Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Fear of Freedom

Till now, we have heard freedom of death. Everybody loves freedom. Everybody wants to be free. Unknowingly, everyone’s goal of life is to achieve happiness i.e. be happy. We all work to earn money and secure it so that it can be used in the needy hours. So we try to remove or avoid sorrow. Technically there is nothing called as happiness. The removal or better the absence of sorrow (dukha) is called as happiness.

Spirituality guides one to be free. Freedom from stresses and freedom from the cycle of birth and death.  Ironically, one is afraid of Freedom since we are not ready to leave our dis-satisfied desires.

When one takes spirituality seriously and makes Self Realisation his / her the only Goal of life, most of the saints advice him / her to renounce everything. There is no need to become a monk. But mental renunciation is necessary.

We are told to dis-identify ourselves with all the worldly issues, emotions, even our body. We are told to neglect any thought that comes during meditation. Actually, thought are not coming, they are going, so let them go. Let them come out and leave. We do not leave anything due to fear of insecurity. What will happen if i leave by business, my family. This keeps us away from spiritual life. Initially that is ok and happens to all.

But even the advanced meditators and even monks are afraid to leave their daily routine, their disciples. Because if you have a desire and are not ready to leave it, then you fear liberation, since after liberation, you cannot fulfil your wish, after all one is liberated only when he / she has no desires. Destruction of desires is nothing but liberation says Adi Sankaracharya in Vivek Choodamani.

Even though, advanced meditator has made Moksha as the only goal and has been able to leave many desires, still some subtle desires like service to mankind, or the worry of his disciples keeps him away from liberation. If one has acquired any physic or super natural power and becomes famous, like a famous healer, he will want to retain and expand his powers. Then maintaining his power becomes the motto of his life.

Scriptures advice one to leave all the desires, even the noble ones. Then there will not be Fear of Freedom or Freedom and Fear in Freedom. Many people unnecessarily extend their freedom / moksha as they are not ready to quit some of the desires, as after realisation, one finds that everything is an illusion and there is no point in exploring the inner secrets of divine energy. The zeel and spirit to explore and tap this divine power will prevent him to renounce everything.

There is nothing greater achievement that SELF Realisation. Sri Ramana Gita says “All the Karmas (actions) and their fruits, all kinds of services and their fruits are achieved when one is SELF Realised”.

One should not forget that all kinds or actions and services are done so that one can excel in spirituality. They are the tools and not destination. As one has uses a boat to cross the river but after crossing the river, if one has to go further – as crossing river is not the final destination, one has to quit the boat. Boat is necessary but has its limitations – it cannot carry you outside water.

As one renounces more and more desires, one becomes more and more calm and neutral. Peace and Bliss are our true nature.

Think… Think before you complain like a toddler … waht is preventing you from your Freedom … Think

 

AUM

INDIASPIRITUALITY

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