What is freedom, and how do I experience spiritual freedom?

One answer from the group –

There is no such thing as total freedom because freedom is relative…..and restrained by others or my thoughts, laws, my conscience, societal norms, etc.

There is no absolute freedom in this world.

We are constrained by society- objects, people, situations, relationships, and even from our thoughts against which we feel helpless.
Sansar is bondage.

Even to describe ourselves, we have to use others’ help.

For example – If someone asks you,” Who are you?” – you have to use the name given to you by someone ( most commonly – your parents ).

Then you have to say, ” I am the one who lives at such and such address.” – then you are using street names, town names, and country names. Etc.

This is all external help.

Even your name is not YOURS.

That’s not absolute freedom.

Further explanation.

Good observation, analysis, and conclusion.

I agree; we do not have an independent existence. We rely on others, food grown by others, air given to us by nature, light and heat given to us by the sun, etc.

Our existence relies on so many factors.

Right.

Except for one thing.

The KNOWER of that this is bondage has to be free. ( no matter how subtle it may be).

A prisoner living within a prison may not know what is outside the prison, and for him, prison will be the only reality. ( like a fish living in an ocean ).

But the one who knows prison as a prison has to be outside the prison – because he has something to compare with prison life – the life of freedom.

So, he knows three things –

1. The life of prison.
2. He also knows that it is a prison life ( Vs. others don’t even know that ).
3. There is another life possible, which is outside the prison.

So, the one who already has realized that Sansar is a bondage, has to be free.

Our Sansar is in our mind and our bondage ( with objects, people, situations ).

And our true freedom lies in the soul.

The soul is the freest entity, and it currently exists in you.

It’s not that soul is free; the SOUL IS FREEDOM ITSELF.

KNOWING THE SOUL IS KNOWING THE FREEDOM. 

HOW DO WE GET THERE?

Sansar is bondage, and bondage is suffering.

From the realization of suffering arises the quest for freedom from suffering.

That’s how Vedas were born.

Word Veda has a dual meaning.

Vedna = suffering and
Vid = knowledge also

Both meanings arise from one root word.

We have a right to choose – suffering or knowledge.

Suffering within you itself gives birth to the knowledge within you – which has been there for eternity.

So, meditation takes you from saying, “ I am so and so, and is living in bondage,” to saying, “ I AM THE FREEDOM.”

So, realizing there is no absolute freedom is a significant step towards finding the one that knows there is no absolute ( real ) freedom in Sansar.

What we choose is totally up to us, which is the ultimate freedom, because consciousness can give us what it has – the ultimate freedom, even freedom to suffer.

Consciousness is the emblem of ultimate freedom.

WHY IS FREEDOM IN SANSAR NOT ABSOLUTE?

Freedom found in Sansar always will be transient and relative.

To feel rich and “ feel “ freedom, you must first experience poverty.

To feel free from bondage, you need to be bound first.

One does not happen without the other.

The ultimate freedom is absolute freedom, not affected by anything else.

In that state, bondage never happens.

It’s freedom all the time.

Ego gets bound and free off and on.

Consciousness is free all the time.