On choices and freedom

On choices and freedom

“….freedom is all I want, but to ask for it I feel ashamed…”  said Tagore in “Geetanjali” that won him Nobel Prize for literature. And that ‘fact’ remains true even today! And so it will be tomorrow!

What does ‘freedom’ mean for most of us?

‘Freedom’ means leading life as one wants to. To not be answerable to any, to go wherever we want, do whatever we want and be how ever we want”.

Tell me what ‘freedom’ means to you and we’ll discuss about that! I’ll wait till you get back to me…..

similar reads on freedom : https://kantipadam.blogspot.com/search?q=freedom

What birds teach us? Me, My Guru

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What birds teach us?

Me, My Guru

Freedom demands courage to take responsibility and only the brave embrace responsibility wholeheartedly and hence they deserve and enjoy freedom. But most of us feel freedom means ‘freedom from – work, being answerable, taking responsibility and someone out there ready to fulfill our every wish – said and unsaid at the drop of a hat even without raising a finger’.

“With greater freedom comes greater responsibility”. If only we knew this – and the minute we know it, we start crying. Complaining, hating the person who is not living up to our demands and expectations! And we are sorry for ourselves! We are cursed by our insecurities and laziness to a life of bondage. No one denies us freedom. Our attitude and actions drive it away from our lives” she concluded.

Few of the students surrounded her and we were left alone with our thoughts. How often I had complained about not being ‘given freedom’ when I actually shunned responsibility completely! I wanted the ‘rights’ that came with freedom but the duties part seemed ‘atrocious and demeaning’ to me. It felt like a punishment. I loved coming home late and being answerable to none and always looked forward to staying alone. It also meant I didn’t have to share my ‘earnings’ with others called ‘family’. The financial freedom of that sort was so welcome. I hated having to earn for others at home. But it also meant I had to take care of little nothings like ‘the daily chores’ all by myself and I hated it. It was too over whelming.

Because I myself was not clear as to what I wanted of life, it always went for a ride. Now I knew where the problem was. I had to address my ‘desire’ completely and get to understand it clearly. Only then its materialization would give me fulfillment.

Contd..........

Freedom through work and relationship!

 

Freedom through work and relationship!

The mystic says “Work your freedom through your work and relationships”.

It is easier to practice detachment when we are working. Work can be anything – official, social or mundane routine of our daily life. As we work through our day, we are given umpteen chances to practice detachment.

We have lots of relationships in life. Yet, we go seeking that “one missing” in life to complete our lives and our needs. We assume that the relationship that we are seeking is the key to our satisfaction and happiness. It never is! Even all those who got what they chased would vouch for this! But, we don’t want to listen to these words however told and by whomsoever! We have our arguments and logic to sell our “need” to the other and the world! But alas! Even if our job is well done in being able to “sell our need” and in “justifying our need and fulfillment of our desire” it is not going to go our way just because you are good at selling it. We receive what is needed by us to learn or unlearn our lessons in life. Not as per our desire. 

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# freedom, enlightenment, moksh, on relationships, karma and destiny, fate, working out our karma, purpose of relationships, use work to heal karma,

also read suggested: https://kantipadam.blogspot.com/2023/01/work-cure-from-all-emotions-and-answer.html 

Questions addressed and points to ponder:

• The one that binds us is the very one that can release us from it!
• Freedom from work is the dream of a lazy, dependent and irresponsible person.
• Freedom from work binds us more with our karma.
• Freedom can be worked only through work.
• Both denial and negativity towards work bind us to it.
• Only love and detachment release us from relationships.

Freedom through work and relationship!

 

Contd.....

Freedom through work and relationship!

We are not sent to this world to enjoy it. That is where we are stuck. We think our life is to enjoy it the way we want to. It does seem so in some cases. But that is not so in their cases also. Everyone is given a situation so that they can learn a lesson, undo the harm they have done for themselves and others. They are given an opportunity to heal their karma.

So, we are given so many relationships to work our karma. We tolerate some, hate others and ignore many. But, nowhere we have learned to love. As long as we don’t learn to love the ones we have in life, we never can be fulfilled or satisfied in any of our “new” relationships. Hard but real fact of life!

So, look around! Find the relationships which have dent in them. Heal them. Address them. Use them to learn about yourself. Grow along with healing these relationships and lo! Even when you weren’t looking for it, love enters your life – just like that!

Concluded.....

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# freedom, enlightenment, moksh, on relationships, karma and destiny, fate, working out our karma, purpose of relationships, use work to heal karma,

also read suggested: https://kantipadam.blogspot.com/2018/02/me-my-guru-on-intent-and-travelling.html 

you may read the entire post if you please though I have given link to a part only. 

