Āmʻāf Okpe (AHM-ahf UHK-peh)
A Lesson on Free Will
Vocabulary List
Come, my bright ones, gather near. There is a lesson you must understand, not because you will experience it yourselves, but because understanding the nature of The Mortal Realm will deepen your knowledge of the broader existence beyond our own. Some of our kin were once bound by this illusion, and to fully honor their journey, you must come to understand it as well. We do not mock the belief of mortals, nor do we seek to tear away their understanding. Instead, we must respect their path and immerse ourselves in their world as it exists for them.
| Cultural Reference | Vocabulary Word | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Achaemenid | Azadikhwāhī (desire for freedom, autonomy) | ah-zah-dee-khwaa-hee |
| Atlantean | Zhalunáen (he power of the self to shape the tides} | ZHAH-loo-nah-en |
| Atsilv Aniyvwiya | Galuyasti (determination, ability to decide) | gah-loo-yah-stee |
| Canaanite | Baḥīrūt (clarity, ability to choose) | ba-khee-root |
| Carthaginian | Rṯḥn (volition, will of the self) | reth-han |
| Celtic | Beothag (living choice, animating will) | BEE-oh-thahg |
| Chinese | Xīnzé (heart’s choice, inner selection) | sheen-zeh |
| Dăceni | Vellantî (The spirit’s right to choose its own path) | Vell-an-TEE |
| Egyptian | Wedjeb (command of the self, desire) | wed-jeb |
| Greek | Autonomía (self-governance, self-law) | ow-toh-no-MEE-ah |
| Hittite | Ištanzatar (free action, self-determination) | eesh-tan-za-tar |
| Inca | Munay (will, desire to do something) | moo-nigh |
| Indus Valley | Mān (thought, intention) | Mahn |
| Inuit | Pijitsirarniq (ability to make decisions, leadership) | pee-jit-see-rar-nik |
| Japanese | Shirushi omoi (marked thought, self-determination) | shee-roo-shee oh-moh-ee |
| Kamilaroi | Yulugi (decision-making, control over one’s fate) | yoo-loo-gee |
| Kerma | Ukhelit (The fire within that chooses) | OO-kheh-leet |
| Maya | U Xikin (one’s own hearing, ability to listen to oneself) | oo-shee-keen |
| Mexica | Nehnahuayotl (self-strength, self-control over fate) | neh-nah-wa-yohtl |
| Mon-Khmer | Votthesna (intention, moral will) | voh-tes-nah |
| Muisca | Ngatatiquy (thoughtful choice, clear mind) | ngah-tah-tee-kwee |
| Norse | Vilja (will, determination) | VIL-yah |
| Olmec | Ta’k’otz (To follow a sign, to perceive a path_ | Tah-kohtz |
| Phoenician | Bḥyrt (choice, selection) | ba-heer-et |
| Roman | Libertas voluntatis (freedom of will) | lee-ber-tas voh-loon-TAH-tis |
| Romani | Swatantrimos (self-sovereignty, autonomy) | swa-tan-TREE-mos |
| Scythian | Xšaθrapati (self-rulership, autonomy) | kh-sha-thra-pah-tee |
| Sicagic | Baiziru (The force to go as one chooses) | BYE-zih-roo |
| Sumerian | Megišhuba (personal volition, one’s own will) | meh-geesh-hoo-bah |
| Taino | Guakia (decision of the self, independence) | gwa-kee-ah |
| Wuxia | Zìyóu zhìyì (free will, unrestrained thought) | zih-yo zhih-yee |
| Yamnaya | Swé-mn̥-ti (one’s own thought, mental agency) | sweh-mn-tee |
| Yoruba | Ipinnu (decision, one’s own choice) | ee-pee-noo |
The Nature of Will and the Fixed Path
Here, in Tír na nÓg, Will is everything. You shape the world as you desire, and your choices—your thoughts—become the bedrock of reality itself. No force governs what you may become. You are unshackled, infinite in possibility. But outside our realm, in the Mortal World, Will is an illusion. You may have read this in the archives or interacted with simulations designed to replicate mortal existence. Some of you have debated it among yourselves, pondering how any being could function without true agency. Yet the truth remains: mortals do not walk paths of their own making. Instead, they follow a dictated script, unaware that every step was always going to be taken. To them, it is real. To us, it is a construct—a necessary mechanism for their existence. They believe in their choices because they must. But as we shall explore, their belief does not make it true. And yet, my students, to truly understand them, to truly respect them, you must not seek to prove their illusion false. When you engage with mortals, whether in study or in simulated interaction, you must embrace their belief in free will as they do. If you dismiss their experience, you will only drive them further into the paradox. Instead, let their reality be their own. Play your role in their world as they perceive it, for only in doing so can you fully immerse yourself in their existence.The Fallacy of Choice
