For a realized being like Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, real freedom is a rebel, which is the voice of your own awakened mind. It means there is a rebel within your superconscious self, who tells you what to do and what not to do, which governs your thought, speech, and action. In precise, it’s your present mind who gives a life of awakening. So, what does it mean by an awakened mind and why does the Buddhist concept of freedom differ from the modern concept of freedom?
True Idea of Real Freedom
To examine the true idea of freedom, it has to be understood in a manner where your concept is not sunk in the modern concept of ‘freedom.’ The modern concept of freedom is not what in reality talks about the real freedom of an individual’s life. Rather, the modern idea of a right to speech, right to religion, right to gender, and so on are the modern kinds of stuff that act as a system to function the society, certainly becoming the trends of society. But do all these tenets really give an individual the right freedom that one must achieve as a sole purpose of life?
Absolutely, big ‘NO’ as far as the purpose of life is to look beyond those concepts. For instance, the right to a ‘religion’ has been a repeatedly discussed topic and also is today. Despite the debates and discussions, the trends of time could not bring it to a conclusion, which is to uproot the fights for the rights of freedom to religion. Though every religion that exists in a society is to unite people, the paradox always exists within its rule in a society.
So, if the modern concept, what is called the ‘rights to freedom’ which seeks to gain as per the laws and legislation of the society, why are there still millions of people who cost their lives before the laws and systems? Why are there ongoing disparities among the various religious gurus and institutions? Why are there shortcomings in all rights after all?
Yes, of course, the rights implemented by an organization such as women’s empowerment guides an individual to look at the victims and women according to laws and order of that system and eventually gives a space to reduce the problems. But does it eradicate the constraints of ethical minds?
Rebel is the answer to real freedom
Therefore, the answer lies in rebel within you. That is to live with your mind of mind(conscious mind/present mind). Inner revolution, the transformation of your mind(i.e., delusion to illuminate the mind), is true freedom. By saying so, what would be the means to drive you to that bright state of your mind? Here comes the answer where realized gurus like Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche and Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche reveal light on how one can ease your monkey mind. It is mainly through transforming your hatred, anger, jealousy, and all of your delusions into wisdom. It’s the vibrant and insightful energy that compels us to seek the truth. This is what one must see as ‘real freedom’.
The deluded being like us thinks, to train your mind with various means such as meditations(Samatha and Vipassana) are the Buddhist stuff. However, if one really sees the nature of how your endless suffering is processed and enduring, the transformation of one’s mind will be the primary necessity of all human beings.
In the sublime, freedom is nothing that we had been assuming as a modern concept called rights but it is the righteousness one becomes in every thought, speech, and action of you through the transformation of the mind.
