Liberation

Image of the Week
Hand-drawn art by Rupali Bhuva
Image of the Week
Liberación
--por Salvador Poe


Si tuviera que definir la liberación, diría: “Es la reconciliación de que lo que es, es”. En eso, no hay nadie aquí que discuta. (Lee eso de nuevo.)


La liberación no es un nuevo estado de sentirse bien. Cualquier estado o sentimiento que puedas tener, agradable o desagradable, vendrá y se irá. La liberación no es un estado o experiencia final en el que siempre estás descansando en un cierto sentimiento o emoción. La liberación es una reconciliación que dice: lo que es, es; no puede ser de otra manera que como es ahora; y no hay nadie aquí que pueda hacer nada al respecto. La resistencia y la discusión terminan cuando esto se reconcilia. La resistencia y la discusión son el ego. Es quien cree que es el hacedor y que hay algo que puede, debe o necesita hacer al respecto. Eso es un mito; en realidad no es cierto. Es una ola que viene y se va.



Parece que hay circunstancias que suceden y que el organismo cuerpo-mente está haciendo su trabajo. No hay nada malo. Si surgen pensamientos y emociones debido a las circunstancias, eso no está mal, eso es correcto. Si un@ de los miembros de tu familia está enferm@ y hay mucho miedo y preocupación, eso no está mal, eso es correcto. Eso es lo que hace este organismo cuerpo-mente. Si surge el pensamiento: “Está mal que tenga este miedo y esta preocupación, y tengo que liberarme”, crea un supuesto problema. La idea de que te vas a liberar te está causando mucha lucha.
Sí, y sigo escuchando que habrá una sensación de profunda paz.
Dices eso porque crees que la liberación es paz y sentirse bien. Como tod@s nosotr@s, quieres sentirte bien. Está bien, pero seamos honestos al respecto. Dices que quieres la liberación, pero mira, eso no es lo que quieres. Lo que estás diciendo es: “No me importa la liberación, quiero sentirme bien”. La paz y el bienestar son estados que van y vienen. La libertad está libre de estados. La liberación es no preocuparse por qué estado en particular es el que viene o se va. Tienes que ser honest@: no quieres la liberación.


Pero ¿qué hay de la paz de la que estás hablando?


Los sentimientos pacíficos van y vienen. La paz de la que estoy hablando es simplemente la reconciliación de que lo que es, es. A veces se siente bien y a veces no. Así es la vida, y te reconcilias con ella. En esa reconciliación, hay una facilidad de ser. Es el fin de las discusiones, y con eso entonces sí, estás cada vez más en paz y cada vez menos en el lío de la agitación mental.



Todo el mundo, no sólo tú, tiene esta idea tenaz de que la liberación es algún estado de sentimiento. ¡Todo el mundo! La idea puede sonar algo como: “Hay un estado de bienestar que voy a alcanzar, y cuando lo haga, siempre me sentiré bien”, o “Hay un estado en el que no habrá pensamientos que voy a alcanzar, y cuando lo haga, nunca habrá pensamientos”. Junto con la idea de un estado específico está la expectativa: “¿Cuándo sucederá?”.
Si quieres libertad, tómate unas vacaciones, ahora. Comprueba que eres libre, ahora. En unas vacaciones, la libertad se conoce.





Preguntas semilla para la reflexión: ¿Cómo te relacionas con la noción de que la liberación NO es un nuevo estado de bienestar, sino más bien una aceptación de “lo que es”? ¿Puedes compartir una historia personal de una ocasión en la que te reconciliaste por completo con lo que estaba sucediendo en tu vida? ¿Qué te ayuda a aceptar lo que está sucediendo y reconciliarlo con tu impulso de actuar?



Salvador Poe es músico, autor y maestro espiritual.
Seed Questions for Reflection

How do you relate to the notion that liberation is NOT a new state of feeling good but rather an acceptance of ‘what is’? Can you share a personal story of a time you were fully reconciled with whatever was happening in your life? What helps you accept what is happening and reconcile that with your impulse to act?

