THE FREEDOM TO BE

“Let freedom reign. The sun never set on so glorious a

human achievement.”

— Nelson

Mandela n the eve of 75th year of independence, I want you to ask yourself a few questions. Are you free? What does freedom mean to you? Is it hoisting the Indian Tricolour at the Red Fort? Or is it calling yourself a free Indian?

Had I asked these questions to you before 15 August 1947, the answer would definitely have been ‘Yes’. It was the heralding of an era of freedom from the clutches of the British rule, which lasted more than 200 years. However, even after 74 years of independence, it appears we aren’t truly free.

Freedom is being one with the cosmos or experiencing spiritual freedom. It is a state of existence that is in alignment with the Spirit. Thus, the true import of democracy is a spiritual concept where there is absolute freedom, liberty without license and an opportunity for evolution based on the foundation of independence.

Our country is about to celebrate its 75th Independence Day. It is a day referred to as our tryst with destiny, a day when liberty came into being — the day when freedom was announced for our great nation.

We should consider freedom not only as a political system, but also as a spiritual conception. It is an idea conceived in the divine mind, which takes form in human experience. We should learn to love and embrace liberty, and in loving the idea, we should learn to handle the embodiment of that idea in a sacred manner and nourish it.

Here’s wishing that you step toward attaining spiritual freedom by removing all limitations. In the words of Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev, “Bondage cannot be limitless. Only freedom can be limitless. This is not just semantics and ideas. In terms of life’s experience, don’t waste your time talking about or thinking about freedom or the Ultimate. The body is a limitation, the mind is a limitation, emotions are limitations — but they are also possibilities. Look at what binds you now, and see how to

transcend this.”