|
Main Index
|
| |
| |
|
| |
your love for your parents, in the name of trust in your priests, in the name of respect for your teachers -- good names. Always remember to remove the label and see what the content is inside, and you will be surprised: slavery is being sold to every child in beautiful names. It will be difficult for you to drop that, unless you see that it was not the slavery that you were attached to, it was the label that was given to it.
It was a constant fight with my father. He was a loving man, very understanding, but still he would say, "You have to do it." And my response would always be, "You cannot say to me, `You have to do it,' you can only suggest, `If you like, you can do it; if you don't like, you are free.' It has to be basically my decision, not yours. I am obedient towards the truth, towards freedom. I can sacrifice everything for truth, for freedom, for love, but not for any slavery. Your `should' stinks of slavery."
Soon he understood that I don't belong to the obedient or the disobedient. I am not saying, "I will not do it," I am simply saying, "Withdraw your `should.' Give me space to decide whether I want to say yes or no, and don't feel offended if I say no.
"It is my life, I have to live it, and I have every right to live in my own way. You are much more experienced; you can suggest, you can advise, but orders I am not going to take from anyone. Whatsoever the cost, whatsoever the consequence, orders I am not going to take from anyone."
And slowly, slowly he dropped his "should." He started saying, "There is this problem. If you feel right, you can help me; if you don't feel like helping, it is your decision."
I said, "This is what real love should be."
IN TRUTH THAT WHICH YOU CALL FREEDOM IS THE STRONGEST OF THESE CHAINS, THOUGH ITS LINKS GLITTER IN THE SUN AND DAZZLE YOUR EYES.
What do you call freedom? -- mostly the political, the economic, the outside freedom, which is not in your hands, which has been given to you. It can be taken away. Only that which has grown within you cannot be taken away from you; hence, Almustafa says:
IN TRUTH THAT WHICH YOU CALL FREEDOM IS THE STRONGEST OF THESE CHAINS,
|
|
|
|
| |