We value freedom a lot. Being free is very important to Americans and other people throughout the world. There are different kinds of freedom, and we usually want the kind of freedom where we can do, have, be or go whatever and wherever we want and whenever we want it. But if we only consider freedom to be the ability to do all of that, we are constantly frustrated because we cannot do, have, be or go whatever, wherever and whenever we want it. We may have a lot of Constitutional freedoms, but we still feel frustrated because it is impossible to get our way all the time.

Instead, we need to look within and see if our mind is free because even if we have the freedom to express ourselves however we want, is our mind really free? We might think, “Well, nobody can crawl inside my mind and take over it, so, yes, my mind is free.” But if we really observe, our mind is completely under the control of ignorance, attachment and anger. One person says something we like, and we are happy, and another says what we do not like and we get upset. Somebody does something and we become jealous, while another does something else, and we think we are better than them. In this way, our mind is not free at all because disturbing emotions are popping up all the time beyond our control. To think that we are free because we can go to the department store and buy anything we want is kind of crazy, isn’t it? Our mind is controlled by attachment, yet we think we are free to go and buy whatever we want. Or the whole issue of “hate speech”, where in the United States, we have the freedom to say we hate certain people, criticise them, or express other outrageous things, so we think we are free, but our mind is totally controlled by hatred, jealousy and vengefulness.

If we really value freedom, we must create a free state inside our hearts by opposing ignorance, anger and attachment. We principally need to oppose our ignorance, which is the ruler of the whole thing and the dictator that will not let any freedom exist in our hearts and minds. We need to bring the same spirit and fervour that Americans feel on the Fourth of July about winning the American Revolution. Instead of revolting against the British (who are now our allies), we are going to overthrow self-grasping ignorance. Instead of throwing tea into the river, we must throw our attachment and hatred overboard and then have real freedom. It is with this kind of “gung-ho” enthusiasm that we should approach towards the teachings on emptiness.

“365 Gems of Wisdom” e-book is out now!