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Add Your Reflection

18 Past Reflections
AB
Aaron Beedle
Mar 25, 2025
I don't think it's important to be completely free. I think it is healthy to be free of your own internal tyrannies; to dissolve the self-inflicted limitations adopted accidentally or by coercion through your life experience. But freedom in general is dangerous. We are beings evolved to exist as a contention to pressure, the pressure of the world around us and its desire to return to nothing but buzzing atoms. In fact, I believe too much freedom drives people crazy. It's misleading and our instincts know it. If life is so easy that we feel completely free, something has gone wrong, and we can be driven insane in search of that something. Often, it appears to simply be that in our prosperity and search of comfort and freedom, we have taken away those barriers in our life that held our form. As no doubt said many times before, I think we need purpose. We need to be important to something, someone, some community, Completely freedom might mean complete irrelevance, and that might ... View full comment
PA
Oct 9, 2024
Reminds me of something I read somewhere (I do not recall where):

“Why is happiness so elusive?”

“Because you look for it in the future instead of the present.”

ST
Stef
Oct 9, 2024
It's always these simple truths that bring the feeling of profound insights, reminding us how we tend to complicate things while reality is much simpler, when looked from the right perspective.
One of the strongest moments of letting go I experienced when going on a trip. The moment when you're sitting on a bus/plane, ready to go far away and telling yourself that well, if you forgot anything you'll just work it through and then the feeling of surrender (especially on a plane) knowing that you're in the Universe's hands.
We're so caught up into this Matrix of 'needing to feel good no matter the cost' and articles like these are a true reminder of it.
Thank you for sharing !
JT
Oct 8, 2024
Anthony appreciated this week's reading and shared this. Thank you all for bringing us such an opportunity to think deeper on What Is:) from Anthony serving Life Sentence: Yesterday we were displaced from our dorm because of the approaching hurricane. We were sent to a different dorm where we will be sleeping on the floor in their TV room until the storm passes on Friday. They brought us new mattresses and pillows late in the day. A guy that lives in this dorm tried to take the mattress that I was given because it is newer than the one he has on his bed. I woke up with a headache which progressively worsened throughout the day. It turns out that I have some sort of nasal infection because by later in the evening I couldn't breathe out of my nose. I just wanted to sleep but it was very noisy because they were watching football and for some reason a lot of people in here like to clap and holler after each play. I was laying on the floor with a constant stream of thoughts of j... View full comment
SH
Shyam Oct 9, 2024
Thankyou for sharing Anthony. Thankyou Jt for further sharing it here.

