Independence And Dependence
When we become independent, the whole problem starts.
Because now we have to decide for ourselves what is right
and what should be done. I think one of the reasons why childhood
and youth are so happy, is precisely because we don't have
to decide what to do; the decision is taken by others. At
that stage the only problem is of obedience; but that is easily
solved by a little conflict and it's not very important. So
you see, we have a big price to pay for being independent.
Putting it in another way, you can say, one is the situation
of the baby, it has no freedom, but it is totally looked
after by its mother. At the highest end, you have the Master
or the saint, who again has no freedom and is again totally
looked after by his Master. The difference between these
two states is only one of the consciousness of freedom.
The child has no consciousness of its freedom at all, so
it is not difficult for it to give up its freedom. But as
we grow up, we become more and more conscious of our rights,
as we call it, which is only another word for our freedom
as we think it should be. That is why it is said, "Be
ye as little children and thou shalt enter the kingdom of
heaven."
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