Note: This article is written by Venkatesh, a registered guest of our web, I post his articles here to share with you guys. Welcome to share your idea on the topic and join the communication with us!
From Possession to Freedom
I think the idea of possession comes from the desire to own things. There is an endless list of things- tangible and intangible, we crave to own - right from a small pen to a house and right from friendship to love!
Ownership is saying ...'this thing is mine to the exclusion of others!'
Thus, I believe ownership breeds the idea of possession - which is in turn breeds the idea of control over the things owned!
Man's desires are endless, when one desire is satisfied the next one is waiting in the queue... and the queue never dries up!
Sometimes this endless desire is called "greed" and some times it's called "ambition" ... some times it is called the 'grit to succeed' and sometimes it is called 'human nature to acquire things'..... By what ever name or phrase it is called, the single consequence of it all is -ownership and possession!
Perhaps 'desire' per say is not a negetive quality! Desire simply means to wish or long for; want; request. It also means to have a strong longing for - including desire for peace & love!!
When the desire turns to greed then the problem begins! Desire is a simple wish but Greed is wanting more and more and more and more!
Mind is a tricky customer... It simply follows the rule of accumulating more objects of the fulfilled desires and hops to the next one to acquire!
But the most beautiful fact of life is that there are very many things that can be desired but cannot be owned or possessed.
One may desire to see the beautiful setting sun and yes it can be fulfilled by standing at a place where you can view the most beautiful scene of a setting sun.... but however much you may wish to, you can not possess or own it! Your desire at that time turns only into awe and wonder.
But some things that seemingly appear could be owned & possessed and exercise control upon.This happens when one holds the thing owned closely to his chest without sharing it with others ... then the things possessed will bring misery instead of joy!
This is so beautifully said by Osho:
"That which you cling will shrink, and If you cling too much you will break it and if you cling to it that nothing should go out of, then you will be dead along with the thing and your joy, love and happiness will die with you"
If that is one consequence of greed for possession, the other consequence is the loss of freedom.. you lose freedom when you are feverish about possession. A simple story narrated in Eastern Asia which has been reproduced by Tony Kwan in his website, tells about a highly effective method of catching monkeys:
The monkey catcher would make a small hole in a gourd, just big enough for a monkey to fit its hand in. He would fill the gourd with a generous amount of nuts or wheat, and tie it stoutly with a rope to a nearby tree where monkeys frequent. The monkey catcher then retreats into the bushes and waits.
A monkey would inevitably scurry over to the gourd, enticed by the smell of the food. It would reach its hand into the small hole and clasp on to the clump of food inside. Before long however, the monkey realizes that the hole is too small to extract its clenched fist of food, and the tied rope keeps the monkey from hauling the apparatus away.
The monkey catcher calmly comes out of hiding and walks slowly over to the monkey. Sensing mortal danger, the monkey frantically jerks its arm in attempts to free it. But at no point does the monkey simply releases its fist and scampers away to safety in a nearby tree. The monkey is usually killed, with its fist still inside the gourd, grasping at food it never gets to eat.
It would have been a different story, if the monkey could open its fist and release the grains it possessed and it could remove its hands and free itself from the gourd!!
It is such a simple example of desire to possess at the cost of losing one's freedom and even life!
It just takes us to open our fists and let go the 'grains' we desire so much.. Then suddenly you realize you are free and happy!
Therefore, let us turn our desire into wonder and greed into gratitude to drop our feverish desire for possession. With wonder and gratitude we will achieve freedom and enjoy the bliss !!
D.Venkatesh
