Clearing the last hurdle to liberation
I've often had the intuition that challenges exist to make us recognise something, to make us develop or change in some way. Challenges are not to be avoided. It was assumed that in many parts of the world human beings are 'free' so long as they do no harm to others: free to do what we like, in what fashion, when we please, and in such a world you could say it is possible to have more freedom the more money you have. Is all of the above what defines freedom?
If freedom is a product of a political-economic system, in which freedom is granted ("please sir, can I have some more?"), was it freedom, or its illusory Doppelgänger? A deceitful thought-form?
Human society is only a reflection of the collective internal state of humanity.
In this article, I'm not debating what the external attributes of freedom are or my opinion on this or that political thing, but internal (the only real) freedom...
We were told to "go inside", so that is just what we'll do!
Freedom is the permission to see reality. Freedom cannot be discovered in the world, and neither is it conditional on any thing, person, place or circumstance. What you were never taught at school is that you are freedom, and once this is acknowledged internally, what we see unfold before our eyes will be a beautiful manifestation of that realisation. So the task is to come home to your true self, and...
Break free from the psychological prison.
This is the only real liberation!
Oh, sorry, it's the same subject again. Observe the chattering mind. If you are looking for mental titillation, go away. Another idea in your head ain't gonna set you free! That voice in the head, which complains, judges, frets, expects, doubts etc. is not you. That inner gremlin is not you. That parasite is not you. Just notice that mental static. If we want to talk of 'restrictions', then we have to first acknowledge that this bugger exists, and it wants to suck on your life energy: the sneakiest, and most damaging restriction to your natural beautiful state of freedom!
Here are a few examples of what freedom is not.
Fear. The biggest hinderance of them all. I might not have started this blog if I'd listened to the voice: "you'll be judged!" For a fairly non-esoteric book on fear, I highly recommend Susan Jeffers' Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway.
Addiction. As an example, take addiction to social media. Be honest, who or what is in control here? When an activity like scrolling the newsfeed is so repetitive and ingrained, are you really making a free choice? You're being used.
Expectation. In my life, am I conscious enough to realise when I am doing something just because it's what one does? Or you assume one does this to make one happy, or even if it doesn't make one happy, that's just what one does, because it makes one acceptable to human society. And if this expectation is not met I'm a loser. Nope, sorry, that's not free, and makes you so perfectly manipulatable.
Labelling. I stand outside of your box! I'm an expression of infinite consciousness, get me out of here!
Attachment to the past. The past is a concept in your head, and identity derived from past-oriented thoughts and images is not you. So much of the stuff whirring in your head is learned habit, and gets you stuck into doing the same again and again. That is not free. Don't be imprisoned by the non-existent. That's a fool's game.
Attachment to the future. The future is a concept in your head, and identity derived from future-oriented thought forms like wishes, desires, expectations, dread, anxiety, is not your identity. Free yourself from the burden of the future! It's only in your imagination.
Attachment. Very esoteric: to be attached to the world is to be enslaved to it. True freedom and love comes through non-attachment. If you love the world too much to want to release these chains, then come back again later when you've suffered a bit more. The good news is, the world doesn't exist and it's just a simulation/matrix/hologram.
The thought "freedom will come, just as soon as this and this happens..." This thought is tricking you into avoiding the present moment, the portal to yourself.
Mooji is the biggest-hearted portal to freedom. His 'invitation to freedom' meditation could be profound if you allow it to be:
So, freedom is not necessarily running naked down the high street or the ability to own a yacht in Saint-Tropez, or something like that.
Work on freeing the mind, and the external consequences of freedom will follow.