We often come across two words – “Independence” and “Freedom”. Most of the time, these words are used interchangeably. If I have to use Hindi equivalent, I will use आत्मनिर्भरता or स्वतन्त्रता for independence and मुक्ति or मोक्ष for freedom. When we read about freedom struggle literature or read articles by intellectuals worried about excessive dependence of a nation on other countries, we see use of the words स्वतन्त्रता as the goal of freedom fighters or pursuit of self-reliance as a goal advocated by the nationalists. And when one reads literature on parenting, one is often told that parents must ensure that their kids are self-reliant or independent since if they cling too much to parents, they will be unable to grow up as responsible adults.

On the other hand, when one reads ancient Indian texts, the ultimate goal worth seeking in life is that of मुक्ति or मोक्ष. One is asked to break away from bonds that limit the individual and break-free from such bonds to become one with the Universal. So are these goals different or the same?

Let us take independence first. When parents are asked to raise kids to be independent, the intent behind this is that kids must be capable of making decisions on their own. This is indeed necessary since kids will grow up into adults one day and they cannot lean on parents forever in all domains to make decisions. Ability to execute decisions in critical situations is essential and such decisions must be made using one’s own mind and intellect. Inability to decide will lead to a sub-optimal life path for any person. So far so good. So how does one make a person independent? There are broadly two ways in which we can make a person independent or self-reliant:

1. By exposing a person to education; and
2. By exposing a person to multiple experiences.

Education gives multiple thought-templates to an individual. One is given insight into Science, various ideas on governance/ lifestyle through study of history, etc. Such knowledge thus exposes one to various thought-templates and therefore enables us to use such templates for running our own lives. Similarly, when one is exposed to different situations during experiences gained during sports, hiking, treasure hunts, travelling alone in a foreign country, etc., one is able to acquire skills to survive well in an unknown situation. Such experiences will therefore force our brains to take on to creativity which is a critical skill required for decision making. An individual who is therefore reasonably educated and exposed to multitude of experiences thus becomes more capable to navigate the complexities of navigating the challenges thrown by life in a modern society.

Let us however critique the word “Independence”. Nations may have freed themselves from rule by European nations like Britain, France or Spain but are they governing themselves well after their independence? Many nations after gaining independence have got sucked into civil wars, corruption scandals, internal violence, etc and thus their independence may not have led them to their own cherished goals. Kids may break away from thought templates given by their parents but is this really a guarantee that this will lead them to better lives? We often find cases where adults are capable of making independent decisions, but such decisions are often detrimental to society or to their own selves. What is the use of making a kid independent of parents but dependent on a neighbour who creates trouble to society? One may become independent of family but is such a one not dependent on the prejudices and inclinations of one’s own mind?

While independence therefore suggests a sort of freedom from dependence over certain individuals or influences, the underlying assumption is that one is still tied to certain obvious goals. One is not independent enough to go against the Constitution of a nation, one is not independent enough to create trouble to others in society, etc. Therefore, while parents want kids to become independent, such kids are expected to tied to certain values like success in financial terms or be religious or to behave as responsible to their own family or nation. Any independence therefore has limits and it is not a free-for-all independence to do anything perceived as reckless or sub-optimal.

To use the language of अध्यात्म, while an individual may be capable of making independent decisions, every person remains tied to their own स्वभाव. स्वभाव stands for self-expression that is innate to one’s own persona. Every individual is tied to inclinations that are innate to their own mind and intellect. अध्यात्म uses the word Vasana and the behavioural orientations that each of use carry are based on inclinations embedded onto our mind. Certain persons are naturally oriented to be curious, certain others tend to be activity-oriented while certain others oriented towards laziness. This natural orientation, called as स्वभाव is thereby composed of Triguna viz सत्व, रजस् and तमस्. स्वभाव will play itself out and while education or multiple experiences are meant to sharpen us, our innate स्वभाव makes us choose professions, choose friends, choose careers or make decisions that are in tune with our own innate persona. Therefore, it becomes easy to conclude that while independence is indeed a noble goal, one is not really independent of our own स्वभाव. One is inextricably tied to it and one looks at the world necessarily through the lens of our own स्वभाव. This is therefore an inescapable reality and this is the reason why there is an argument to make that while one can be independent, one is not really free. One is bound by one’s own स्वभाव.

