Colours of freedom
With the political freedom that ensued for us Indians from the British Empire 65 years ago, resulting in the formation of the Indian nation, which we as proud Indians celebrate today, along came many other freedoms.
For instance, we got freedom of speech; freedom to elect our own leaders; economic freedom; and legal and religious freedom, to name but just a few. Each year on this day, however, many of us raise bold queries, too.
One of the frequent queries is, “Have we achieved freedom in the true sense of the word?” This raises many other awkward questions to which, obviously, there are no easy answers.
The country has undoubtedly progressed by leaps and bounds in numerous spheres, particularly in the last 20 years, but one also notices a serious deterioration in the area of values and spirituality. Several new religious channels offering a good deal of pious content may give the impression that we are evolving in spiritual life even as we fail to distinguish between religiosity and spirituality.
I believe that we should, while celebrating our Independence Day with full gusto, also ask ourselves whether we have achieved any freedom from evil tendencies such as lust and greed for flesh, money and power, from anger, from jealousy, from unlawful attachments to people, material things and similar obsessions which blunt our relationship with one another and with God.
We are fortunate that all our religions offer us ample ethical and moral principles to help us grow in our spiritual life; principles can truly free us from those fixations which prevent us from an accessing to the Divine. We can be inspired by our Muslim neighbours who, while observing the month of Ramzan, try through tough days of fasting for their purification. Similarly, the just concluded Janmashtami reminded us that just as Lord Krishna appeared in a prison cell amidst shackles and then freed His parents, we too, who are fettered by our own worldly passions, can be freed by the Lord who appears in our heart, which often functions like a prison cell.
Many churches across the world celebrate today the feast of the Assumption of Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven, who is presented to the world as a model of holiness and freedom.
As the mother of Jesus, she was kept free from the stain of the original sin. Secondly, though Mary was initially shocked to hear from the angel that, being a virgin, she would conceive and bear a son, she achieved complete freedom once she said, “Be it done unto me according to your word.”
Let us from today onwards try to experience real freedom from everything, including from our vices, by surrendering ourselves, like Mary, to God’s will.
Father Dominic Emmanuel, a founder-member of Parliament of Religions, is currently the director of communication of the Delhi Catholic Church
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