Reinvent The Self!

What does the freedom mean? Generally what comes in my mind is that one has the power of choice and unlimited options at any given moment. In this case, one has to achieve that state where no law can operate on him. In fact he himself becomes the law!

Think for a moment, a drop of water. It knows only to mix well with its surroundings. Anytime, it might become a cloud, the sea, a river, a pond. It’s got infinite potentiality, infinite ways to manifest. However, all it knows and does best is to mix and commingle with its environment. It knows nothing else. When it’s a cloud, it just behaves as a cloud without retaining any iota of memory, or it’s past. It doesn’t want to become the sea, or a river in future, for that matter. It just behaves as a cloud in that moment. In short, it doesn’t have a choice, or more accurately, it doesn’t care about the power of choice, or the options at hand.

Let’s think from the perspective of law. For the absolute freedom, there are no boundaries, constraints. Freedom is not governed by law. It’s unconditional. It’s totally independent. Whereas, a drop of water, which has infinite potentiality, is governed by the law. Laws of Physics.

Freedom is the voice of our practical reason

Kant

Which one state should I try to be in, or realise in present? Unlimited potentiality, or an absolute freedom? Are both one and the same?

Isn’t the drop absolutely free to become (or open for) anything, like sea or cloud? Isn’t that drop ready for any challenge, any situation, any eventuality, any manifestation, any state of its becoming? It is so, because it’s in state of Being! That drop doesn’t even care about which Law is operating on it.

When we carry the whole burden of duties and responsibilities, we are not free to act. When we leave the burden to act to God, we become free. This is surrender. We get out of the sense of doership. And essentially therefore, we don’t even carry the burden of choice. We become truly free after this surrender. We realise we have infinite potentiality. Who is Law here? It’s God. We don’t care what He does to us, or chooses to do with us. We only know to commingle with Him or His Creation, all the time!

Remember the story in Mahabharat where Arjuna chooses Krishna and becomes free, whereas Duryodhana chooses all except Him and therefore becomes bound to fate and suffering? That’s probably the reason why Buddhists say, “suffering is optional” or “suffering is a choice“! The only choice, the best choice we have with us, all the time.

Freedom is the ultimate Power! Freedom too, has a burden of making a responsible choice. It can’t just continue to make irresponsible choices just because it’s free to do so. This responsibility gives birth to the Law. Otherwise freedom would mean lawlessness, disorder, anarchy! This is why Uncle Ben says, “With great power comes great responsibility“. A burden of responsibility. And because freedom has this burden, how can it be called a true freedom?

So, I think, truest freedom is not about having a power of choice and infinite options. It is about choosing to be free, free of any burden whatsoever! It’s about giving up everything. It’s about being Choice-less Awareness! Like Arjuna. A pure Surrender!