266. What It Means To Be Free

You are learning to stand on your own. You are learning how little you need and how much you need. You are learning that your needs are different from your desires. You are learning that your desires can pull you away from what you need. You are learning that the things you hate or fear or even just dislike can do the same. You are learning that you can’t get rid of your desires or your aversions. You are learning that they exist because you believe some things are good and other things are bad. You are learning that every belief is also a kind of delusion. You are learning that beliefs can pull you away from what you need. You are learning that it’s easy to become attached to the things you believe. You are learning that sometimes you don’t even realize you’re acting based on a belief that is also a delusion. You are learning that your reasons for doing something are not always your actual motivations. You are learning that your desires and aversions can be interpreted as beliefs and vice versa. You are learning that you need to become more aware of the world and yourself. You are learning that you sometimes do things and only later come up with reasons for doing them. You are learning that you do this in order to explain and justify yourself within the system of rules and norms in which you have been raised and now live. You are learning that this system is useful but also arbitrary and constructed. You are learning that you do not have to follow its commands but that it’s sometimes beneficial for you to do so. You are learning that freedom is different from what you thought it was. You are learning that to be free is to be liberated from attachment and to act from compassion towards yourself and others. You are learning that you can be free regardless of what other people say or do to you. You are learning that you are as responsible as any other person for everything that happens. You are learning to stand on your own.