Freedom

Freedom, Freedom, Freedom!!!

Plants want freedom. Animals also want freedom. It goes without saying humans also want to be free!Nations want to be free. From infancy to old age, all of us want to be free. Even during this pandemic those who are quarantined want freedom! Is the state of freedom our real nature! If that be so then why is it we all feel that we are bound, restricted and limited.

Scriptures tell us that freedom is our original nature. It is a state of Paripoorna, a state of Completeness, a state of total Freedom. Humans are ignorant of this state of completeness.

From time immemorial humans are searching for freedom through the finite - the physical body, mind and intellect. We cannot attain the state of freedom through the finite equipments. We are searching for freedom in the wrong place. Hence humans are left with a feeling of void or a vacuum. To fill this emptiness, thoughts run into the world entertaining desires for various objects and beings. Thus slowly identifying with these possessions humans feel bound, restricted and limited! Also we are bound by our own thoughts, feelings and actions. Ignorantly we get a feeling of false contentment.

How to get back to the state of total Freedom? We need to unwind ourselves. We need to instill faith in ourselves that our original nature is the Self. Substitute the thought of worldliness by thought of godliness or higher values. Through the traditional practices of hearing, reflection and meditation let us get back to the state of Freedom. Uniting with our original nature is called Yoga (uniting ourselves with the Divinity). This Independence Day let us take a pledge that all of us will work together to reach the state of Paripoorna! Completeness! Freedom!

Be thou free!

Hari Om.

Jayashankar Krishnamurthy