The mind thrives on duality, constantly presenting us with choices: this or that, here or there. It convinces us that we are the decision-makers, charting a path forward. But is this truly what’s happening in our experience?
We often view life as a linear, pre-scripted “movie” where every choice we make determines the next scene. We imagine life as a story with a set beginning, middle, and end, where our decisions dictate the outcomes. But this perspective is misleading. Life doesn’t unfold like a “choose-your-own-adventure” novel; it arises moment by moment, unbound by predetermined scripts or maps. Even when choices seem to appear, the truth is there are no choices—there is only doing.
You might be thinking, “What does that even mean? I make decisions all the time!” Let’s explore this idea with a few examples.
The Fork in the Road
Imagine you’re a traveler on horseback, arriving at a fork in a dirt trail. The left path looks longer and more difficult; the right path seems easier but might lead to unforeseen challenges. Your mind creates elaborate scenarios: thieves on one path, safety and rest on the other. You deliberate endlessly, convinced that each path represents a fully formed “life-movie” waiting for you to step into.
The reality is simpler. Life isn’t about choosing between pre-scripted paths. It’s about the unfolding of now. The mind’s illusion of choice distracts us from the truth: there are no pre-existing scenes, just the action that arises in the moment.
The Illusion of Relationships
Consider a more personal scenario: choosing between two partners, Terry and Alex. Your mind imagines entire futures with each person—where you’d live, whether you’d have children, what life would look like. But those imagined futures are just that: imagination. Life doesn’t offer prewritten scripts where one path is “Terry’s story” and another is “Alex’s story.”
If you marry Alex, that’s what happened. The “choice” wasn’t real—it was simply the unfolding of events. Speculating on what life could have been with Terry is just fantasy. The concept of “what could have been” is a construct of the mind, not reality.
Coffee or Tea?
Now imagine you’re at a coffee shop, asked whether you’d like coffee or tea. You choose coffee. Could you have chosen tea? No—because in reality, you didn’t. The mind might create an alternate scenario where you order tea, but that’s pure imagination. What’s real is what is—the coffee you ordered—not the imagined possibilities of what might have been.
The idea of choice exists only in the mind. In reality, there is only action. When you chose coffee, it wasn’t because of some deep preference or calculated decision—it simply unfolded in the present moment.
Living Beyond the Illusion
As humans, we will always experience the illusion of choice. It’s part of the human condition. On the spiritual path, however, we can learn to see through this illusion. While we may still appear to make choices, our awareness allows us to understand that life is simply the unfolding of actions in alignment with our highest sense of what is right.
For example, we don’t “choose” not to steal or harm others. We simply act in accordance with what we know to be right. As our awareness deepens, this alignment becomes more natural, requiring less deliberation or mental struggle. The mind’s chatter fades, and our actions arise with greater harmony and clarity than any imagined choice could achieve.
By releasing the illusion of choice, we free ourselves to experience life as it truly is: an unfolding present, guided not by the mind’s dualities but by the seamless flow of awareness and action.
