- free·dom
- Pronunciation:
- \ˈfrē-dəm\
- Function:
- noun
- Date:
- before 12th century
much talk in this country centers around freedom. our country was founded on the principle of individual freedom. the right to life liberty and the pursuit of happiness. we speak about the wars we have fought and the sacrifices made in the name of freedom. we have freedom of speech, freedom to assemble, freedom to worship in any way we see fit, and the freedom to own guns.
these are all freedoms guaranteed by our constitution.
i would like to take a slightly different look at freedom. i would like to consider two types; one spiritual freedom and the other economic freedom.
in my own life i find spiritual freedom to be the more important. by spiritual freedom i do not mean freedom of religion. humans are the synthesis of the material world and the spiritual world. a human being is a physical entity enlivened by a soul or spirit.
the soul is a captive of the body, it is trapped and is restricted in its true expression.
human beings are always looking for something more. humans look for happiness in material possessions and comforts, perhaps in a new car or a nice house or a fine meal ..........whatever it is that is perceived to provide happiness. there is unhappiness in the mind unless the object pursued is attained. even when it is attained it is then discovered that the happiness is fleeting, it is not permanent. the mind creates a new idea of what will then bring happiness and the new object is then sought.
all the time what is really being sought is the freedom of the soul, the freedom from want.
"there is enough for all man's needs but not all his wants"
m.k. gandhi
"there is no end to wants"
meher baba
the end of wants comes when the soul discovers its true freedom; when it discovers that it is not the body. the soul is free when the mind comes to the realization that there is not one thing in this world that will satisfy the need for freedom. therefore true spiritual freedom is freedom from wanting. many spiritual traditions espouse a form of renunciation. there are many practices from meditation to prayer and fasting. it is the inner prompting of the soul to be free that causes the mind to pursue these activities. these are forms of external renunciation.
when a soul has matured and tired of the endless searching for freedom then a subtle shift takes place. in the east it is known as dying before dying. it is internal renunciation. it is dying to the world yet living in the world. there is an absence of want. it is a state of desirelessness when even the external forms of renunciation are seen as bindings which keep the soul a captive and ignorant of its true nature of freedom.
it is in this state of freedom that it becomes possible to possess whatever it is you wish yet not be possessed by it. it is at this point that a human being realizes that this is nothing but a play and she is nothing but an actor on the stage. the human being in this position is in complete control of its actions and behaves from its true spiritual center. the person who has attained to this state is said by the sufis to have attained to the state of "fana" annihilation. it is the annihilation of the false self, the wanting self and the realization of the true self.
when one knows that the reason one has taken a body is to realize that in truth it is not the body, then one is guided by that knowledge in all its actions. these actions will be those which lead to freedom of the soul.
"the inner life helps a soul to grow up; when the soul evolves from subjection to mastery then it makes rules for itself. in the east therefore no one tries to criticize a spiritual person; no one stands up to judge his actions or to accuse him of something the accuser himself calls wrong."
inayat khan
until one is aware of spiritual freedom the most important freedom in the world is economic freedom. in the world one is considered free when one is free from the constraints of economic pressures.
when one has moved beyond the bottom of maslow's pyramid one's view of the world changes radically. if one is no longer tied to a job then one is has attained to a new mode of freedom.
" all animals are equal............of course some are more equal than others"
george orwell
for those of us who live in america " the land of the free" this quote is no more obvious than in the comparison between bill gates and joe the plumber. the freedoms guaranteed in the constitution give us a certain amount of freedom. but the freedom bill gates experiences is very different than joe the plumber. bill gates has the freedom to go anywhere in the world any time he wishes. he can eat any food, drink any drink he wishes regardless of cost.
politically bill gates has access to any politician he wishes at any time he wants. there are doors in this country that are closed to the average citizen which bill gates can walk through at any time.
people in bill gate's position are admired by many people in this country because it is recognized that they have attained to the highest level of economic freedom in this country. people speak of warren buffet in the most worshipful terms. the heroes of our culture are those who have transcended the captivity of economic disadvantage.
"greed is good"...........gordon gecko
it is this creed which has led us to this current economic " crisis". unrestrained greed has brought about the creation of a society which gives the highest reward to those who are guided by nothing but pure unadulterated self-interest.
our business leaders, the ceo's of our biggest corporations have become robber barons rather than the stewards of companies. corporations are seen by upper management as nothing more than goldmines to be mined for personal gain. no thought is given to the joe the plumbers of the world who have given their lives to the company. no thought is really even given to the shareholders.
when business and government are enlivened by spiritual truth we have a vastly different outcome. when one realizes that all souls are one then economies will be inspired by the life of the spirit. gandhi freed a nation non-violently and inspired generations of indian citizens. he lived a simple life. his worldly possessions when he was assassinated would barely fill a corner of a ceo's desk. he was a champion of the poor. his vision was not fulfilled but he none the less shined a light for others.
martin luther king shared the same dream in this country. he recognized that yes in some ways african americans had some of the trappings of freedom; they did not share in the economic freedom that most americans enjoyed. he dedicated his life to leading his people to that dream.
“True individual freedom cannot exist without economic security and independence. People who are hungry and out of a job are the stuff of which dictatorships are made.”
- Franklin D. Roosevelt
i believe that when we finally ..........and one day i believe we will, as a nation come to the realization that we are all one, that each of us is really a soul trapped in a body; that we are indeed all in this together, then we will realize the promise of america. i believe that unless those who have more do not help those who have less to achieve economic freedom then their own freedom will be diminished. unless those at the highest levels of our business community operate with the highest levels of honesty and integrity it will be impossible for america to claim itself to be the land of the free. unless our businesses and government operate in a transparent way so that all are informed of the true state of our country we will be divided against ourselves.
i am not in any way suggesting a welfare state. i am proposing that all children be given a good education. that they be given the opportunity to live up to their highest potential, that they may achieve economic freedom. when all citizens are on a level playing field the contributions to the greater good will multiply exponentially. because someone is poor does not mean that person is stupid. given the opportunity that person might make a contribution to medical science or alternative energy. we will never know if we keep a permanent underclass that is uneducated, and dispossessed.
i believe that economic freedom for all will not be achieved until a critical mass of our people reach spiritual freedom. once that happens we will experience peace, prosperity, happiness and true freedom. it is up to those who have realized the spiritual goal to take the lead in our society
to express the inner life of freedom of the soul in the world. those who have realized the true purpose of their lives will be guided by love. it is this experience of love which will guide humanity to its true destiny.
"true love is unconquerable and irresistible. it goes on gathering power and spreading itself until it transforms everyone it touches. when it is recognized that there are no claims greater than the claims of divine life which without exception includes everyone and everything love will not only establish peace, harmony and happiness in social , national and international spheres but it will shine in its own purity and beauty......................................through divine love the new humanity will learn the art of co-operative and harmonious life; it will free itself from the tyranny of dead forms and release the creative life of divine wisdom; it will shed all illusions and get established in the truth; it will enjoy peace and abiding happiness; it will be initiated in the life of eternity"
meher baba
your loyal info serf
om shanti
joe
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