From: james marshall (edgarj@shaw.ca)
Date: Thu Sep 04 2003 - 09:42:46 BST
Dear MOQers,
I notice there is a concern in the Forum lately over "freedom."
What exactly does it mean to be free?
I think there is a common understanding that a free man makes choices and
his freedom is a measure of his capacity to make choices from his free will.
Isn't that so?
I challenge the common sense of that. Here is what I make of it:
Kris Kristofferson wrote in "Me and Bobby McGee" : Freedom's just another
word for nothing left to lose.
OK, let's explore that notion.
I think Kristofferson is correct although my thinking my not align with his.
From Krishnamurti: A man's consciousness is a consequence of his
environment. His consciousness, the "I" or the "ego" or "self-image" is
false, restricted by his bundle of memories: traditions, habits,
prejudices, in other words, his experience is mediated by his knowledge,
his bundle of memories . With his consciousness loaded with memory, he
cannot be free. Why? His experience is always mediated by the content of
his consciousness.
OK. Freedom - what is it? Freedom is choiceless awareness. This
choicelessness of unmediated experience is available through silence of
mind/body, a silence in which experience is "new" This is innocent
perception, the perception of a child who is not burdened with memory. This
is what (I think) Jesus meant when he said, "Suffer little children to come
unto me." That is freedom. Innocent, childishness of perception.
Now Kristofferson, in my view, nailed it. "Nothing left to lose" can be
interpreted this way. When the mind is empty, that is freed of memory
(knowledge) only then can a man be said to have nothing left to lose. It is
this "nothingness" of meditation or prayer or contemplation, indeed,
"pre-conscious awareness" that is the key to freedom. It is the
"nothingleftishness" in Kristofferson that is pivotal to freedom. What do
you think?
James Marshall
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