Questions addressed and points to ponder:

• How to release ourselves of our karma through our relationships and work?
• This world is the very place that can help us become free of it!
• The purpose of this World and life is ONLY to help us work out our freedom.
• Every fool uses this World and life to get bound to it.
• The one who wakes up realises his folly and uses this World and life to become free!

Reflections – on freedom to do what we want!

 

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Reflections – on freedom to do what we want!

We want the freedom but not the responsibilities that comes with it. We want to do as we want. But, we don’t want to own up consequences of our freedom. For e.g.: we want to eat all that we want to all times and with no restrictions on quantity too. Good enough…but when we fall sick we blame God/Reiki or others for making us fall sick. We even go to the extent of saying “God/Reiki knew I would fall sick if I eat so, He shouldn’t have given me enough to eat”.

We want to travel and go to all places especially during this covid times. And yet, when we get Covid ‘others’ are to be blamed. Apply it everywhere and you’ll get the picture.

Similarly apply it to niceties of life that money can purchase. We want all the material comforts, luxuries and what not. We may not need them yet we want them! Zaroorat mein aur chahat mein bahut antar hat! Again, this wish is also ‘fair enough’ so far. But when we are jealous of people who have then it becomes a problem. When we are angry, sad, depressed, stressed that ‘others’ are not fulfilling this desire of ours – then it becomes a problem. Wanting things of this World is not the problem! Expecting others (be it spouse, parent, relatives, nation, Guru or God) to get it for you is the basis of one’s problems.

But we think we are ‘entitled’ to get what we desire!

Contd...

# on daily mundane routine, spirituality and daily little nothings of life, life is a teacher, teaching moments during the day, on cleaning, entitlement, desire and deserving, wish and desire, wanting something, right and responsibilities, 

also read suggested : https://kantipadam.blogspot.com/2018/06/on-letting-go-curtain-rods.html 

Points to understand :

• When we desire let us be be open to bearing and facing the consequences of that desire coming true.
• Every desire has a package of pain and suffering in it.
• No desire ever comes with ONLY happiness and enjoyment with it.
• When we accept this fact of life, then we'll not end up complaining about the situation which arose because of our 'desire' only!
• We are not ENTITLED to receive anything and everything. No one is here to serve us! Just because we EXPECT AND DESIRE no body will stand by us to dance to our tunes!
• Anything that a person or Universe does to us is a blessing - not our right! Let's get this straight first!

spirituality

Why Spirituality?


Spirituality and materialism – do they go together?

One common doubt that everyone seems to have is : What would I get by practicing spirituality? I don’t want to leave everything and go away? I am a householder who is responsible towards my family and society. So, why spirituality? I am anyhow religious. Spirituality doesn’t bind you. It frees you from within and helps you to don your role in life effortlessly and happily not to forget your commitment to your role. Spirituality and powers don’t necessarily go together. Spirituality only deals with dropping off the ego which is the pain giver and which stops us from experiencing life for what it is. Simply put in Tagore’s words it takes you to -

Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high;
Where the knowledge is free;
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments by narrow domestic walls;
Where words come out from the depth of truth;
Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection;
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way into the dreary desert and of dead habit;
Where the mind is led forward by thee into the ever-widening thought and action-
Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.

Read every sentence again and again. Don’t say ‘oh, but I know this poem.’ ‘I have read it already’. These and such related statements will stop you from experiencing and living life of abundance. If you honestly – I repeat honestly, not just verbally want to walk this talk then do it. Stop verbalizing and arguing. T

Towards this end of freedom we will be working for in the days to come and then experience the fullness of life and ourselves in the process.

Working towards freedom is

revathi

What birds teach us? Me, My Guru

What birds teach us? Me, My Guru

“Siberian cranes travel such long distances and for so long periods and yet – yet they are never late. They reach the ‘places’ of their habitat on time. They don’t have bio-metric punching machines, shouting bosses, nagging MIL’s, demanding spouse or strict Guru to point out that they are ‘late’ – yet they are on time” she was talking about cranes but I felt that was a jibe at me. Yes, I was late as usual. I really tried hard and yet I don’t know why I end up being late – even today! I simply went and sat silently, joining others. Suddenly I felt strong hatred for these cranes. Why did they have to migrate and that too so religiously every year – same time? Their nature was responsible for me to get mocked at today. I didn’t like them. Nice that they had to do so much of work.... I was still cursing them mentally as our Guru continued her explanation in physical world “We relate

freedom with birds. And always say ‘wish I was a bird, want to be free like a bird’. But have we ever looked at birds’ life closely. With its freedom comes greater responsibility of being ‘self-reliant’. It has to work for food every single day – be it rain or sunshine. It has no Sundays in its calendar and any festival or casual holidays. No vacationing too for it. It has to work every single day otherwise it and its family goes hungry and it can’t afford it as it can’t go to doctor and get vitamin tablets later”.

