Holding Oneself Firm with a Clear Mind
One who holds a cleansed mind, governs oneself with firm steadiness, lays down the pull of the senses, and casts off both attraction and aversion — that one draws near to freedom.
I take freedom for 'doing as I please,' but does true freedom not lie in release from attraction and aversion?
📝Reflection
The old teacher gathers the conditions of one who reaches freedom into one — a cleansed mind, self-governing, laying down the senses' pull, casting off attraction and aversion. The key is that the very definition of freedom is inverted. I take freedom for 'doing as I want,' but being dragged by wanting is the deepest unfreedom. As long as attraction and aversion (rāga-dveṣa) work me, I am the slave of my desire. True freedom is release from those two cords to stand on my own. It is Epictetus's 'freedom is not achieving desire but being freed from it.' Only one who governs oneself is the truly free person, dragged by nothing.
🌱Apply It Today
Notice one thing you strongly crave or strongly push away today, and instead of being dragged by that cord, pause and choose for yourself.
This verse is read as universal humanistic wisdom, not religion — no faith is promoted, and the reflection is 100% original ONGO content.
