There is a book by ChogyamTrugnpa called The Myth of Freedom. You don’t need to read it. The title says it all.
Raising three kids I’ve seen this odd need for ‘freedom’ inside each of them. A path from dependence to independence. I used to think this was something inborn, an evolutionary trait that helped a tribal member survive by going out into the world alone.
But I’ve begun to suspect it is more ‘cultural’ than anything. More and more my discoveries have revealed that one of the greatest effects on human development is the panpsychic sphere of their CULTURE. More than genes, more than parents. Witness some cultures where teenagers do NOT go through the normal ‘rebellious’ stage of development.
So what is this need for freedom? Certain models suggests that the masculine force (Alpha) is defined almost entirely by its seeking for freedom, and it defines this freedom as a sense of nothingness.
As we came from nothing perhaps we have an inborn seeking to return to nothing…
Another thought occurs to me. Perhaps the concept of control, and freedom, the desire to be ‘free’ is an inborn spiritual device. Perhaps deep down all of us have been ‘programmed’ with a series of codes that define a series of authentic doings. We can call this purpose, mission, context, whatever.
This might again, just be a cultural meme… Wouldn’t that be a kick in the pants? What if our core definitions of feminine, masculine, purpose, love, mission, opening, were nothing more than cultural memes…?
But what if they aren’t?
What if when you burn everything else away, you are left with a small piece of something you should do? A script. A role for your actor to play. An authentic co-creative role.
And if this is true it suggests there is certainly more going on here on this little spheroid ball in the void than just random evolution. There may be no meaning to life… but there might be a plan.
And if there IS a plan… then FREEDOM is… what?
Freedom is living your authentic life.
You might not be free to choose what that is…. You might have to just discover it and surrender to it… but perhaps the entire struggle for freedom is the true search for your authentic doing.
And perhaps this explains why so many of our current teenagers struggle so horrifically with a sense of control and a desire for freedom. Their culture is imposing a series of choices and directions for their life that are often 100% at odds with their authentic path.
Or maybe it’s all just a cultural meme…
