While celebrating the political independence it is pertinent to ask the question, are we responsible enough to maintain this freedom? Are we psychologically, intellectually, emotionally and spiritually free? Does independence mean licentiousness? It is time we take an honest look at our minds and behavior. Independence or freedom is the highest level on the scale of evolution and it has many layers. Modern India has forgotten that this is the country that put all its energy into striving for spiritual freedom, moksha or liberation.
Viewing the present chaos rampant in the name of freedom it will be useful to go into the depth of the true meaning of freedom. In the euphoria of celebrations, we have forgotten that with freedom comes a great responsibility of managing it with maturity and intelligence. It is no less than a crown of thorns. Osho has talked at length about the Indian psyche and he says we are basically not conditioned to take our own responsibility that’s why we created gods, kings and the state so that we can throw responsibility on them. Taking responsibility means taking a risk, and nobody wants to take a risk, everybody wants to play safe. “Freedom means that you are also free to do wrong. It is your responsibility if you do wrong and your responsibility if you do right. You are totally responsible. Feel responsible, accept responsibility for yourself, because only then will you become free. If you can say that this hell you are in is your choice, that no one else is responsible for it, then you have become free; you can go out of it, you can leave it. But if someone else has put you in this hell then only he can take you out. You are not involved in it at all. To me, further evolution is possible only with individual responsibility. You alone are responsible! This responsibility is a great blessing in disguise. With this individual responsibility comes the struggle that ultimately leads to choiceless awareness.”
Do people really have this kind of courage? Do they really want to be free? The moment you become completely free, you have to make your own decisions. Now no one forces you to do anything, all alternatives are open to you. It is an adventure which is full of danger. You have to struggle with your mind, rise above your conditioning, you will have to go against the establishment, treading your path alone hence the fear. This fear of aloneness doesn’t allow people to take full responsibility, as most of us want to belong to a group or a flock. It is easier to fight for freedom than nurturing it after you have got it. All the freedom struggles are negative, they are focussed on the enemy who they want to oust from the country. However, it needs another set of wise and mature people who have insights into the human mind and know therapeutic methods of developing human potential so that they can use the freedom creatively constructively so that the nation can advance on the path of evolution.