The awareness that we may be resisting the flow of life is , I guess, a step towards accepting life " as it is."
Will wait for your views on Hinduism. Have read a bit on it , so we can have some good conversations on it.
HE
Hermann
Oct 8, 2024
There is a unassuming little question which has a big power in adressing your point:
"If it where ok, just as it is?"
It can change your state in milliseconds.
DM
Oct 8, 2024
In my old life (addiction) I never thought about liberation. All I was living for was survival. Then that dark night of the soul brought me to my knees, to a point of this is it! This is what is happening! I was presented with a decision to make. I let go, and I asked for help.
Wasn't my decision! Ever since, over the years in recovery, I learned to live in the present moment. To let go of control. And to survive in "what is". Did that free me? Absolutely. It put me on a path to peace, calm, and happiness. I believe liberation is a birthright, but we need to know who we are.
Practicing mindfulness is a invitation to be the best person I can be. Thank you for your insight, namaste
PH
Oct 8, 2024
Everyone going through the stages of Alzheimer Disease would do well to read this article. It's a situation for which there is no cure. One simply has to stand by watching the disintegration of a loved one. It's a beyond sad process that can only be endured. One step at a time, one glimmer of joyful moments, which can come at any time, is the only way walk this journey. There can be no "Why me?" attitude, because there is no answer to that question. "Why anybody?" is more like it. So, you are correct. All these sour experiences in life are what life is all about, as much as the good times we face in life. Better to always look for the silver lining, because it is there to be seen, and you can see them even through tears.
JT
Oct 8, 2024
My client and friend who has life in prison (one of the wisest souls I know) wanted to respond to last week's Awakin, but when I saw his response I thought WOW it is perfect for TODAYs! I also sent him today's article and question so he may have a deeper response. I wanted to share his response to Desire from last week here. That service space discussion on desire that was held this past Wednesday interested me. A spiritual teaching that has always resonated with me is When you desire nothing you have everything. When we get the inside right we need nothing external to us to make us feel better. There was a certain act of oppression that I encountered yesterday. I said to the guy I'd been talking with that I wasn't going to allow it to disturb my state. Another guy overheard me and asked, What state is that? I replied, a state of peace. Angrily he said, how the fuck can you be peaceful in fucking prison. Calmly I said, the only thing they can imprison is my body, my mind and spi... View full comment
PH
Pat Hardy Oct 8, 2024
"One of the wisest souls you know" should write his memoir. Encourage that, please, because there are so many prisoners who could benefit from it, along with the members of his family. I, too, have a friend serving a life sentence. While wise and good, I'm not sure how spiritual she is. Please contact me if your friend has something she can read. Thank you, Anthony
JT
JT Trepanier Oct 8, 2024
He is amazing. I have been capturing our correspondence for over a year and my hope (after I learn how to publish my books that I get to publish our back and forth communication). I have to say SS questions and literature REALLY brings out even more of his journey so I am thrilled about this! He is BESIDE himself happy to receive the Awakin literature. I told him I believe he should write a book and he is doing it effortlessly just with our email exchange. I hope he gives me the YES once I figure out the publishing process in my world so I can help him! Fun stuff and feel free to share with your friend anything. He loves to share!
MN
Oct 8, 2024
Thank you. Feeling the truth of this. I can relate to wanting freedom, wanting ease, knowing about acceptance, yet not being able to practice it. This article is helping me receive another piece of freedom, being present with what is! This is reminding me of the poem Guesthouse by Rumi. My go to poem when I struggle to be with what is.
JS
Oct 7, 2024
Reading this reflection helps to reconcile to what is - neither good nor bad - to touch the deathless.
AN
Anurag
Oct 7, 2024
The words resonate. One nuance I would like to share from personal experience: I have found it crucial to differentiate between the external situation that may trigger an emotional response, and the emotional response itself. While one may not be able to do much about the emotional response in "that moment", one may have to take action and be a doer to respond to the situation. Liberation comes in being able to observe the emotional state as an impermanent state; but that does not take away from the need to act appropriately to the external factors. In-fact, whenever I have been able to let the emotional response "pass", my ability to act properly to the external factor is much improved. Thanks.
JS
James Smith Oct 7, 2024
Thank you this is most helpful.
DD
Oct 5, 2024
Freedom is the ability to choose. Acceptance of what is is an expression of freedom. We are free to accept what is. The primary what is I am referring to is what I am experiencing. What I am experiencing is me, and in accepting what I am experiencing I accept what is, and I am free. There are times I have felt fully reconciled with whatever was happening, felt in harmony with what was happening, felt on top of the world, felt like I was walking a foot off the ground. Such times haven't lasted long as I bog myself down in circumstances of life, not going with the flow and not accepting what is or what I am experiencing. What helps me accept what is is knowing I'm alive only in what I am experiencing in the present, and the more I accept my present rather than fight it or try to control it the more alive I am.
JP
Oct 4, 2024
We all want and aspire for freedom. Freedom from what? According to my understanding derived from my experiencing freedom, freedom is a state of mind. A noisy mind is not a free mind. It argues back and forth to prove who is right and who is wrong. There is no peace in my life if my mind is caught up in this right-and wrong game. In order to realize the truth of isness I need to keep the light of choiceless awareness, inner freedom which will not get caught up and bound by either or mindset. Realization of the inner pure truth makes me from a self-created prison. I am regularly practicing non-judgemental awareness, mindfulness and that helps me not to be bound by myself created blindness. When I lose my path of self realization I create clouds blocking my inner light and I go astray. I have learnt how to keep the inner light shining to keep me walking on the Divine Path. I know it takes time for self-realization. I am not in a rush. Last night I was listening to a beautiful uplift... View full comment
SH
Shaílesh Sheth Oct 7, 2024
I do realise the same.