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So we value freedom a lot. It's a very important thing to Americans and to people throughout
the world - is to be free. And there are different kinds of freedom. We usually want the freedom
where we can go where we want to go when we want to go there, do what we want to do when
we want to do it, have what we want to have when we want to have it, be what we want to
be when we want to be it. And so we consider freedom the ability to do all of that,
but then we're constantly frustrated because we can't be, do, have and go whatever we want,
you know. We have a lot of Constitutional freedom, but then, you know, we keep... still,
can't get our way all the time, and feel frustrated about that.
But I think we need to look inside and see if our mind is free, because even if we have
the freedom to go where we want to go and say what we want to say, is our mind free?
And now we might think "Well nobody can crawl inside my mind and take it over, so,
yes, my mind is free", but if we really look, our mind's completely under the control
of ignorance, attachment and anger. And it's like Geshela was saying yesterday, you
know, the one person says one thing, then we're happy, and we're attached.
And another person says another thing, and "I don't like it", and we get upset. And,
you know, somebody else does something else, and "Oh, I am jealous". And somebody else
does something else and "Oh, I'm better than them". And, you know, it's like our
mind isn't free at all, you know? These disturbing emotions are just, you know, popping up all
the time without any control. And, to think that we're free because we can go
to the department store and buy anything we want - it's kind of crazy, isn't it? You know,
when your mind isn't free, and your mind's controlled by attachment, to think, you know,
you're free to go buy what you want, you know? Or this whole issue of 'hate speech',
you know - America has so much freedom, we can say we hate anybody, criticize, we say
any, you know, outrageous thing we want to, and we think we're free, but our mind's
totally controlled by hatred and jealousy and vengeful.
So, you know, if we really value freedom, then we have to, create a free state inside
of our own heart, you know, and that's by opposing the ignorance, anger and attachment
- and principally the ignorance, because it's the ruler of the whole thing, you know, because
saying the other day it's the real dictator that, um, doesn't let any freedom exist in
our own hearts and minds. OK?
So, when, you know, Americans we always - Fourth of July is coming up, right? You
know, it's the American Revolution, you know? We think "Revolution! Yeah!", you
know, "Our country was founded on revolution! We're going to do something new!". So
now when we go to teachings, that's the spirit we should have, you know? We're going to
overthrow the - forget the British, you know, they're not our problem. They're our allies
now, aren't they? But, you know, we're going to overthrow the self-grasping ignorance.
Yes? And that's what we're revolting against. That's, you know - instead of throwing tea
into the river, which, you know, what good does that do? Salt water tea? You know? We
should throw our attachment and our hatred into the river and then really have some freedom.
So that's, it's with that a kind of gung ho enthusiasm that we should approach the teachings
on emptiness.