Role of Free will in adding or avoiding karma! Detailed Explanation!
Free will applies to performing new karma only.
Not for the reactions of our past karma.
For example, if we had killed a person in the previous birth, the karma acquired by us is “to be killed by any person in this birth”.
So, we will be killed definitely and we can not stop being killed using our free will.
(Doubts on the judiciary system (Karma) of Krishna & Explanation! READ HERE!)
However, if we have reformed our mind and have purified ourselves, our punishments for past karma will continue to happen, but, we will not add new karma in this birth since we have stopped sinning.
We have heard that even some devotees getting killed in plane or road accidents or through murder. This is due to their past karma of similar nature.
However, they get a good next birth or no next birth, as they have performed devotional services in this birth and have avoided sinful acts in this birth.
Only their past karma has been cleared and hence they have got purified.
Usually, Krishna does not intervene in His own court proceedings, ie, in the fixing of punishments or rewards by karma network. If He frequently intervenes in His own justice department, His system will get liquidated and meaningless.
So, Only in very exceptional cases in a very few devotees, Krishna intervenes and stop them being killed, considering their exceptional devotional service with materially detached mindset.
Free will means, the freedom given by Krishna to us to choose our future course of actions – whether to add new karma by being materially detached, or, to avoid further births by following devotional practices seriously with materially detached mind.
(If divorce is fixed by karma, what is the use of seeing horoscopes? READ HERE!)
If you need example for this, read further:
You see a girl. You like to have bodily relations with her. You have it and after that you desert her. By spoiling that girl, you will add new karma. Krishna never wants us to add new karma by spoiling that girl. However, because of our sense disturbances, we ourselves decide to spoil that girl.
If you use this free will to stop disturbing that girl, you will not add new karma. But, if you use this free will to disturb that girl, you will add new negative karma and hence you will take birth as a girl in your next birth and you will be disturbed by the boys in the next birth similarly.
So, you add new karma by using your free will to involve in sinful acts.
In case you like to stop further births and to go back to Krishna, you will use the same free will to avoid that girl and let her to proceed on her own path peacefully. Thus, you are using your free will to avoid adding negative karma in this birth. Same free will may either add new karma or stop further karma.
Thus, free will can either add karma or prevent adding karma depending on your choice of new sinful acts or Krishna.
Thus, Free will is applicable for avoiding adding new karma or to add new karma.
However, if any negative happens in this birth, it means, we are facing the reactions of past birth(s). It is not the role of free will.
If anything is newly done by us, we are applying our free will to add new karma.
Hope you are clear now about the role of Free will in adding or avoiding karma!
(Using the Free Will properly to get Krishna in spite of barriers! Tips! READ HERE!)