Discipline — that which breaks the patterns

Question (Q): Isn’t it contradictory that I need to discipline myself in order to realize Freedom?

Acharya Prashant (AP): The one, who has a strong sense of bondage, only he needs to be freed; who else? The one who is abiding in freedom requires no freedom. Freedom is his very breath, so there is no question of striving after freedom.

So, when we say freedom, obviously there is somebody to whom freedom is applicable. Freedom word is applicable only to the bonded mind. Now, what is discipline with respect to a bonded mind?

The bonded mind behaves in a particular way, the particular way is such that it keeps the bondage perpetual, it’s a self-furthering, self-sustaining vicious cycle that masks the bondage, which names the bondage as freedom itself and in the continuation of which there is no apparent break, it can continue on its own till infinity.

There would be nothing that would come to break the cycle because the one who is in the cycle is the bonded mind itself; suffering, frustrated; nevertheless hopeful, and dissatisfied.

What breaks this cycle is called Discipline.

Discipline is that which can break the self-sustaining cycle of bondage. The freeman who abides in his freedom anyway has a beautiful, natural order in his mind, thoughts…