Redefining freedom for the Soul
Updated: 5 days ago
When we ask someone, we hear it's subjective to an individual. But if individuals are attached to something and think it's giving them happiness, it's because they've never tasted being free from it — this is what enlightened ones from every tradition I've studied point to. Human desires, once fulfilled, are said to give happiness — even when that "happiness" is really just pleasure wearing its mask. So if desire and fulfillment already satisfy us, what is spirituality even searching for?
Consciousness wants to be free of everything — always trying to release itself from everything we have created.
But what is freedom, for consciousness, which is nothing but the self?
Freedom is...
Having time to do what you really want to do at any moment.
Being able to do what you want, when you want, is a luxury only a few can afford and only even a fewer dare to adopt, and those who do often find themselves among the happiest. Following a prescribed path, rather than actively choosing our direction, goes against the very nature of consciousness. To hear the wisdom beyond your mind, you must first quiet its incessant activity. It is in this silence, beyond the mind's noise, that intuition and your inner voice can finally reach you.
Lately, many of my friends have been contemplating early retirement, all striving for financial freedom. Despite advancements in progress and civilization, the happiness index, both in the US and globally, is at an all-time low. Highly motivated individuals relentlessly pursue success, and it often seems they are the ones who define success. However, in this fast-paced world, the nervous system is rarely at rest. To see this from their own experience, one often need to reach a breaking point.
This realization creates space for you to truly understand where you want to spend your time and what gives meaning to your life.
Not having to be slave of your mind or your past
Your mind is nothing but a collection of all your and your family's previous impressions. If you are not able to go beyond, you are not seeing anything new. You are only replaying the past and reliving the same experiences. Your past might have definitions of lack, but that need not stay that way.
Because the threats perceived by your forefathers no longer exist, they are now appearing in your subconscious. The fear of survival we experienced as animals does not apply now that you are in a civilized world, inside the four walls of your home, but we still feel the unconscious need to defend ourselves from unknown threats. If we do not work on them, we sabotage our lives by expecting the unexpected and unconsciously creating the very circumstances we want to avoid.
Freedom is when you do not believe everything your mind tells you is true. Your subconscious stories need to come to the surface, into your conscious present moment, to be looked at carefully and weeded out.
See for yourself who you are beneath all these!
Then, see for yourself who you are!
Not having to carry the guilt of choosing yourself
People who respect themselves will always respect you. People who do not respect themselves always try to bring others to their level of disrespect. Do not feel guilty about leaving behind people or places that have nothing to offer you or your well-being. Even people who are kind and generous and helped you grow cannot stand it if you are growing beyond them, unless they possess exceptional virtue.
You do not have to criticize them, but understand the limitations of being human. You do not have to compromise who you are to accommodate someone who is not willing to be part of the new story and new path you have chosen.
When you are trying to work hard and become your new self, it's wise to leave old relationships behind. Your old relationships hold the memory of who you were in the past, and they have a tendency to remind you of that past self and not let you move to your current self. Their very presence in your life might hold you back. They constantly remind you that you are supposed to be your old self, and we subconsciously choose their acceptance. Do not feel guilty about leaving behind such relationships. The right people will find you when you are living authentically.
Stay true to the future you that you want to become! You owe it to your future self!
Not having to please or explain yourself
We seek validation from our interpersonal relationships, and a habit that spills into our day-to-day lives when we expect others to affirm our actions and choices. To seek this validation, one might often go to the extent of oversharing in an attempt to gain approval. We want others to tell us that we are good, sweet, that we have exceptional characteristics, and that we are gold!
There will also come a point for anyone when, no matter what you say, you are not clearly understood. People's capacity to see you varies, their willingness to listen varies, and their desire to support you will depend on their personal or mutual interests, and not always on your best interests.
When you reach your zenith of being, your morals are exalted — meaning you simply know what is right. You know the right time to do something, what is the right words to use, and the correct actions to take. However, this is not an excuse to be unkind.
You do not have to please or explain when you stand in your truth!
Not having to be seen or understood
Am I appearing good to others?
You do not have to prove your goodness to others. You do not have to correct someone who misunderstands you.
If nobody knows me, who am I?
Not having to make your presence felt and just being comfortable being invisible is a great freedom. I would say, nothing is going unnoticed, and you still do not feel the need—that's the ultimate freedom. You are witnessing yourself; that witnessing is enough. When you are witnessing yourself, the whole universe is witnessing you.
Are they validating my existence?
It is okay that people do not think you are rich or famous or intelligent or notice you. You do not have to perform for others.
I used to think of this movie scene whenever I questioned, "Why should I marry?" The female lead talks about needing someone to witness her life — that a partner's real job is just telling her she exists. Silly, in hindsight. That's a rom-com says, not a real answer. We're adulting now.
Your worth is measured by what others say your worth is — this is what the system tells you, and this is what the system is designed to do. It does not change until you decide for yourself who you are, who you want to become, and set your values.
You can only do that when you become certain of who you are!
Ability to see the false knowledge
In Indian scriptures, the Shiva Sutras contain an aphorism that still fascinates me:
"jñānaṃ bandhaḥ" — "knowledge is bondage."
We usually think "knowledge sets us free. But what if some of what we "know" about ourselves is precisely what prevents us from seeing who we truly are?
We often hear "ignorance is bliss"; maybe for a while, it is. The universe rarely allows us to remain ignorant for long. Consciousness awakens itself; that is the nature of consciousness (Chaitanya).
The routines we form as humans, the beliefs we inherit, or even how the systems around us are designed to keep us in those routines — this can all be a form of the "bondage of knowledge" that is worth breaking free from. We absorb patterns from our families, our culture, and our experiences. Slowly, all of it becomes part of the story we call "me." We then spend years living inside that story without ever questioning it. Perhaps this is the true bondage.
This inherited knowledge, passed down through generations, often makes us feel incomplete and imperfect, further distancing us from our true nature. It is something worth questioning.
The knowledge you hold about yourself is what prevents you from seeing your true self. Any knowledge that separates you from your true nature and fails to illuminate who you truly are is something we need to be free from.
When you question this knowledge, you unlock a new level of freedom!
~ Shiva Tejo
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