Chapter 1 - Self Unfoldment - Freedom
As we reflect on the highlights of this chapter, there are important issues to consider. In particular, as students, we must understand what we want from this book. The key is to think about what really holds us back in life ? Is it us, or is it the outer world ? How are these two related? This question is of paramount importance. The book enables us to answer these issues for ourselves. Without the reflection component of the book, it is impossible to get anything reasonable out of this book. I believe that the reflections are the most important aspect.
In thinking about freedom, let us ask ourselves, what is true freedom? Freedom from our own inner habitual shackles, or freedom in the sense of can do whatever we want to do, whenever ? We always argue that outer freedom is a right of every individual, however, do we talk about inner freedom and how it can help us? Personally, I think that is the precise understanding we all need in order to make progress, and achieve our stated goal of happiness. The book is a minefield in how we can systematically break free from our inner shackles.
Let us consider why it is so important. Most of us want to do something in life to contribute to the world, even if someone wants a lot of money. If you are reading this blog, I presume you are inclined not to engage in personal aggrandizement. Irrespective, the key to being a pioneer is to chart your own course. Personally, I feel you can better chart such a course if you are patient, and know what you want to do. In particular, one cannot be swayed by external forces - or can one ?
To illustrate the point, let us look at the famous marshmallow experiment conducted by Philip ZImbardo, as shown in the video below:
You will notice that kids are very different in the way they can withstand the future rewards. Our sense of time is often skewed towards immediate rewards. A key result of this experiment is that kids who demonstrated their ability to delay their gratification often did very well later on in their life. However, delaying gratification is not a trivial exercise -- try keeping your favourite icecream in the fridge and tell yourself every day -- "maybe I can eat it tomorrow" to experience it for real.
In Mahabaratha, it is said that Duryodhana exactly knew what he was doing, His jealousy was so strong that he just could not shake himself out of it, and led the entire country to war without agreeing to give a needle sized land to his brothers (when in reality it belonged to them). This is one extreme end of attraction. It is imperative that we all examine our inner selves to see what are really holding us back. Such an introspection is not easy, but critical to better understanding one's own self. (Source: Part of this discussion comes from Swami Sarvapriyananda from Ramakrishna Mission. He gave an outstanding talk at IIT Kanpur in the video below). Watch this when you have more time:
The upshot: Freedom from one's internal vices is an important attribute. As we repeat the pledge (in the image below), lets think how this pledge reminds us to be positive and forward looking in every activity we undertake. As our lower tendencies vanish, we are able to set our sights higher, like those of Gandhi, Mandela and many others who fought for the upliftment of a vast number of people, or many others in smaller or larger ways that dedicate themselves to the tasks of achieving higher goals in life. This book allow us to reach there.
In thinking about freedom, let us ask ourselves, what is true freedom? Freedom from our own inner habitual shackles, or freedom in the sense of can do whatever we want to do, whenever ? We always argue that outer freedom is a right of every individual, however, do we talk about inner freedom and how it can help us? Personally, I think that is the precise understanding we all need in order to make progress, and achieve our stated goal of happiness. The book is a minefield in how we can systematically break free from our inner shackles.
Let us consider why it is so important. Most of us want to do something in life to contribute to the world, even if someone wants a lot of money. If you are reading this blog, I presume you are inclined not to engage in personal aggrandizement. Irrespective, the key to being a pioneer is to chart your own course. Personally, I feel you can better chart such a course if you are patient, and know what you want to do. In particular, one cannot be swayed by external forces - or can one ?
To illustrate the point, let us look at the famous marshmallow experiment conducted by Philip ZImbardo, as shown in the video below:
You will notice that kids are very different in the way they can withstand the future rewards. Our sense of time is often skewed towards immediate rewards. A key result of this experiment is that kids who demonstrated their ability to delay their gratification often did very well later on in their life. However, delaying gratification is not a trivial exercise -- try keeping your favourite icecream in the fridge and tell yourself every day -- "maybe I can eat it tomorrow" to experience it for real.
