Free Will vs Destiny in Hinduism

Here is a question that has kept philosophers awake for millennia: are you free, or is everything predetermined? Do you actually choose your actions, or are you just following a script? In the West, it is usually one or the other. But Hinduism does something clever — it says both are true, at different levels. Your past karma creates the circumstances of your life (that is destiny). But within those circumstances, you have real choices (that is free will). You did not choose your starting point, but you do choose your next step.

Prarabdha Karma — Your Starting Hand

Kriyamana Karma — Your Choices Right Now

The Archer Analogy

Beyond Both: The Witness