“If you wish to travel far and fast, travel light. Take off all your envies, jealousies, unforgiveness, selfishness and fears.”
—Glenn Clark
 

 heard the following story that comes from a group of mystic minstrels from Bengal known as the Bauls. I’d like to share it with you. It’s about a poor man, a very deep ascetic, who had renounced everything. Upon death, he reached the gate of heaven. He had nothing with him – he was naked. He had remained a naked fakir for many lives. He had not touched gold for many lives. He had not accumulated anything for many lives. He was a perfect ascetic. He knocked at the door of heaven, and the door opened. The man who opened the door looked at this ascetic and told him, “You can only enter when you have left all of your possessions behind.”

He was naked and with no possessions. The naked fakir started laughing. He said, “Are you a fool? I have got nothing. Can’t you see? Are you blind? I am completely naked without any possessions!”

The man laughed in return and said, “Yes, that I can see, but I can see much deeper also. Inside, you are carrying yourself, and that is the only possession which is the barrier. We are not concerned about what clothes you have, or have not, on your body. That is not the point. Whether or not you are carrying yourself, that is the only thing. You have to throw it out. Then you can enter.”

The ascetic became very angry. He was in a rage. He stormed, “I am a great ascetic, and I have thousands of followers on the earth!”

“That is precisely the problem! You have thousands of followers, and you are a great ascetic. Throw this out! Otherwise, I will be forced to close this door!”

And he had to close that door. The ascetic had to come back. Remember, only you are the barrier. That is why emptiness is the door.*

I warn people to watch out for anything that follows the phrase, “I am…” I tell them, don’t even bother with it. It’s a prison. The identities you cherish cripple you from the flexibility you need to pivot. It is why I say freedom is nothing.

Kris Kristofferson was right. Freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose!

It is a blank slate from which you can draw what you need in the moment. And then quickly discarded like a boat you would use to get to the far shore — no need to be burdened further by carrying it around on land.

But I’m also not saying discard your identities. No, that’s not it at all. I’m saying stop cherishing and preferring some of them. Stop trying to get rid of and fighting them. All of the multiple parts of you are incredibly valuable to you as you advance through life – from the soft-hearted animal lover who protects the innocent to the negotiator who helps you make sales and bargain for deals. An aspect of yourself talks to your mother, a different one talks to your friends, and yet another one talks to your children. All are at your disposal when you learn how to command your attention and call upon who’s needed.

But that’s only going to be possible when you stay empty. You’ll need to leave the storm between your ears by the side of the road. It’s just going to get in the way.

You’ll need to lighten your load so you can travel far and fast. For it is only when you’re free that goodness can emerge.

*This passage about the fakir comes directly from a talk offered by Osho.