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.

What it means to be natural

 

Being natural means accepting yourself, others and everything around you as it is. Not as a burden but with a sense of understanding that this is how it is. When you think or feel that this shouldn’t be like this or this should have been like that, then you come in touch with your boundaries – the boundaries of not being natural and comfortable.

Every time you are unhappy or miserable, you are just coming in touch with your own boundaries! Boundary is the real cause of your disturbance as it brings limitation. Have you observed that you are peaceful, happy and calm as long as you have not come in contact with your boundaries? The moment you come in contact with it, then the mind goes on a trip and you move out of your centre. 

At that moment when you move away from your centre, you can just be grateful and pray for peace within. Just turn the whole situation into a prayer. Pray that there be peace, not just in you but in everybody. That very moment you will start smiling. However hopeless the situation is, you will walk through it, sing through it, dance through it. This is love – this is natural.

Whenever a boundary is broken, it creates some fear. The fear creates dislike. This dislike puts you back in the boundary. And to keep yourselves in the boundary you put forth defenses. When you try to defend your position, it is such a stress. Every time you try to defend your position, it makes you more and weaker. Drop all your defenses. When you are totally defenseless, that’s when you’ll be strong.

Your knowledge of a mistake comes to you when you are innocent. Whatever mistake has happened, do not consider yourself a sinner because in the present moment you are again new, pure and clear. Mistakes of the past are past. When this knowledge comes, you are again perfect. Learn and unlearn from the past and move on with creative zeal and enthusiasm. The trying time brings out the best out of you. The rewarding time gives the best of the world to you. Life is a combination of both.

Often, mothers become angry and scold their children. Afterwards they feel so guilty. Anger is the cause of lack of awareness! Knowledge of the self, truth and skills can bring out the best in you. So, don’t be afraid to make mistakes, but not the same mistakes. You have got to be innovative even in your mistakes! Perfection is taking total responsibility, and total responsibility means knowing that you are the only responsible person in the whole world. When you think that others are responsible, then your degree of responsibility diminishes.

When you are in total vairagya (dispassion), you can take care of even insignificant things with such perfection. Perfection is the very nature of the enlightened one. When we are joyful, we don’t look for perfection. If you are looking for perfection then you are not at the source of joy. Joy is the realisation that there is no vacation from wisdom. The world appears imperfect on the surface but, underneath, all is perfect. Perfection hides; imperfection shows off.

Ego dissolves in love

 

Ego is simply being unnatural, pretension, showing something that you are not. It always needs someone else to appreciate and recognise you. Ego is something like: “I am intelligent, I like this, I don’t like that, I am ugly, I am beautiful etc.”

The reason we have ego is because it is necessary for our growth in life. Ego should be there when there is challenge and creativity. In success, drop your ego but in failure, hold on to it. When you think you are failing, the ego says, come on what is this, nothing can touch me.

The “I” or ego is a tiny atom. It causes heaviness and discomfort. When this atom, the ego, identifies with the body, it becomes miserable. But when it is associated with the spirit, the self, it becomes divine. It becomes shakti (energy).

In a huge atomic reactor, it is just one atom that has exploded. In the same way, in our whole body, there is just one atom of “I.” And when this “I” explodes, it becomes the light of the Self. In Giridhari (Krishna’s name), Giri means mountain, which is ego. Ego is like a stone. It is not hollow and empty, it is solid.

And Giridhari lifted the whole mountain with his little finger. This means that even though the ego is like a mountain but with a little bit of love, you can lift it. Everyone is made up of love. Knowledge is an aid to develop this innermost state in you. A seed has a shell over it and when you soak it in water, it sprouts and the covering drops. In a similar manner, ego is a necessary unnaturalness that develops in you.

Knowledge uncovers the shell over you and makes you like a child again – natural, simple and innocent. If you find you have a big ego, don’t try to destroy it because that effort will only increase it. The antidote for ego is just being natural like a child. So, be in unconditional love and then ego automatically disappears.

Meditation is the art of doing nothing

 

To be more dynamic, we must first be free from all activity - whether we do those actions as per our wish while awake or while we are still asleep while sleeping. Meditation is the state of doing nothing. Meditation is a state of complete relaxation, free from the remembrance of the past, the plans for the future. We all want a deep relaxation that refreshes us, so that we can be useful when we wake up. But when can you rest? Only when you have stopped all other activities.

When you stop all voluntary activities like moving around, working, thinking, talking, seeing, hearing, smelling and tasting etc., then only you get rest or sleep. In sleep, only involuntary activities remain with you, such as breathing, heart beating, digestion and blood circulation etc. But this is also not complete relaxation. Complete relaxation occurs only in meditation. And meditation happens only when the mind becomes still. 

How to stabilize this mind? By understanding the purpose of life and being clearly focused. To be centered means to be content in every moment, to be neutral. Even if you get what you want, you remain anxious and even if you do not get it, you remain anxious! Every desire generates fever in the mind. In this situation there may be no attention.

True liberation is to be free from the past and the future. If you go to sleep with some desire, mental agitation or disturbance, you cannot sleep deeply. The more you are restless, the more difficult it becomes for you to sleep. If you drop everything before sleeping, then only you will be able to rest. Similarly, when you want to sit for meditation, drop everything. Whatever joy you experience in life comes from the depths of your innermost self. It comes only when you let go of all your hold and become stable. That is meditation. Actually meditation is not an action; It is the art of doing nothing.

The relaxation of meditation is deeper than the deepest sleep, because in meditation you become free from all desires. When you come out of deep meditation, then you are very moving and can do better. The deeper your relaxation, the more dynamic your actions will be.

Meditation is to get rid of all the anger or tension of past and past events and to give up all future plans and desires. Planning prevents you from taking a deep dive inside yourself. Meditation is to fully accept the moment and live each moment to the fullest. Only an understanding of this and a few days of continuous meditation practice can change the quality of your life.

Prakriti is the best example of the three states of life consciousness – waking, sleeping and dreaming. Nature sleeps, wakes up and dreams! In existence it is happening on a fantastic level and in the human body on a different level. Awakening and sleeping are like sunrise and darkness. The dream state is like a dusk between them and meditation is like a flight into space, where there is no sunrise, no sunset, nothing. Meditation is the means to be free from all desires, and thus the way to approach God.