You are living in karma(causality and effect). So you think there is "No pain, no gain" theory.
In Taoism, there is no such a thing. Training itself is great fun and bring exstasy. Even if we live 500years, still we die.
So just having fun with training. 
"Nature" accounts for every action we can dream up in our little heads. Those that would destroy the fabric of our existence will always be purged by the people programmed to do so. So go ahead and do what you like. The end result will be the same. Karma will only help make your life feel easier; however, you as an individual have no effect in the grande scheme of things.
We have a predetermined path, but it is our choice to take said paths, either we do or we don't. We can, if we so chose, access the Akashic Records, and see what we CAN do. And what happens if we travel down the current path. The reason why we have life, or rather life is a journey in which knowledge of self is the ultimate destination. If one chooses to meditate, or do what Kyomu does to reach that destination, who are we to say that it is wrong? There are many different paths that one can choose to reach that destination.
YOU might have a path, but I'm talking about the big picture here. I'm talking about the human race as a whole.
As sad as it is to admit, humans have a limited set of behaviours, along with checks and balances put in place to regulate these behaviours--lest we destroy ourselves. Due to the limited number of actions we can use to interact with our environment, there is ultimately just one outcome resulting from said behaviour.
Also, depending on your definition of free action, you, as an individual don't even have that I'm afraid.
Your current state of being and action was already determined by the chain of events that led up to you.
Your reality is a reconciliation of the unlimited realities posited by all observers(life).
The only choice you have is whether to speed up the path, or slow it down. But again, you don't even really have that choice, because the actions that preceded you have already determined the outcome of it; your personality is predetermined.
All paths lead to the same place; some just take you longer to get there. I have been tasked to enlighten you with this truth.
This is all sacred knowledge passed down by the Nephilim.