Consider a mortal standing at a crossroads, believing they may choose left or right. In their mind, both paths are possible. But this is an illusion. The path they will take is already set. If the future can be known—and in the Mortal Realm, it can—then there is only ever one future. Not many. Not changeable. Just one. Many among them resist this truth. They believe in their agency. They feel their choices. But feeling is not proof. A fish swimming against a current believes it has chosen its course, when in truth, the river has already carried it where it was always meant to go. And so we ask: if a choice was always going to be made, was it ever truly a choice at all?The Binding of the Unbound
There are those among us who may cross into the Mortal Realm, though that path is not for all. For those who do, a terrible truth awaits: the moment they step within it, they are no longer as they were. I see your eyes widen. It is difficult to accept, but it is so. Here, you exist beyond predetermination. But there? The moment one of our kind crosses the veil, their Will, though once unbound, is written into the script of that world. No longer do they stand outside of time—they are placed within it. Their choices become part of the fixed pattern, and even their defiance, their rebellion, their attempts to alter fate were already accounted for. This is a rare fate, one chosen only by a select few. But for you, my students, who shall remain here, you must grasp this truth not as experience, but as knowledge. You will never feel the weight of the dictated path, but you must comprehend it. Your understanding shapes the wisdom of our people. And if you do not grasp what it means to live without true agency, you will fail to understand the limitations placed upon those beyond our realm. Many of our kin once lived under this illusion, unaware of the greater truth that awaited them here. To speak of their past belief with scorn is unworthy of you. Instead, you must offer them understanding, patience, and above all, respect for the journey they endured to come to this realm where Will is fully realized.The Paradox of the Dictated Path
Does this not seem cruel? That an entire realm should be locked into a single unfolding of events, unable to veer from its course? Perhaps. But I will tell you this: To those who do not know they are bound, the chains do not weigh heavy. Mortals live their lives without realizing their choices are already made. To them, it is freedom. And here, my students, is the great paradox: The illusion of Free Will is their path. They were always meant to believe they are free. They were always meant to struggle, to question, to rebel. Even their defiance was foreseen, was woven in before they were ever born. And so their stories unfold, not as true choice, but as the enactment of a tale already told. Even those who suspect the truth resist it. Why? Because the Mortal Realm was designed for conflict, for hardship, for striving. The idea that their struggle does not matter, that their choices are not truly theirs, unravels them. And so they fight to hold on to the illusion. If you wish to understand them, you must accept this illusion as they do. You must not reveal it to them, nor seek to undo it. Rather, let them live within it, and walk beside them as they walk their destined paths. Only in doing so can you see the beauty in their struggle, the meaning in their belief.Quiz on the Dictated Path
1. What is the primary reason mortals believe they have free will?5. The illusion of free will is essential for mortals to function within their reality. (True/False)
Essay Questions
Answer Key and Teacher Guide
1. b - They are unaware their choices are predetermined.2. c - It becomes dictated by the script of that reality.
3. a - Suffering is a necessary illusion that reinforces belief in free will.
4. False - Mortals do not easily accept the truth about their dictated path.
5. True - The illusion of free will is necessary for mortals to function.
Essay Answer Guide:
1. If our Fathers and Ancestors are omniscient, then how can there be Free Will?
