November/December 2005 Living Now
On Freedom

by Ken Lloyd Russell

Ken Lloyd Russell

In the United States we have gotten side-tracked into being unduly concerned with the issue of political freedom. This focus on political freedom masks the fact that we are not free in any meaningful sense. A fulfilled life does not come from political freedom. It has nothing to do with freedom of speech and voting rights or being able to pick what model car you buy. What freedom means, at least to me, is the ability to make the choices that lead ultimately to a fulfilled life, a life where you are yourself and take joy in being yourself. That is the only freedom that matters. If we cannot make our lives fulfilled, what is the purpose of living?

We lose our freedom to create a fulfilled life, not by governmental oppression, but by the oppression of our internal programming. Our internal program rules us far better than any dictator might. There is no escape from it. It is on duty twenty-four hours a day. This internal program represents the weight of your past. It represents society, your parents, your schooling. It does not represent what you truly are.

Our freedom is not limited by government, but by the beliefs, ideas, and ideals held in our consciousness. It is further limited by emotionally charged memories which influence us and often determine our behavior. These limitations and restrictions generally operate outside of our awareness, leaving us with the illusion that we are free to choose. That is the great scam – your belief that you are free.

This illusion keeps us imprisoned. We may pride ourselves on our individuality, not aware that our individuality is but a reflection of our conditioning. We pick our mates, our cars, our politicians, our breakfast cereal, our work and leisure activities based on programming laid down early in life and only somewhat modified by subsequent experience. We theoretically have the freedom to choose, but in reality we are prisoners of our past.

Most of the time you act mechanically, virtually like robots. The robot-like quality is not obvious because your actions seem complex and variable. However, this complexity and variability, and even an appearance of spontaneity at times, only reflects the complex and contradictory nature of your programming. The inputs into your program have been many and varied – parents (or surrogates), schools, friends and/or siblings, movies, television, books, church or synagogue, and on and on –leading to an extremely complex program, full of bugs.

The first step toward freedom is to truly see the mechanical and conditioned aspects of our lives. For this to happen there are two requisites: the ability to watch ourselves and a commitment to the truth. We watch ourselves, and, because we are committed to discovering the truth (even if it is not always pleasant), we no longer engage in avoidance, distortion or embellishment. We see what is there. And this seeing will reveal the mechanical nature of our actions.

Over time we will come to see that we are controlled by something that is not really us. But for this to happen, we must be ever alert. The mind is quite cunning and will do everything to avoid being exposed. Unfortunately, we have spent our lifetimes depending on, and refining, and strengthening our minds. We have come to believe the mind is our friend. However, depending on our mind for freedom is like recruiting the Mafia to curtail drug smuggling.

If we continue to watch we will see that we are moved to act in ways that are not always the best for us. We may even notice a punitive aspect to the mind; it may punish us with guilt, depression or anxiety. We may notice that even when the mind "rewards" us, it may do so in ways that are injurious to us; eating too much, spending too much, over-indulging in one thing or another. You may find yourself doing things that you did not want to do or not doing things you wanted to do. You may become aware of a sense of dissatisfaction that underlies even our pleasures and accomplishments. You may find yourself repeating the same kind of choices that did not work for you in the past. If you persist in this watching you will find that the mind allows you only the appearance of freedom while keeping you within its restrictive bounds.

To recognize that we are not free is the first step towards gaining freedom. By paying close attention we will see the repetitive nature of our actions, thoughts and feelings and our failure to care for ourselves in a meaningful manner. As your awareness deepens, changes will happen, without any conscious effort on your part. This is how awareness works. As we become attentive to what is distancing us from our true nature something is liberated that starts clearing the way for us to return to our true natures.

Ken Lloyd Russell is a mystic and has been helping people for 38 years. He has created a unique approach to spiritual transformation, The Way of Seeing ®, a very simple yet highly practical way that can be used in everyday life. Full information and helpful articles are at www.thewayofseeing.com including info on his weekly radio show.