In the world there are so many movements for the cause of freedom. Freedom is a deep need of each one of us. True freedom though is spiritual and means identifying and taking support from that which is permanent, that which always exists, that which is eternal.
I can only have and understand spiritual ability and power when I lay the foundation of my life on that which always exists — this is the way to deep spiritual freedom. If I hold on to anything temporary in this world, then that which I am dependent on will ultimately cause me suffering and sorrow in some form.
Spiritual power is lost through the network of ‘I’ and ‘my’ that we create and try to depend on. I look outside and depend on those things that give me temporary support. The ‘I’ of ego and the ‘my’ of dependency is like a sticky spider’s web and the paradox is, that the emptier and more insecure I feel, the more dependent I am on those things outside of me in the web, then the more trapped I feel. It is then that I call out to God to liberate me.
There are pulls, attractions and influences that I am dependent on. One is that I become dependent on a belief that I have of myself; that I am not really loveable, for example. Then even if I am shown love, I cannot really accept it because of the deep belief, on which I have come to depend, that I am not loveable.
God, though, sees the eternal reality of the soul. So, I have to break down these rigid, deeply held beliefs about my own limitations and take the support of One God only. This web, this creation and network I have created, has to be let go of. A spiritual journey is all about letting go. This needs a lot of courage. The intrinsic state of the soul is peace and freedom. This letting go of gross, subtle and refined dependence is the ultimate spiritual journey.
When I turn to God, then the gross dependence is easy to let go of, those things outside of me. It is the first big step. The next step is to become of service to others and become fully involved in serving, but this can also form another, more subtle form of dependence on the new relationships and activities. I begin to depend on this new image of myself, my role or position. To protect this new attractive image, I may begin to feel anger or jealousy. Because I value what I am doing, I fear it may be taken away from me. I may become defensive and territorial. I can tell if this is happening, because I will notice that I am not really happy.
Letting go and turning within I see that my mind is a sacred place, a still state of being, clean. I must not allow anything I see or hear, to penetrate this place and drive my thinking. Because this is also a dependence — to be under the influence of the power of the senses, of what the world is showing me. A true yogi sits in the sacred space of the mind and sees everything and hears everything and yet lets nothing enter or disturb that sacred space. They have become free of the dependence on the sense organs. Their mind is filled only with stillness and thoughts of what is eternal, permanent and always exists—God.
Charlie Hogg, based in Sydney, is the National Coordinator, Brahma Kumaris, Australia.
