....from the bond of ignorance
Celebration is in the air in India today. 'Vande Mataram' 'Sare Jahan Se Acha' 'Jai Hind' are the mantras reverberating everywhere. The tri-colour of renunciation, peace, prosperity and the wheel of dharma which represents India is fluttering in the chilly winds all over the country from the Rashtrapathi Bhavan to the slums of Chennai. Freedom is in the air, but are we really free?
During the thick of the Independence struggle, somebody asked Ramana Maharishi, "Why don't you take part in the freedom struggle?" Ramana's reply was, "I'm already free. Where's the need to fight for freedom?"
Freedom is of many kinds. Just like the different manifestations of God. There is political freedom, economic freedom, social freedom, freedom of speech and expression, freedom to think, freedom to act as one pleases. Freedom is like a block and tackle. When one side is blocked, another side expresses as freedom. It is like a music coming from a flute. When a few holes are closed with the fingers, music expresses through the other holes freely. When the fingers suppress the string in a single fret in the veena, guitar or sitar and the string is plucked at the other end, there is sound. Total freedom is inaction, a non-being. It is non-existence.
Independence in the world is a myth. True independence happens within. It is a state of mind. It is the experience of the being. When it happens in the level of the individual as a result of lifetimes of tapas, that individual is a free being. He or she is not bound by any situation in life, primarily by ideas. The thought that one is a slave is enough to keep the person enslaved in bondage.
This freedom can get collective when large groups of people get together and contemplate on this truth. When it becomes the creed of the whole country, then the country is free. Prosperity happens like nobody's business to such a country. It will shed light and spiritual energy to the whole world. That is the potential for this land called India. It is my prayer on this day of Independence, that this country and all its people will grow into that light of Sat - Truth, Chit -Consciousness and Ananda - Bliss.
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14 comments:
I still have two pending topics on Food and Cosmic Intelligence to post on, given by Ganesh and Robbie. But I find that posting too much at the same time can take away the fun of reading it and thought I would space it out a bit. Meditation after all is the pause between activity, it is the silence between sound. In blog language, it is the time between two posts. So much for the time in between.
swahilya great post.
"It is my prayer on this day of Independence, that this country and all its people will grow into that light of Sat - Truth, Chit -Consciousness and Ananda - Bliss."
My sincere prayers for the same
Swahilya
also check these two blogs
http://soundaryam.blogspot.com/
by Agnibarathi
http://aestheticheritageindia.blogspot.com/
by Chinmayis mom Padmasini
Swahiliya:
Superbly presented the meaning of Indipendence. "Total freedom is inaction, non-being" This small sentence of yours contain profound meaning fathomable to only few...
I have posted a new paper, look forward to your coments.
Parasher
Hi Swahilya
Hey good one....."True Independance happens within....it is a state of mind" nice one...
Keep it coming
Prakash
Ganesh: It's time for food. I'm contemplating on the topic for the past few days and hope I'll be able to do some justice. Just now I'm coming back from a talk at Ethiraj College, my alma mater.
Chinmayi's mother taught musicology for my mother at Kala Peetam. I'll look into the blog.
Parasherji: Thank You. I'll see the post.
Thank you Prakash. Still chasing happiness? Tell me when you have caught it! I'd like to know how it feels like!
Namaskaram Swahilya. Looks like Ganesh is doing the wonderful job of bringing like minded people together!! (Thanks Ganesh!!) Wonderful post on independence. But I have a query...Total freedom is inaction, non-being Does total freedom mean inaction or does it in mean freedom in action? Is non-existence and negation the ultimate freedom or is it existence with the freedom of knowledge? Please provide your views!
Swahilyaji, I quickly went thro' the posts and comments. My mind lingers on the August 4th post and the last para on 'Anbum Sivamum irandenbar arivilar':) Most needed blog to join the band of knowing our roots. Pranams
Namaste AgniBharathi: Fast as fire you are! What I meant was that total freedom is a myth. There is nothing like total freedom. If I have to be totally free, I have to be like space, which is immobile. Actions happen in space. Space is free, nothing binds. But in the world, understanding this can take us to freedom in action.
Thank You Padmasaniji: Hope to interact more with you through the blog. Namaste. Swaha.
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