Vedanta : What you have and what you do may be the basis of a materialist identity but for those of us who love freedom, our possessions and social roles do not make us who we are. Scripture says that a ‘non-conforming’ lifestyles prevents liberation. A non-conforming lifestyle is suitable for pursuing worldly ends: security, pleasure, power, fame, etc. The pursuit of worldly things is called *samsara* in the Vedanta world. To chase these things the mind needs to be extroverted and very active, some say disturbed. Worldly goals don’t work for us because we need self-aware minds. A “conforming” lifestyle is simple and uncluttered, one suitable for contemplation on non-dual teachings. A spirit of renunciation is backbone a conforming lifestyle. No law made by man or God prevents letting go of pursuits that don’t make you happy. You may say you are free to non-conform but how free are you if you are not free to conform?
Seeker: Yes, you’re absolutely right, someone labeling freedom as breaking ruIes is not truly free because they’re slaves to the ideology of breaking rules being freedom.
What is freedom? I’m not so sure myself. I’m not so sure anyone has true freedom, at least not while we exist in this physical “reality”. I think we can get close enough to taste it or see a slight glimpse but not truly land and stick there. I’m totally with you though, we are not people, we are consciousness attached to this flesh and filled up with all of these concepts that our imagination conjured up from being fed information from birth that this is this and that is that.
Wouldn’t the conforming of any idea at all even the idea that this is an idea be slavery of the mind by limiting you to a ruleset? Even if you are 100000x freer than you used to be with the new perspectives you’ve integrated into your consciousness… Wouldn’t that new perspective be your new master? So surely that isn’t freedom. I feel like the second something is labeled at all is the second you’ve lost your chance at true freedom.
### Perhaps the closest we can get to freedom is the split second that consciousness is formed in the fetus…and even then that consciousness is tied down to its physical body, and physical things in this reality seem to have rules… Even if that consciousness hasn’t even figured out what “people” are at all, it still has to follow rules. The existence of rules I feel is what truly destroys the concept of freedom for me…
Btw I have absolutely no clue what I’m talking about, I’ve only been a part of this subreddit for 20 minutes and everything I’m spouting is nonsense that comes from my perspective which was put together by lots of mind altering drugs. I am always open to crumpling up my concepts of absolutely EVERYTHING and throwing it in the trash because what the heck do I know anyway? I’m keen to hear your response and if you don’t mind I’m curious what your definition of “freedom” is..
What is Freedom?
James: Freedom is non-dependence on objects. Objects are anything other than you, the conscious subject: desires, fears, beliefs, fantasies caused by mind-blowing chemicals, etc. :-). The conscious subject is unborn non-dual ordinary awareness shining as whole and complete blissful unborn ever-present consciousness. Because you are non-dual, you don’t depend on anything to be happy. Fullness, happiness, satisfaction is your nature. This fact is obviously not known by most people, but it can be known if you are qualified. Most everyone thinks they are created by a sperm and an egg as incomplete, insecure entities, separate from everything, unable to face life confidently..
If you are qualified, you can be taught how to discriminate the real you from the confused conceptual you. Vedanta is Self inquiry, a scientific means whereby you can set yourself free of attachment to security, pleasure, fame, power, etc. Freedom is a hard sell because it is completely counterintuitive. We have all been taught that we are the body with its insatiable needs, its desires and fears, etc. so when you hear the non-dual message, you will likely dismiss it out of hand…or not.
You seem to be quite well aware of yourself if your statement “What the heck do I know” is an indication. It shows humility. So think about this post and maybe it will steer you in the right direction. It’s not fun to be stoned and confused. I tried it back in the day and when I got sick of it, I heard about non-duality and met a free person who knew what it is, and I asked him to teach me. It was the best decision I ever made. I haven’t had a bad day in the last fifty years. Good luck.
