Freedom from bondage is independence

The body is dependent on the whole creation. In society, somebody has to make clothes, produce electricity, drill for oil. The body cannot be independent of the world. For the body, dependency is absolute. Most people are not aware of their limitations and dependency. When the spirit identifies with the body, then it gets pinched and the desire for independence arises. Mind, intellect, ego — they all look for independence.

In looking for independence often you get stuck in the ego and become more miserable. Independence cannot be achieved unless you start moving from within. When you move within, you discover that you are interdependent. Individual self/soul/jeeva is interdependence and in fact every wise person knows that everything is interdependent and that there is nothing like independence.

On one level dependency is a harsh reality. On another level, it is an illusion because there is nothing else but the Self. It’s only when you don’t feel oneness, belongingness that you want independence. The Self being non-dual, there is no question of dependence or independence. One who asks for independence is a beggar. One who knows that it is an illusion is a King.

When the sense of belongingness is not well founded, then there is a volatile state in the life of a seeker. Then the ego finds some excuse to revert to smallness. It is not yet totally soaked in the totality of knowledge. As it is not used to it, the mind finds every little excuse to revert back to the ego and to be aloof and independent and separate and it would find any small fault and blow it out of proportion. Be aware of these tendencies and come what may, be strong in the commitment to Satsang, to the Path.

Freedom from bondage is independence. We should understand bondage. There are two types. One is a ‘raksha’ bandhan - a bondage of love. The other kind is that which makes us feel suffocated. That which suffocates, and stops growth, is bondage. India became free from foreign rule, and people thought we’re independent now. But slavery hasn’t ended now. Until we respect ourselves, our culture, our capabilities, we cannot consider ourselves independent. We must be financially, socially, intellectually independent. On top of all this, there is an inner independence.

The degree to which we feel happy and content within ourselves, to that extent we can call ourselves free. Only one with inner strength can call oneself free. Have we attained freedom from our negative emotions and thoughts like jealousy, hatred? We must ask ourselves this question: Are we free from our small mindedness? We get disturbed by such small things. Are we free from the small mindedness that doesn’t have compassion or love?

As India celebrated 75th Independence Day some time back, let us strive for inner freedom. We should endeavour to make our minds independent of cravings and aversions. Disliking someone is not independence. We are all interdependent. At one point we all wanted independence. Today we all must realise that we are dependent on each other. Now we have to fight for a different kind of freedom. Freedom from ignorance, from impurity, both inside and outside. We have to get rid of them.

Ignorance can be uprooted only with spiritual knowledge and literacy. Ignorance is a feeling of lack. To do away with lack, we need confidence. With confidence we can create wealth and improve productivity. Everyone should get active and do something creative. When we get rid of lack, ignorance and impurity, then we’re truly independent. Let us bring a wave of happiness in the country. Only then we can reap the benefits of independence.

Life runs with commitment

 

A river needs two bunks to flow. The difference between flood and a flowing river is that water flows regulated in a direction in a river. During floods the water is muddled and has no direction. Similarly, the energy in our life needs some direction to flow. If you don’t give direction, it is all confusion. Today most people are in confusion because there is no direction in life. When you are happy, there is so much of life energy in you; but when this life energy doesn’t know where to go, how to go, it gets stuck. When it stagnates, it rots! Just like the water has to keep flowing, in the same way, life has to keep moving. For life energy to move in a direction, commitment is essential.

Life runs with commitment. If you observe the small or big things in life, it moves with certain commitment. A student takes admission in a school or college with a commitment. You go to a doctor with a commitment saying that you are going to take the medication or listen to whatever the doctor says, The banks work on commitment. Government works on commitment. Needless to say, a family runs on commitment: mother is committed to the child, child is committed to the parents, husband is committed to wife, and wife is committed to husband. Whether it is in love or business or friendship or at work or any area of life you take, there is commitment. What would really irritate you is non-commitment. If you just observe, you expect some commitment from someone and when they don’t do it, you get upset. Or when someone doesn’t keep up his or her commitment, you get upset.

Commitment is essential in life. You cannot stand someone who does not commit, but see how much commitment have you taken in your life? In life, what you always want is more joy, more power and more energy. You want more, anything you are given, you want more – more money, more fame, more beauty, more joy, more pleasure. This “wanting something more” envelopes your mind and then you do not look at your capabilities. More will be given to you only if you utilize properly what you already have! This is a law in Nature. Why should nature give you more when you are stuck with your little mind? This tendency of wanting more is there in you; you only have to give a twist to it. Instead of “what more can I have”, just turn it around and start asking yourself “what more can I do?” Then you will see that there is joy. Nature of joy is to give because you are the source of joy!

Usually, we think we should have resource and then we will commit. The greater the commitment you take, the greater the resources will come to you automatically. You don’t have to sit and worry how you will get resources. When you have the intention to do something, resources simply flow when it is needed and how much it is needed. In doing what you can do, there is no growth. Stretching a little beyond your capacity will increase your capacity. In whatever capacity you do something for the society, for the environment, for the creation, that much you progress further both materially and spiritually, value wise. The heart opens up with a feeling that you are part of everyone.

The technique to get depressed is to sit and think only about yourself! If you just sit and think, “what about me, what will happen to me?” you will surely get depressed. The way to expand from individual to universal consciousness is to share other’s sorrow and joy. As you grow, your consciousness should also grow. When you expand in knowledge with time, then depression is not possible. Your innermost source is joy. The way to overcome personal misery is to share universal misery! The way to expand personal joy is to share universal joy. Instead of thinking “what about me?” “What can I gain from this world?” think “what can I do for the world?” When everyone comes from the point of contributing to society, you have a Divine Society. We have to educate and cultivate our individual consciousness in order to expand in time with knowledge to move from “what about me?” to “what can I contribute?”

A commitment can only be felt when it oversteps convenience. That which is convenient, you do not call it commitment. If you just go on your convenience, your commitment falls apart causing more inconvenience! If you keep dropping your commitment because it is inconvenient, can you be comfortable? Often, what is convenient does not bring comfort, but gives an illusion of comfort. Whatever you are committed to brings you strength. If you are committed to your family then your family supports you, if you are committed to your society, you enjoy the support of society. If you are committed to God, God gives you strength. If you are committed to truth, truth brings you strength. Often one is not aware of this idea and that is why one is hesitant to commit to a greater cause. Also there is a fear that commitment would weaken one or take away one’s freedom. To the wise, their commitment is their comfort. Whenever their commitment is shaken, their comfort is also shaken. To the lazy, commitment is torture though it is the best remedy! Your commitment to a cause is bound to bring you comfort in the long run.

Are there any commitments that can be given up? Yes, commitments made with shortsightedness can be given up because when you are committed without a vision, you feel stifled when your vision expands. When your commitment brings misery to many in the long run, it can be given up. Just like you run out of fuel in the car, and you have to refill it again and again, in the same way your dedication and commitment runs out in the course of time, and it needs constant renewal. Commitment in life grows toward a higher cause. The higher the commitment, the greater is the good for all.