Liberation: The True Meaning of Freedom

Photo by Daryan Shamkhali

Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.” ― Viktor E. Frankl, Man’s Search for Meaning

On this Independence day, I am reprinting an article from my personal blog from 2016 about freedom, an important human value.

The US constitution defines freedom as a basic right. It can be tempting to think of freedom as being able to do or say whatever we want, whenever we want, with whomever we want. However, true freedom comes from within. We free ourselves when we question limiting beliefs and attitudes that constrict our world view – when we let go of unskillful behavior that keeps us trapped in harmful cycles. The freedom to choose one’s own path cannot be prevented by anything outside of us. Victor Frankl, celebrated Psychiatrist and surivor of Auschwitz, determined through his experience in a Nazi concentration camp that human beings “can preserve a vestige of spiritual freedom, of independence of mind, even in such terrible conditions of psychic and physical stress.”

In light of this, inner freedom might be better conceptualized as unobstructed awareness and liberation from hinderances. In order to access this freedom within, we have to work toward understanding and transcending the things that most often hold us captive, such as ignorance, attachment and aversion. What are these internal conditions that keep us in bondage?

Ignorance

Ignorance is not knowing – a lack of awareness or wisdom. We may not have enough experience for true understanding or we may lack mindfulness, being too distracted or not attending to what is here in the present moment. We can also be confused, misperceiving or misunderstanding reality through the projection of our own fears and desires. How can we be free if we are unaware of the very possibility of inner freedom?

Attachment

Our attachments can be limiting when our attention is hijacked by things we prefer, that feel good, or that appeal to us. We are conditioned to relentlessly pursue the things we are attached to and we work hard to sustain them. In addition, we cling to ideas or beliefs about the way things should be.  In this relentless pursuit of desires and preferences, we fail to notice much of what is here in the present moment – including the fact that nothing outside of us brings true lasting happiness. How can we be free when we are chained to concepts that define our reality?

Aversion

Our aversions can be equally limiting, because we spend so much time and energy avoiding, pushing away, distracting ourselves from, ignoring, denying, or fighting against things we don’t like. When we are very irritated or annoyed by some thing or someone, we often fail to recognize that we are gazing into a mirror at some quality that we harbor in ourselves that needs some attention – or we are  denying our interconnection and shared humanity. How can we be free when we are perpetually on the run from or raging against our tormentors?

Liberation

Fortunately there are ways to begin to transcend these limiting attitudes and behaviors. The most important step is to recognize them in ourselves and better understand them. This takes courage, curiosity and devotion. Self-awareness can be cultivated through mindfulness practices such as meditation and yoga. Through these practices, we develop the skill of non-judgmentally observing what arises in us in any given situation, which eventually allows us some space to consider rather than to merely react. Mindfulness practices give us the opportunity to:

1. open and gain insight into whatever is here now, rather than ignoring or pushing away things we don’t like, and
2. let go of grasping at and clinging to things that do not serve us.

Wisdom comes through this willingness to see things as they really are, rather than filtering our experiences through a veil of fear, desire, preferences and concepts. Equanimity – a quality of balance and stability, even in difficult circumstances – arises from this increased understanding.

Instead of being mindlessly dragged around, dominated by strong emotion or pain, the wisdom and equanimity cultivated through mindfulness bring a calm, undisturbed space in which we have the opportunity to choose our path. This is true freedom.

The most important kind of freedom is to be what you really are… There can’t be any large-scale revolution until there’s a personal revolution, on an individual level. It’s got to happen inside first. ― Jim Morrison