Free will – Our ability to make choices; how we choose to respond to our experiences

To remember the meaning of the Hindu term Free will, use the following mnemonic:

She made a free will - there was no charge for making it - so that she could choose how to respond to experiences she'd had with her relatives.

Hindus believe they have free will: this is the concept that they are free to make their own choices and can basically act and behave how they wish.

They believe that their Creator does not want to control them like puppets, preferring people to take responsibility for their own actions.

But, like most religions, Hinduism has guidelines. Gurus (spiritual teachers), holy scriptures and key concepts teach followers the morally correct ways to behave.

Their belief is that their actions in life will result in either good or bad karma. So, they try to act in the best possible way to receive good karma and eventually achieve moksha – liberation from the cycle of death and rebirth.