We all laughed. That scene was worth imagining. It was true. Since they didn’t have concept of ‘fridge’ or ‘bank’ they couldn’t save for the rainy day, so that later on a rainy day they could sit relax and enjoy mirchi bajji (favourite hot snack in India) with tea while listening to music. They never even know that such a luxury exists and yet – and yet we envied them. They were workaholics out of compulsion and yet never seemed sad or complained. They were fearless of tomorrow. We could come up with so many of points when she continued “They live each day. They never plan for tomorrow. They live for now and here. And that was the reason for the ‘energy’ of peace and freedom that they radiated.

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Me, My Guru – Soul Identification – It’s need

 

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Me, My Guru – Soul Identification – It’s need

“But that means I have to become a sanyasi and go and live in a forest” replied Vaishnav dejected “I want to enjoy materials of this world still” he grumbled.

“Lord Krishna was in the midst of material abundance. And so was King Janaka. And yet they identified themselves with the soul and not with this body. And so, inspite of being in this world, they remained ‘not of this world’. And hence Laws of Karma didn’t bind them. Detachment is for the mind and senses. You can still be in the world. Just learn to remain detached as you go about in this world!” our Guru answered.

“This seems easy. Teach me how” replied Vaishnav eagerly.

We all were equally excited and ready to learn this trick.

And our class moved in that direction today……

Concluded....

# soul, soul identification, our real self, karma, freedom from karma, bondage, freedom, destiny, laws of karma, ego, identification of self, 

also read suggested : https://kantipadam.blogspot.com/search?q=freedom 

(If you have any other related previous post that connects with this topic feel feel to give the link........)

Dharma in work

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Dharma in work

If you are a house-wife, put your best foot forward there. Be your best self! Don’t expect others to notice that.  Neither for appreciation nor for love of others! Be so, for it fulfills you. Do your ‘Dharma’ with total honesty and that itself will give you the freedom, joy, purpose of life that you so much seek and look searching for!

You may be a student, nurse, tailor, businessman, homemaker or a writer. Give your best and keep pushing your boundaries by way of increasing your ability, talent, workmanship and passion. Why - you may be just washing your bathroom but still give it your all!

Throw yourself into this ‘dharma yagna’ and come out a pure, satisfied and fulfilled soul!

                                     

Work out your destiny through your work!

                            

Work out your ‘karma’ through your work!

                                    

Transcend your karma through your work!

You’ll discover ‘the purpose of your life’ as you work on your excellence in any field that you are in.

Never accept mediocre work or attitude from self. Stop not till you make it – any work the best. Upgrade your skills. Update yourself! And lo! Your life has a purpose, meaning, fulfillment an above all ‘Dharma’ in it and that is the door to ‘freedom to karma’. 

                                        

Know that the complaining person, one who is angry with work, one who looks only at the returns faces failure more often than not. He finds problems one after the other in his work situations. No successful person ever bothered for results. He was into giving his best to the job. Go through any success story.

                                   

One who is complaining about job, dissatisfied in job, doesn't love will give to job much below what he is capable of giving. That is stealing. Yes, when we are not giving our 100% that amounts to stealing ourselves of our capabilities as we are undermining our potential and that way it is harmful to us. It harms our character too over the period of time in all aspects of life and that is very dangerous.

                                         

But one who worships work will find success after success. He need not go after fame and riches. They come searching for him.

See your talent or ability as the ticket that takes you till North Pole. Would you stop travelling after just travelling for 200 kms?  Only fools would think that way! When you have ticket till a destination, why would you cut short your journey? Similarly, when you are capable of giving 100%, why stop yourself from giving it all just because you are looking at the returns from the Company / relationship / Country / self?

Contd..... 

# love for work, work ethics, dharma on finance, artha, work your freedom through work

also read previous post : https://kantipadam.blogspot.com/search?q=love 

questions addressed : 

• What is dharma?
• How to apply dharma in work and in earning money?
• How to be rich, famous and successful?
• What are the attitudes required to be successful?
• Does character have an impact on success and its retention?

Points to think about :

• Every crooks and criminals earn money. People with no ethics too earn lots of money. But the person who has character and becomes successful earns also lots of people whom he can trust and share his joys with. He has lots of real friends who are ready to lay their lives for him. He has contentment, peace and security by way of good relationships.             

Today's miracle :

I saw moon in all its brilliance. Sky was completely clear and dark blue sky as back ground, the moon looked beauty ultimate! Wished to lie in the open like in good old days of my childhood.........