Once upon a time, in the midst of majestic mountains, a brave courageous man, started his travels as a fierce fighter for human freedom and liberty. As he ventured on his path, he sought shelter for the night in a caravanserai, a place of refuge for weary travelers.
To his amazement, the caravanserai housed a magnificent parrot, adorned in a golden cage, uttering a single word with unwavering determination - "Freedom! Freedom!" The man was captivated by the parrot's fervent cry, for it resounded across the valleys and mountains, echoing the very essence of the bird's longing.
The man's heart stirred with curiosity and compassion. He had encountered parrots before and had often contemplated on their desire to break free from their cages. Yet, he had never seen a parrot so consumed by the quest for freedom that every moment, from the first rays of the morning to the serene embrace of night, was dedicated to this ceaseless proclamation.
Intrigued by this extraordinary parrot, an idea took root in the man's mind. In the stillness of the night, while the owner of the caravanserai was fast asleep, he decided to liberate the parrot from its gilded prison. With a gentle touch, he opened the cage door and whispered to the parrot, "Now, fly away. Embrace the vast sky, and freedom shall be yours."
To his bewilderment, the parrot clung fiercely to the cage bars, refusing to leave. The man encouraged the parrot repeatedly, urging it to seize the opportunity for liberation, assuring it that no one would know of its flight. But the parrot's grasp on the bars remained unyielding, and it continued to peck at the man, all the while chanting, "Freedom! Freedom!" The night's silence was broken by the resounding echo of the parrot's plea.
Unyielding in his determination, the man persisted, driven by his convictions as a freedom fighter. He finally succeeded in prying the parrot from its cage and set it free in the boundless expanse of the sky. Though his hand was injured in the process, he found immense satisfaction in knowing that he had granted a soul its freedom.
Content with his deed, the man retired to rest, dreaming of the liberated parrot soaring freely through the heavens. But as the morning sun began to awaken the world, an unexpected sound reached his ears - the familiar cry of "Freedom! Freedom!" The man wondered if the parrot had perched itself on a nearby tree or a rocky ledge.
Stepping outside, he was taken aback to find the parrot right where it had been before, back in the open cage. The door, still ajar, had not confined the bird's freedom. It seemed the parrot, despite the chance to be free, chose to return to the comfort and familiarity of its golden enclosure, still chanting its resolute cry.
Perplexed and contemplative, the man marveled at the paradox before him. The parrot, though free, had willingly returned to its cage. He couldn't fathom the reason behind such a choice, but he knew that perhaps there was something deeper, beyond his understanding, that bound the parrot to its cage.
Discussion Points
1. In our pursuit of Moksha, we might believe that freedom lies in possessing or gaining something external, like escaping the confines of a physical cage. Yet, like the parrot's inability to truly fly free while still clinging to its golden cage, our liberation is hindered by our persistent attachment to our individualistic minds, our ego.
2. The story of the parrot and its golden cage teaches us that liberation is not a mere concept or a distant goal. It is a profound transformation that arises from within, requiring us to shed the ego's constraints and cultivate a profound sense of unity and harmony with all that exists.
3. This story serves as a poignant reminder that liberation demands a profound shift in our consciousness. It necessitates shedding the layers of ego that bind us, limiting our understanding of the world and our connection to it. True liberation lies in transcending the confines of the ego and embracing the interconnectedness of all beings.
4. To achieve genuine liberation, we must embark on a journey of self-discovery and inner reflection. We must dismantle the walls of the ego that confine us and open our hearts and minds to the vastness of the universe. Only by letting go of the ego's illusion can we truly embrace the interconnectedness of all life.
Story Source: This spiritual story is from "Awareness: The Courage to Be Yourself" by Osho. In Freedom , Osho outlines three stages of freedom. The first is “freedom from,” which is a freedom that comes from breaking out of what he calls the “psychological slavery” imposed by outside forces such as parents, society, or religion. The next stage is “freedom for,” a positive freedom that comes from embracing and creating something―a fulfilling relationship, for example, or an artistic or humanitarian vision. And lastly there is “just freedom,” the highest and ultimate freedom. This last freedom is more than being for or against something; it is the freedom of simply being oneself and responding truthfully to each moment.
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