Latching on to transcendence
The Pursuit of True Freedom In a world tethered to fleeting joys, we often mistake possession for liberation. Yet, as the chains of material dependency tighten, happiness slips through our fingers like sand. True freedom lies not in grasping, but in transcending—latching onto the eternal, unshakable ground of the self. The Ramayana whispers this wisdom through Rama’s exile, where earthly riches fade, yet his spirit remains unbound. “Na me rājyam na kāmāmi sukham naiva kāmaye, dharmam eva āśrayāmi” (I desire neither kingdom nor pleasures, only righteousness as my refuge). Here, Rama reveals the soul’s emancipation—happiness unshackled from objects is no slavery-driven misery, but a soaring liberation. To cling to the transient is to court sorrow; to rise above it is to dance in the infinite. Let us shed the weight of wanting, for in transcendence, we find the firm ground where freedom truly begins.