A line from ‘Flash Forward’ session two goes — ‘It’s not fate versus free will; it’s fate and free will.’ Someone asked me if the protagonists can’t really change anything. I replied that of course they can. If not, what kind of am engaging TV series can it be? What kind of life would it be to know what’s coming up and be unable to do anything to better it?
So-called ‘fate’ is simply past karma that has occurred, that cannot be altered, while free will allows us to change our destiny in the moment and for the future, as the attitude that we use to face our present circumstances and what we choose to do now creates fresh karma, that can even alter the course of past karma as it bears fruits.
Only after we have tried our best to shape our future, only after an outcome has become unalterable can we say it’s so-called ‘fated’ to be so. Yet, even so any fate is the result of our efforts or lack of them – which is karmic in nature either way, as long as there is intention involved, even if it resulted in inaction.