We don’t owe our lives to anybody, not even to parents, friends, or relatives. Yet, we live in a society. We are not truly free in any manner whatsoever. We depend on parents for bringing us up, employers for employment, relationships for support, and friends for spending time together. We are also dependent on various institutions and organisations. Even this blog cannot teach you unless there is somebody providing internet connectivity, a laptop, and also an application called Blogger.
In this complicated world, where is the scope for individual freedom? Yet, in the very same world, there have been many who have chosen freedom. What is different in these people from others who spend their entire lives in mental slavery? Who do not gather courage all through their lives to say no ever. To the best of my understanding, there is only one factor that distinguishes the free souls from the slaves. The free souls somehow get to see a ray of light in the dark, while the slaves inside the well just ignore.
I think that there are only two occasions for the people inside the well to connect to the ray of light. First, which is quite common, is the occurrence of a crisis inside the well, which results in discomfort. People perceive a crisis to be bad. However, such a crisis quite often lays down the foundation for growth. Second, which is less common, is there a person inside the well who comes into contact with somebody who has been in close contact with light outside the well? If the person inside the well somehow trusts such a person, he too can come out of the well with the guidance of such a person.
Most people are busy enjoying the comfort of the well. They have no occasion to even think of life outside the well. Naturally, a person who has to travel outside the well will have to leave his accumulations and possessions inside the well to be able to travel outside the well. Moreover, once a person realises the value of open Sky, much of the accumulations inside the well lose their value, anyhow.
The people inside the well are privileged and feel entitled to pass judgment on the people daring to move out of the well. Just because they are in the majority, they take advantage. Ravan can insult Vibhishana when he is inside the Palace, and can also insult him when he moves away and joins Ram. People of Ayodhya can cast aspersions on Sita, and Sita will have to go through Agnipariksha again and again. Once we choose darkness, we may stoop to the lowest. We may become violent like a tiger, lazy like a pig, bark like dogs, or become parasitic like a leech. Once we connect to light, we slowly become lighter and lighter. However, till we are used to darkness, it is very difficult for us to appreciate the value of light. The worst thing that happens to a dog is not being a dog, but losing the awareness of its soul. Similarly, the worst thing that happens to human beings is not to born inside the well, but it is losing awareness of the light.
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