Now let us turn to मुक्ति or मोक्ष. Journey from आत्मनिर्भरता or स्वतन्त्रता towards मुक्ति or मोक्ष is a tough one. One may therefore see independence as an initial step towards freedom. So what is freedom? Using अध्यात्म language, journey of an individual from स्वभाव to स्वरूप is the journey pushed for by ancient Indian texts. Freedom is therefore a state where one has attained one’s own स्वरूप. And what is स्वरूप? स्वरूप is what we are. It is our real identity. स्वभाव is how we behave. So if someone is lazy, active, likes adventure, etc., that is स्वभाव that plays itself out. But what is our real nature or identity viz स्वरूप? All of us, at the core, have just one identity and it is expressed by three words – सत्, चित् & आनन्द.

All of us naturally exist and like to continue existing. Existence is so natural and ceasing to exist disturbs us. We want to live on. While we may rationalize death and accept it, death troubles almost all people. By default, all of us see suicide as a deviation. Why does ceasing to exist be seen as a deviation? It is because our स्वरूप from emanates from our आत्मा is सत्. सत् means to exist and आत्मा ALWAYS exists since that is its स्वरूप. But we make a mistake when we superimpose this स्वरूप onto our body and mind. Such super-imposition is called अध्यास and this makes us want to live forever, but this need is not coming from our मन but is coming from our own स्वरूप.

Next is चित्, the ज्ञान principles that is conscious and wants to know. All of us cognize all happenings around us. We watch news, we read books, we gossip about other people, we want to see places, we want to learn about best ways to sleep good. Why this innate obsession to know throughout our life? It does not stop with rising age though the ability to learn may slow down. It is the चित् principle that is our स्वरूप that makes us vile our life away to seek to know the aspects that we either do not know or do not know enough. To know, to cognize, to yearn for more and more information is the चित् aspect of our being that plays itself out through our बुद्धि – मन complex.

Third is आनन्द. Pursuit of happiness is a universal goal. No one wants to be unhappy. Based on our वासन orientation, we may pursue differing pursuits, but the quest is one viz pursuit of happiness. Even when a child cries, we get disturbed – unhappiness seems like an unnatural deviation. Why so? Once again, आनन्द is our स्वरूप. What we therefore seek is what we are.

Freedom is therefore akin to returning to our home. And our home is not a physical place but a state where we reacquire our identity of our core. And because our core is not different from the core of any other individual viz person (male or female), animal, plant, etc., to attain our own स्वरूप means to become one with the Universe. Our real identity is a state where त्रिगुण does not control our स्वभाव but our स्वरूप ensures that we use the most appropriate गुण that is most apt in a certain situation. मुक्ति really means मुक्ति from बन्धन and what binds us fully is our प्रकृति which prevents us to express our स्वरूप. In the state of मोक्ष, प्रकृति no longer exerts control and in fact works as per the will of its bearer, the पुरुष. And what happens when one becomes Universal? It is a state where one is blissful, one does not see any difference between one person and another, one is free from all mental prejudices, one is free from all intellectual influences and one is therefore free to act in a way that the situation demands in a specific situation. Using अध्यात्म language again, whatever a person does in the state of ultimate freedom is Dharma. Therefore, a Krishna or a Sri Ramana Maharashi does not have to do Dharma; in fact, whatever they do, that becomes Dharma. They are always in continuous touch with their blissful core and in that state, their actions are always for the Universal, they are always for the welfare of the Universe and they are connected with all beings in all their actions. Their happiness does not depend on certain individuals or driven by what they possess or what their actions are – they are blissful – period. And such a state, a noble aspiration is in fact the highest aspiration that our ancient texts drive us to pursue. Freedom therefore  becomes a highest aspiration for all beings. Independence may be a good first step but freedom becomes the end goal, the ultimate peak that all individuals must ultimately strive towards. May all attain मुक्ति or मोक्ष.

OM TAT SAT