Buddha, and Socrates, among others. The author effortlessly relates a key belief that wisdom belongs to all. Zarathustra, he asserts, did not believe in mindless following; he helped others to see themselves as the “masters of their own destinies,” which was a radical idea in Zarathustra’s time. Spitama suggests that humans have a unique ability to make choices, unlike many other things in nature, and that people must always choose with wisdom and consciousness, because “being passive or neutral in life can lead to confusion and deception.” For example, the concept of fate can remove accountability, the author notes; the belief in karma can be used to justify tragedies, inequalities, and wrongdoings; and external factors such as accidents, luck, and the actions of others can be easy to rely on with little effort. These are all elements of predestination, he says, a concept that those who have consciousness but not necessarily wisdom believe: “consciousness doesn’t create wisdom,” he says. “It only illuminates what already exists,” thus making events seem predetermined. However, he effectively goes on to say that through practices like mindful meditation, changes can happen through choice. Spitama also lightly touches on other teachings of Zarathustra involving women’s rights and a comparison of good versus evil, but the major concepts of the book are concise and easy to understand. For modern Zoroastrians or curious learners alike, this text will be an accessible reference on a range of concepts, centering on free will, positivity, and good thoughts, while making clear the author’s notion that the way to make good choices is to ask questions.

An encouraging guide to the concept of predestination.