There is no ‘I’ in Freedom.
In the first part of this series ‘On Freedom’, I introduced the idea of four distinct forms of Freedom that Man should work towards in his journey to be truly free - Freedom from the Chain, from Institution, from Perception and from the Self. In a following post, ‘Know Thyself’, I also explored the idea that the Self is in fact three manifestations of the human mind - The Subconscious Self, the Conscious Self and the Ego. If you haven't read these posts yet, I recommend that you do, as it lays the context for the ideas I propose here. In this post, I explore the concept of Freedom from Self in more depth.
The Conscious Self, which only exists in the present moment tends to be in tension with the Subconscious Self which is generated from our past experiences, and the Ego which works toward growing Man's identity into the future. Both of these are oppressors of our Conscious Self. I will even argue that they are the most dangerous of oppressors because, just like a virus, they oppress from within us, rarely being noticed. The question I often find myself asking is - how can my Will be truly Free, when what I think and do is controlled by my subconscious mind or my ego, both of which I am rarely aware of? I am simply programmed by nurture, environment, experiences and ideas that I have accumulated over my past life. To be free, I must overcome all the definitions and rules that I have created for myself and break loose of the chains that my very identity imposes upon me.
Let's consider the arbitrary example of The Rational Man who prides himself in his rational, logical nature. The world loves The Rational Man. He is a problem solver, a decision maker, an efficient and productive member of society. Every action he takes is driven by his rationality and anything otherwise would be an insult to the intellect he has sharpened over the course of his life. But does the Rational Man freely choose to be rational or is his rationality driven by the experiences he has accumulated in his life?
When did The Rational Man's rationality begin? As a child, his parents and teachers taught him language, math and science and how to navigate the world using them. But he was never formally taught anything about compassion, love or how to accept and deal with the abstract nature of the universe. Into adulthood, society convinced him that to be emotional was to lack control and alternatively, to be logical was worthy of merit. He could do anything he set his mind to, but alas, nothing he set his heart to. After all, it would be against his nature to do so.
Clearly, his ability to think logically is formed through his experiences in life. It started with him practicing his use of logical thinking to solve problems. But somewhere along the way, his ability to think rationally became an attribute of himself - he became The Rational Man. And thereafter, he served this persona by using rational thought in all his actions, believing that he must be virtuous for looking at the world through his rational lens, and expressing cynicism about the abstract. How easy is it for The Rational Man to let his heart decide, instead? Or to take a leap of faith, even if his ideas tell him not to?
We are all born free. Then day after day, our experiences creep into our subconscious. The subconscious gives birth to the Ego and from the Ego arises, the words, "I Am".
To be free from the Self is to dissolve the boundaries that define us. Just as our skin creates a boundary between our 'self ' and the air. The boundary seems real and finite, at least at the macroscopic level. Our perceived reality is that we are individual entities distinct from the air around us. But, as we zoom in closer and closer, we start to understand that our skin is mostly just empty space. We are in flux with what is around us. Our cells blend with the air and we are constantly replenished into something new. So, where do “I” end and where does the air begin? Or am “I” one with the universe around me.
A similar deceptive boundary exists in our Self, created by the Subconscious and the Ego. As we live, we collect experiences that we hold onto and define what we should be. I believe in God. I want to be financially wealthy. I must be confident. I should to be respected. We have a tendency to create these ideas of who we are and what we should be and let ourselves be constrained by these boundaries. The words "I am" are the biggest and most dangerous oppressors of Man's will. If we let the definitions we have created drive us, then we are not Free. We have given life to what we have created, and it has become our Master.
The "I" you know, is not who you are. It is a caricature that you have drawn of yourself, constantly being added to. In fact, you are the artist controlling the pen. The drawing, the paper, the pen, the hands - these are all servants to the artist's being. The artist does not choose his creation based on the grade of pencil he has, or the type of paper he is using. No, he will determine the type of pencil and paper he needs to use to achieve whatever he is aiming to create.
The key to Freedom from Self is striving for an awareness of why we think the way we think, or do what we do. It requires shining a light onto our "Will" and identifying the forces that nudge us. It requires understanding the subconscious an destroying the Ego.
So, be the master of your Self. Go where you want to go. Love who you want to love. Be who you truly want to be. You are the artist.
