We are born without any say in the matter: in a certain place, into a particular family, and into circumstances that shape much of our future. We do not choose our birth, nor the body, gender, or health with which we arrive. We are also influenced by the forces of nature — the gunas described in the Vedas: goodness, passion, and ignorance.
Another important factor is our genetic makeup. When someone, for example, is born with an extreme or problematic genetic constitution, it becomes clear that not everything in life arises from free choice.
Within these conditions, however, we do have the ability to make choices. This is why we are both free and not free. Our relative freedom exists within the boundaries of birth, upbringing, genetics, society, and the gunas.
The only true freedom lies in the realization that we are the Self. Genuine liberation arises when we let go of our identification with body and mind. This is not an easy task, because society has given us a distorted image of who we are and has made the ego our highest priority.
Therefore, it is essential that from our earliest childhood — when we are not yet corrupted by societal conditioning — we receive this ancient knowledge. In this way, we learn to live from the inner Self and experience a freedom that does not depend on circumstances.