In Mahabaratha, it is said that Duryodhana exactly knew what he was doing, His jealousy was so strong that he just could not shake himself out of it, and led the entire country to war without agreeing to give a needle sized land to his brothers (when in reality it belonged to them). This is one extreme end of attraction. It is imperative that we all examine our inner selves to see what are really holding us back. Such an introspection is not easy, but critical to better understanding one's own self. (Source: Part of this discussion comes from Swami Sarvapriyananda from Ramakrishna Mission. He gave an outstanding talk at IIT Kanpur in the video below). Watch this when you have more time:
The upshot: Freedom from one's internal vices is an important attribute. As we repeat the pledge (in the image below), lets think how this pledge reminds us to be positive and forward looking in every activity we undertake. As our lower tendencies vanish, we are able to set our sights higher, like those of Gandhi, Mandela and many others who fought for the upliftment of a vast number of people, or many others in smaller or larger ways that dedicate themselves to the tasks of achieving higher goals in life. This book allow us to reach there.
Image source: http://www.chinmayayuvakendra.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=75&p=504
The following is a summary from a talk by Swami Sarvapriyananda from Ramakrishna Mission. He gave an outstanding talk at IIT Kanpur, video link below.
ReplyDeleteIn the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna Bhagvan tries to advise Durodhan on what is right and wrong (Dharma and Adharma). Durodhan turns around and says: please don’t tell me what is right is right and wrong, I already know what is right and wrong. That’s not my problem, my problem is different altogether. My problem is that I don’t feel like doing it doing what is right. There is a force within me that is pulling me towards what is wrong, that’s how I am and there is nothing I can do.
Arjuna on the other hand is facing the same problem. But he poses his dilemma as a question; I understand what is right and what is wrong but why is it that I don’t just do what is right even though I know. Why is there a stronger pull towards doing what is wrong?
The fundamental difference between Durodhan and Arjuna is that Durodhan says it as a matter of fact whereas Arjuna poses this as a question. Posing questions is the nature of a seeker, path of enquiry.
In chapter 3 verse 34 Krishna Bhagvan answers his question. It’s quite interesting the way in which Swamiji explains in a hierarchical format.
Level 1
Raga Dvesha | Likes and Dislikes
Unconscious and uncontrollable
Level 2
Shreya Preya | Path of good and path of pleasure
Conscious and controllable
Level 3
Karma | Thought, Action and Speech
Conscious but uncontrollable
We all have subconscious likes and dislikes that manifest in our thoughts, actions and speech. This is level 1 and as we are unaware of our subconscious make up it is not something we can control. Once manifested as a thought, action or speech, it’s done and out there. It’s too late to change or take back. This is level 3. But between level 1 and 3 there is a small gap where we can take some control. We can choose between the path of good and path of pleasure.
Swami-ji, expands a little on this path of good and path of pleasure. He says most of us choose between the path of good and path of pleasure, but in actual facts we shouldn’t be choosing, we should be making a DECISION.
There is a difference in choosing and making a decision. When exercising the option of CHOICE both paths are available to us, but when making a decision we eliminate one path and that is no longer available as an option.
https://youtu.be/_EqwlOeTj7Y
Swami Sarvapriyananda-"BHAGVAD GITA FOR STUDENTS" at IIT Kanpur
When you experience inner freedom, problems and difficulties do not necessarily disappear. They will be still there, but your attitude toward them would change. They would stop burdening you, as they did before, and you would be able to deal with them more easily and efficiently.
ReplyDeleteTo some extent, we all experience freedom in the state of deep sleep. At this time, the mind is usually quiet and calm, except when you are dreaming. However, the aim should be to experience this state when fully awake, while talking, eating, working, walking, and in every other situation.
You may be experiencing difficulties and a lot of things might be bothering you, making you think that inner freedom is something difficult to attain. If you stick to the idea that you cannot attain this state, it would always seem unattainable, but if you try, it would be within your reach.
Reflection: why does inner freedom feel so unattainable?
Extract from: https://www.successconsciousness.com/state-of-inner-freedom.html
Dear Chandni, thank you for posting, and reading. I got back into this after a long time, thanks to some prodding by friends. Nature always has a plan for us. This is a great point. I think the problem is not that problems disappear, it is just that we can figure out our responses with a calm mind. Truly, thats all we need. Thats technically a realistic Moksha goal in this life. There is an example with respect to the great buddha I once heard. he was walking with his disciple to beg for food. One lady opened the door cursed them both (we do that a lot anyway to people who need things), and slammed the door on them. Buddha naturally was quiet, while his disciple was agitated at the lady. It turns out that Buddha told his disciple that agitation is a choice. Technically Buddha was free from his agitations. This in some ways is the essessence of freedom and what you just mentioned here. There is a path to it, and thats what Vedanta and our scriptures point to. But buddha believed in the essence without Vedas. Swamiji, and Adi Shankara, did not think so. Thats the fundamental difference according to my incomplete knowledge.
ReplyDelete