During my trip to Ramana Maharshi's Ashram I happened to read a book based on teachings of Ramana Maharshi. In that, one disciple asks him "Is everything pre-destined?" and Sri Ramana says "yes". The disciple then gets up, switches on the fan and asks "Is it already decided that i would put on the fan?" and Sriramana again says "yes"

So, "Destiny vs Free will" had become a point of debate among the friends. We were discussing whether EVERYTHING is predestined or is it that there are a set of possibilities and one of them happens depending on ur persistence or a person's strength of free-will.

I feel it is the latter. For a person with weak will-power 80% is predestined. But for a person with strong will-power, only 20% is predestined. i.e He will be able to steer the life as per his goals most of the times, but still there are certain karma-phalas which we MUST be borne. Or there are certain things like birth and death, which cannot be altered, however strong a persons free-will may be.

For the enlightened souls like Gurus, their will-power is the purest and the strongest and even changes the destiny. Their sankalpa will happen, even modifying what was otherwise destined to happen.

So Life is all a dynamic game of probability is my take on the matter so far.

But the discussion still continues..Is EVERYTHING predestined to the minutest action / thought of a man, as per that conversation?  What did Ramana Maharshi actually mean? What is your take?