Freedom ??

I will tell you a small story.

There was a parrot living in a cage of a beautiful household. It was taught only one word by the house owner - i.e. "FREEDOM". Hence the parrot always keep on repeating that word - Freedom.. Freedom..

Once it so happened that, a friend of the house owner visited him. He was sitting there and the parrot was repeatedly telling - Freedom.. Freedom.. He really pitied the bird. So, he decided to open the cage. He opened the cage, and still the Parrot was saying Freedom, Freedom, and was sitting inside the cage. It never attempted to fly out. The friend was amazed. He thought might be the parrot didn't notice that the cage was open. So, he put his hand inside the cage and forcibly took the bird outside. But the parrot was holding to the cage bars with its beak. But the friend pulled it out of the cage and left it fly outside. But to his astonishment, the parrot flew back inside the cage, sat there and again started to shout - Freedom.. Freedom..

Why such a story now?

Actually this story came up to my mind while we friends were having a discussion on - WHAT IS REAL FREEDOM?

Being an Indian, we are always proud to say that We have got freedom, after a long fight against the colonisation of British Government. But have we ever thought what really freedom is? Who is another government to give freedom to you? Or who is even your own government to impose rules on you? Was there any difference in an Individual's life - before 1947 and after the freedom? No. Absolutely not. Only it was a political and social situation we refer to as freedom.

I am not telling that rules should not be there. Rules help Humans to live a better systematic life in a social setup. Simple. It just helps a person to live without disturbing the other. Rules doesn't have anything else more than this purpose. Since we are taught right from childhood that we were slaves for another country's human, we are conditioned to think that there are supreme powers than yourself on this planet and you have to succumb to them. As, in a Tamil song -

ராமன் ஆண்டாலும் ராவணன் ஆண்டாலும் எனக்கொரு கவலை இல்லே

which means - it really doesn't matter to me whether the ruler is Lord Rama or Ravana. I am the Ruler for Myself. I am not enslaved. The external situation can decide only the way of your living. But in truth, Life is decided by an Individual. If I decide to be FREE, nobody or nothing on this planet can break my freedom - except the supreme power.

Now comparing to the story. Human life is similar to this parrot.We very well know that we are already in a cage called Human Body. And we all are talking about what Freedom is, to another co prisoner.

Let us visualize a situation.

There is a Vast area of Land. Land of thousands of acres.

There are plenty of houses, small rooms, big rooms.

You are provided with dress daily.

Given food from time to time. And a good bedding to sleep.

But only fact is that - this vast land is surrounded by a BIG, HUGE, COMPOUND WALL.

The Wall is so Huge that it is really impossible for anyone from inside to see what is on the other side. This whole land is encapsulated with the Huge wall.

Inside,

The Humans can roam around.

Go from one Room to another.

Will be provided food.

No limitations to do anything.

You can have good relationships.

You can make love.

You can create Off springs.

Only criteria is - You can't cross the wall.

You cannot cross the wall - Until you DIE.

Because, when you DIE, the body will be thrown out of the compound, to the other side of the Wall.

What, does it look more like our Central Prison?

Time passes by. A decade, two and more.

Centuries passes by. People continue to live. But suddenly there is a small clash of opinions among those people living inside.

But why?

What else could be the reason for Humans to fight among themselves? Either it would be Hunger in the stomach or Hunger in the Body.

Now, People divide.

Two groups are formed.

Two set of policies are formed.

Two set of rules are formed.

Both Communities don't mingle with each other.

So two new cultures come into being.

Two kinds of - Arts, Poetry, and Two New languages emerge from both community.

Finally, Two Governments are formed.

When two governments are formed - War is the resultant.

So people start to fight. Few killed and many are taken as prisoners on either side.

Now both sides have their own PRISON built on.

Now according to those prisoners - FREEDOM is leaving their respective jails and going and joining their community members.

But the fact is ALL THESE ARE HAPPENING INSIDE THAT BIG COMPOUNDED WALL.

But How many notice this ultimate truth. People are busy fighting the opposite community, Opposite state, Opposite neighbour, Opposite colleague, even Opposite Classmate. Only the criteria for the fight differs. With two countries the reason is Land and power, with two neighbours the reason is where to dump the wastage or regarding the car parking space, with two colleagues the reason is who will get the next promotion and with two classmates reason is who will get higher marks.

But No one notices that all this is happening already inside a Big Prison.

When a person understand that He / She is already a Prisoner - Will he look upon to the other person as an opposite party and try to imprison him and make a slave?

Or When a person knows that He / She is already a Prisoner in this vast space - Will there be any worries that He / She is imprisoned by an opposite community?

Now, the vast land is nothing but our Planet earth. Only factor being - We are not able to see the Huge WALL with our naked eye. Rest all is the same.

Humans are No better than that PARROT, and we just go on shouting FREEDOM, FREEDOM, but we never realise what Freedom is. We also don't want to get out of this Physical setup, and we still call ourselves free.

Even if someone tell us that we are in a prison, we will laugh at him. And even if someone tries to take us out of this physical barriers or cage, we always want to get back into this cage and live on. Because we are comfortable living inside this. We get food, we get physical satisfaction and we don't think anything beyond that. We are no better than that Parrot. We are just taught to shout that "We are Free, We are Free". But we never know what freedom is.

The day when a Human, understands that He / She is a slave here on this earth, and asks the question "Why I am given a DEATH SENTENCE for living on this earth? " - has at the least of an opportunity to search the Truth.

A person who doesn't understand that He / She is already in a Prison, will just get entangled with all the external factors and one day disappear from this space.

But living in this world, today, if A person asks such a question, He / She will be termed insane.

Even if I ask this same question - I WILL ALSO BE CALLED INSANE.

Whenever I think about Human life, I am always reminded of My friend, A sweet angry young man - Subramanyam.

But, People call him as Mahakavi Bharathi. He says regarding this situation beautifully in one of His song, as follows,

நல்லதோர் வீணை செய்தே
அதை நலங்கெட புழுதியில் எறிவதுண்டோ
சொல்லடி சிவசக்தி
என்னை சுடர் மிகும் அறிவுடன் படைத்துவிட்டாய்

வல்லமை தாராயோ - இந்த
மாநிலம் பயனுற வாழ்வதற்கே
சொல்லடி சிவசக்தி- நில
சுமையென வாழ்ந்திட புரிகுவையோ ?

Translation in ENGLISH

(I) made a noble veena

Would (I) throw it in the garbage?

Answer me, Oh Goddess

Why create me with a sparkling wisdom?

Wont you give skill and brilliance to make

the society lead a purposeful life

Answer me, Oh Goddess

will you make them live as a

burden to the land they stand on ?