Opening the Door to Infinity
Swami Amritaswarupananda on Freewill & Our Tiny Piece of Sky
We human beings claim to enjoy a great deal of freedom. Nonetheless, the reality is that we are bound by countless limitations. In most circumstances, our freewill is no more than that of a cow tied to a tree.
A disciple once asked his guru, “How much freewill do I have?” The guru instructed the disciple to lift one of his legs. The disciple raised his left leg. “Now raise your right leg also,” said the guru. The disciple replied, “How can I? I will lose my balance and fall.” The guru smiled and said, “So, your freedom of choice ends with raising one of your legs. Before lifting your leg, you had the freedom to choose. Once you raised one leg, your freedom ended.”
“The relentless battle of the ego is a fight between our past and our future — between what we were and what we want to become. In the middle of the past and the future, lies the present moment — the abode of true peace and happiness.”
In reality, freedom is our very nature. However, due to our misunderstanding regarding who we truly are, we have become identified with the ego. From there, we have become ensnared by unintelligent attraction or aversion to everyone and everything we encounter. Thus, we feel like a bound cow, constantly pulling against the forces holding the other end of the rope. The relentless battle of the ego is a fight between our past and our future — between what we were and what we want to become. In the middle of the past and the future, lies the present moment — the abode of true peace and happiness. Unfortunately, because of our intense and persistent selfish desires, the present, with all its peace, love and freedom, is lost to us.
In the ancient Hindu scriptures such as the Vedas, we find references to animal sacrifice. The Sanskrit word used here is paśu. Even though the common meaning of paśu is a cow or an animal in general, the word comes from the root paś — “to bind.” In the context of animal sacrifice, the word serves as a reminder that we all are captives of the ego, bound by the ropes of self-ignorance and our lower emotions. When the ancient sages said, “Sacrifice the paśu,” what they ultimately meant was: Go beyond your animalistic tendencies, renounce the ego and be free.
“When we label life as, ‘my life,’ ‘your life,’ ‘his life’ or ‘her life,’ we are creating divisions that in reality don’t exist. All such demarcations are only in your mind and thoughts. In reality, life is the totality of consciousness.” — Amma
Amma says, “When we label life as ‘my life,’ ‘your life,’ ‘his life’ or ‘her life,’ we are creating divisions that in reality don’t exist. All such demarcations are only in your mind and thoughts. They are just concepts of the mind. In reality, life is the totality of consciousness.”
In our current state, what do we know of life? Do we know anything about its greater dimension? Its infinitude? When we say, “my life,” do we ever think that we are limiting ourselves to the tiny piece of sky we see through the peephole of our mind?
The message of the great spiritual masters like Amma is that we need to realize that our “tiny piece of sky” is ultimately one with the endless sky. In that realization, all misconceptions created by the ego and our identity with the body, mind and the world are transcended. We reach the peak of awareness. We become one with the infinite sky — the totality of existence. Then, we see our freedom is seamless and unadulterated.
The body is a conglomeration of the five elements: space, wind, fire, water and earth. It has its own limitations and is bound to change, decay and return to its source. If we identify with it, freedom will never be ours. The True Self is different. It is the totality. It manifests in and through everything we hear, touch, see, taste and smell — everything sentient and insentient, everything gross and subtle, all facts and also the mystery. Once we realize this inherent oneness, we are indeed one with the universe. That realization is like a seed becoming a tree. In reality, the seed is a tree in a dormant state. This awareness transforms and reveals the unbounded potential within us — the immeasurable energy we truly are. This uncovering of our true nature opens the door to infinity.
Swami Amritaswarupananda Puri is the Vice-Chairman of the Mata Amritanandamayi Math and the senior-most disciple of Indian spiritual leader Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi (Amma). He is the author of several books, the latest of which is titled The Irresistible Attraction of Divinity.
