Is life destined and pre-planned?

The following is an excerpt from a samvaad (dialogue) session with Acharya Prashant.

Question: Is our life destined?

Acharya Prashant (AP): Of course it is destined. Otherwise, why would life exist?

Life exists, so that it may meet its destiny.

And as long as it doesn’t, it remains restless.

Mind exists, so that it may meet its destiny.

And the destiny of the mind is Peace — the dissolution of mind.

That is your destiny.

Listener (L): Is everything pre-planned?

AP: Not in the sense of meeting the destiny.

Destiny and planning are not the same thing. Nothing is pre-planned. You can proceed as per your planning but if your planning is not in sync with the destiny, then your plans will only give you more suffering.

You are free to do whatever you do. You can go right, you can go left. But if you must go right, and you go left, then going left, you will keep suffering. So, planning is in your hands. The mind plans. You can plan whatever you want to.

L: That’s freewill.

AP: Apparent freewill. It is not free because ultimately it has to surrender. What you call as freewill must ultimately…