FREEDOM FROM INNER ILLS IS THE WAY TO PRESERVE YOURSELF

Freedom is of utmost importance, and each one of us aspires for freedom in order to attain a better living condition for self and others. But what is freedom? It is not that you have the freedom to have or do anything of your liking with no regard to others’ interests.

J Krishnamurti, in his Freedom from the Known, lists many ‘ills’ within us that we must get rid of and be free. Anger, jealousy, hatred, lust, ignorance, fear, hypocrisy are among many other such ‘enemies’ that we harbour, consciously or unconsciously.

The word ‘freedom’ has many interpretations but the most precious freedom comes only when one gets rid of all the ills mentioned above. A person free of these bondages can be strong enough to see everything in a positive light and his ways of doing things will benefit others as well.

American poet and singer Jim Morrison says this beautifully: “The most important kind of freedom is to be what you really are.” Unless you fail to understand and recognise yourself, you are far from the freedom that makes you feel good and worthy of doing good things for the benefit of mankind. And as long as you wear the mask of ill-feelings, you are running away from your own good self. You are destroying your own innate qualities more than you can harm others. That leads you, ultimately, to becoming a miserable wreck.