Freedom to choose is great, but freedom from choices is the ultimate freedom.
– J Krishnamurthy.
When America and India became free from the Britishers, it was a great freedom, but that is freedom for the body.
Spirituality says the ultimate freedom is becoming free from the mind.
Understanding freedom is not that simple.
Let’s see.
Freedom is required where there are bondages, correct?
Are any physical chains binding you and – your relatives, pets, money, etc.?
No.
Bondages are at our mind level only, and we have created them.
It’s all a play of the mind.
First, the mind wanted pleasure, so it ran after the objects of pleasure and created bondage ( attachments ).
Now, these bondages are painful or not “so” pleasurable anymore for it.
So, it wants to break the bondages and have the “pleasure” of being free from these unpleasant attachments.
( This shows the futility of the Sansar ).
So, either way, you are a slave of the Sansar.
First, you had Raag ( attachment ).
Now you have Vairag ( detachment ).
But spirituality says there is a third state, Vitrag, above both.
Raag is running.
Vairag is running.
Vitrag is non-running, just staying. ( Nijanand – joy of the self ).
( Vitrag is a word of Mahavir and Buddha, the like the Sthitpragnya state of Krishna ).
Vitrag is freedom.
Freedom from what?
Freedom from running.
From our ignorance.
And what can remove that ignorance?
The ultimate knowledge – the knowledge of the self.
And it is the ultimate freedom.
Once you know your true self, all your running stops.