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Freedom Lecture

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The First SAMANVAYA Freedom Lecture

"What is True Freedom?"

by Srimat Swami Ananthanandaji of Sri Ramakrishna Ashram, Ulundurpet

“An India awakened and free has a message of peace and good-will to a groaning world.” – Mahatma Gandhi

Left to Right: Swami Vimurthanandaji, Swami Ananthanandaji & Sri. A.V. Balasubamaniam

The first freedom lecture was given by Srimat Swami Ananthanandaji, President, Ramakrishna Ashrama, Ulundurpet. The lecture delivered on a pleasant evening was attended by a gathering of about 150 guests including home-makers, artists, intellectuals, academics, activists and professionals.

The programme started with an invocation song in Tamil written by Subramania Bharatiar. Welcome address was by Ram, Chief, SAMANVAYA. This was followed by a short note on the activities of SAMANVAYA by priya, SAMANVAYA. On the dias were Swami Ananthanandaji, Shri. A.V. Balasubramaniam, Director, Centre for Indian Knowledge Systems, who presided over the function and Swami Vimurthanandaji, Editor, Ramakrishna Vijayam, Tamil magazine of the Ramakrishna Order.

After presenting Khadar garland to the persons on the dias, the meeting commenced with an introductory speech by Shri. Balasubramaniam followed by the Lecture by Swami Ananthanandaji.
Swami Vimurthanandaji gave a short blessing speech in the end. Ram gave a concluding note, and the meeting came to an end with the Sanskrit song, 'Maitrim Bhajatham' a Peace invocation song composed by His Holiness Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi Swamigal, earlier Shankaracharya of Kancheepuram. Both the invocation and concluding songs were sung by Ms. Sangeetha Sriram, Associate, SAMANVAYA.

A Summary of the Lecture :
Shri A.V. Balasubramaniam called the day's event a very special one and went on to explain why it is so.

He declared that it is the wise/noble men and the ascetics of the land who can talk about freedom. It is the acharya who practices, hence he is the one to show the way of dharma. The ascetic is above even the king of the land for showing people the way of justice and dharma, since they are above all fear and partiality. This event is special because an ascetic is going to speak to us. Swami Anantanandaji Maharaj, who inspires everyone with energy and compassion, from Ulundurpet Ashram, where I am energised anew everytime I go.

Swami. Ananthanandaji, Sri Ramakrishna Ashram, Ulundurpet

Swami Anantanadaji maharaj had the audience rapt with his thought-provoking questions and captivated by his light-hearted humour. "In today's modern world, freedom is associated with external action and being freed from what we suppose to be restrictions. We want to be free to do all that we want. But we dont think it is bad to be slaves to bad habits, inferior people etc. We only want to break free of higher thoughts, ideas and this we call freedom. We are slaves to jewels, jeans, cell phones, coco cola, fashion and modernity. We are slaves to such inanimate dead things! All this is acceptable to us; this is not slavery, we do not want freedom from these things. We think we are free. but are we really free? I am not slave to high thinking and ideals, great people, and noble deeds, but i will be slave to jeans. We do not know about our country, her great noble people.... all that we know is what we learnt from the macaulay education system.

Today we do not enjoy freedom in our thinking but want an inferior freedom from these supposed restrictions... we have dismissed our culture and history as simply stories of the past, these are restrictive for us ...and are today drowned in the intoxication of freedom, of things that have come to us from outside - those that make us weak.

Even in abject poverty, our ancestors have only spoken the highest noblest ideas and thought the highest thoughts, like Subramania Bharathiar. That is how we should be. what we need is education - a true education ours which strengthens us, not that which makes us weak in thoughts and ideas and makes us slave to these inanimate things. If we have to be slaves, let us be slaves to Truth.

When we say we want a 'good' doctor, or a 'good' lawyer, what do we mean? What is this 'good'? We want to be sure that this person will do our work as best as we would do it for ourselves - so his work and responsibility inspires in us that trust to rely on him." At that, he leaves us to make the connection between one's inner freedom and his responsibility and reliability.