The necessity of self liberation

Liberation day reminds people of the freedom and happiness they have achieved after the end of a terrible era. All over the world people have obtained liberty from foreign colonial powers, tyrannical rulers and dictators at some point of history. This becomes possible due to the determined efforts and sacrifices made by strong minded individuals.Staying free is the birth right of every individual in this world. But along with enjoying this freedom, one has to be careful to see that this liberty does not harm another person in any way. A greater form of freedom which a person can achieve in his life is that from slavery to physical senses and negative instincts.Many living mortals never realize that in spite of being absolutely free socially and politically, they are still slaves to their physical senses. This is manifested in many ways if one cares to analyze. For example, knowing fully well that fatty food is harmful; an obese individual with hypertension and or diabetes cannot resist the temptation of eating deep fried snacks whenever available.Cigarette packets warn of the harmful effects of smoking, yet people smoke. Negative impact of alcohol and other abusive drugs like cocaine, cannabis, e.t.c., on the physical and mental health of men is an open fact. But still, many people use these substances regularly. The use is not limited to illiterate poor persons, but well educated and alert professionals also use them.It is the same with physical activity. The physical body with limbs has been provided by nature to human beings so that it is moved and used for work. It can remain truly healthy when moved and put to work regularly. With technological development and many machines and luxury items being available, many affluent people have forgotten to use their bodies to its optimum capacity. Even if one goes to the gymnasium for 1 hour daily but spends the rest of the day glued to a chair, the ill effects of sedentary habits are sure to catch up with him. Sex outside marriage with one or more partners is not only unethical but also the harbinger of sexually transmitted diseases and other chronic diseases like HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis B and C, e.t.c. Knowing this fully well, people do not hesitate to have extramarital affairs or even one night flings just for the sake of physical pleasure of a few moments.All this is practically happening in the present scenario across the world. This is the reason why in spite of miraculous advancements in medicine, people are still falling sick. The root cause of all these problems is that majority of the people are still slaves of their senses. They may be aware of the hazards of their not very healthy habits but find it difficult to quit them. Another area where people need to strive for freedom is liberation from negative human instincts. Greed, jealousy, selfishness, dishonesty, e.t.c., are some of the lowly form of instincts or traits possessed by human beings. Awakening of one or more of any of these instincts disturbs the mental peace and tranquility of an individual and also spoil his mental as well as physical health in many ways. Unfortunately, many people are not even aware that they are subordinates of these types of instincts. They do not feel happy and contented because their minds are clouded by these negative forces. If considered in a larger scenario, these negative instincts have been responsible for much chaos and suffering world over in the form of wars, genocides and tyranny heaped over people.Once a person realizes that he is subject to misery due to enslavement to his senses and negative instincts and thoughts, he can become determined to get free from them. It is difficult to do so but not impossible. With a strong mind and regular practice, this can be achieved. A totally liberated person becomes a superior person and always remains happy and calm. This helps in his worldly endeavors also ensuring success in his efforts.