"Fight against yourself, recover yourself to decency, to modesty, to freedom. And, in the first place, condemn your actions; but when you have condemned them, do not despair of yourself. For both ruin and recovery are from within." (Epictetus, "Discourses", cca. 108)
"A Buddha is someone who finds freedom in good fortune and bad." (Bodhidharma, cca. 6th century)
"An Awakened person is someone who finds freedom in good fortune and bad."(Bodhidharma, cca. 6th century)
"No-mind does not mean the unconsciousness of wood or tile. It means that when you come into contact with external objects, your mind is immovable and does not get attached to anything. There is total freedom and non-obstruction. You are not defiled by anything. On the other hand, you should not abide in non-defilement either. While you view the body and the mind as a dream and an illusion, you nevertheless do not abide in the emptiness of dreams and illusions. When you reach this state, you have then really achieved no-mind." (Ta-hui Tsung-kao, 12th century)
"This is the substance of the Way of the Samurai: if by setting one's heart right every morning and evening, one is able to live as though his body were already dead, he gains freedom in the Way. his whole life will be without blame, and he will succeed in his calling." (Yamamoto Tsunetomo, "Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai", cca. 1716)
"Those who practice only in silence/tranquility, cannot establish their [internal] freedom when entering into activity. When they engage into worldy activities, their usual satori (enlightment) will eventually disappear without any trace." (Hakuin Ekaku, "Hitotsu-me Daruma" ["One-Eyed Bodhidharma"], cca. 1760)
"The strength and its functioning vary greatly according to the depth or shallowness of insight, and the corresponding freedom of action. It is for this reason that now as in the past students with the same insight and training differ as to strength and virtue." ((Torei Enji, "The Inexhaustible Lamp" ["Shumon Mujinto Ron"], cca. 1800)
"Jnana, bhakti, yoga and karma - these are the four paths which lead to spiritual freedom. One must follow the path for which one is best suited. But in this age, special stress should be laid on karma yoga." (Swami Vivekananda, "The Complete Works" Vol. 5, 1907)
"The most important lesson that man can learn from his life is not that there is pain in this world, but that it depends upon him to turn it into good account, that it is possible for him to transmute it into joy... Man's freedom is never in being saved troubles, but it is the freedom to take trouble for his own good, to make the trouble an element in his joy [...] that in pain is symbolised the infinite possibility of perfection, the eternal unfolding of joy." (Rabindranath Tagore, "Sadhana: The Realisation of Life", 1913)
"Man does not simply exist but always decides what his existence will be, what he will become the next moment. By the same token, every human being has the freedom to change at any instant." (Viktor E Frankl, "Man's Search for Meaning", 1946)
"Freedom and constraint are two aspects of the same necessity, the necessity of being the man you are, and not another. You are free to be that man, but not free to be another."(Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, "Wisdom of the Sands", 1948)
"Religions remain what they are. Zen is meditation. Meditation is the foundation of every religion. People today feel an intense need to go back to the source of religious life, to the pure essence in the depths of themselves which they can discover only through actually experiencing it. They also need to be able to concentrate their minds in order to find the highest wisdom and freedom, which is spiritual in nature, in their efforts to deal with the influences of every description imposed upon them by their environment. Human wisdom alone is not enough, it is not complete. Only universal truth can provide the highest wisdom. Take away the word Zen and put Truth or Order of the Universe in its place." (Taisen Deshimaru, 1981)
"The third point of reference is freedom of perception; it is intent; it is spirit; the somersault of thought into the miraculous; the act of reaching beyond our boundaries and touching the inconceivable." (Carlos Castaneda, "Power of Silence", 1987)
"Aikido technique is structured on circular movement, for harmony is brought about and all conflict resolved through the spirit of the circle. [...] A circle encloses space, and it is from the perfect freedom of this emptiness that ki is born. From the center of this birthplace the creative processes of life are joined with the infinite, immeasurable universe by the Spirit. The Spirit is the Creator, the eternal parent giving birth to all things. [...] Within the circle the ki of the universe is guided in the processes of creation, evolution, and protection." (Morihei Ueshiba, [attributed in Mitsugi Saotome, "The Principles of Aikido", 1989], 1983)
"Seek freedom and become captive of your desires. Seek discipline and find your liberty." (Frank Herbert, "Dune Chronicles: Chapterhouse", 1985)
"We all have beliefs and expectations from our personal experience; it is impossible to live without them. Since we have to make some assumptions, they might as well be ones that allow us freedom, choice and fun in the world, rather than ones that limit us. You often get what you expect to get." (Joseph O'Connor & John Seymour, "Introducing Neuro-Linguistic Programming: Psychological Skills for Understanding and Influencing People", 1990)
"By practicing letting go of our reactions we can find the doorway out. Each time we fail to respond to something, we have taken a big step toward freedom. Until we have done that, we are constant victims of our feelings [...]" (Ayya Khema, "Know Where You’re Going", 1991)
"Birth and death, decay and rebirth, the cycle of life - all is change. Change is life, and the ability to change is the essential element of growth. The freedom founded upon the realization and acceptance of this truth, that nothing stays the same, is the source of the power of true creativity." (Mitsugi Saotome, "Aikido and the Harmony of Nature", 1993)
"Kannagara is a way of intuition. There are no written laws, no strict doctrines of right or wrong. The only laws are the laws which govern natural phenomena and promote harmony. Kannagara is a way of supreme freedom, for the action appropriate to function in harmony with nature occurs spontaneously." (Mitsugi Saotome, "Aikido and the Harmony of Nature", 1993)
"One way to access the field is through the daily practice of silence, meditation, and non-judgment. Spending time in nature will also give you access to the qualities inherent in the field: infinite creativity, freedom, and bliss." (Deepak Chopra, "The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success: A Practical Guide to the Fulfillment of Your Dreams", 1994)
"There are many aspects to success; material wealth is only one component. But success also includes good health, energy and enthusiasm for life, fulfilling relationships, creative freedom, emotional and psychological stability, a sense of well-being, and peace of mind." (Deepak Chopra, "The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success: A Practical Guide to the Fulfillment of Your Dreams", 1994)
"Real joy means immediate expansion. If we experience pure joy, immediately our heart expands. We feel that we are flying in the divine freedom-sky. The entire length and breadth of the world becomes ours, not for us to rule over, but as an expansion of our consciousness. We become reality and vastness." (Sri Chinmoy Kumar Ghose, "The Wings of Joy: Finding Your Path to Inner Peace, 1997)
"Letting go gives us freedom, and freedom is the only condition for happiness." (Thich Nhat Hanh, "The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching: Transforming Suffering into Peace, Joy, and Liberation", 1998)
"Meditation is not the pursuit of pleasure and the search for happiness. Meditation, on the contrary, is a state of mind in which there is no concept or formula, and therefore total freedom. It is only to such a mind that this bliss comes unsought and uninvited. Once it is there, though you may live in the world with all its noise, pleasure and brutality, they will not touch that mind." (Jiddu Krishnamurti, "Freedom, Love, and Action", 2001)
"Until the whole world is free to agree with you or disagree with you, until you have given the freedom to everyone to like you or not like you, to love you or hate you, to see things as you see them, or to see things differently - until you have given the whole world its freedom - you'll never have your freedom." (Adyashanti, "book The End of Your World: Uncensored Straight Talk on the Nature of Enlightenment", 2004)
"Realizing that our inability to control life is not the same as having no way to navigate it, leads to freedom and liberation. Just because I can't control the sea doesn't mean I can't learn how to swim in it." (Rami Shapiro, "Recovery - The Sacred Art: The Twelve Steps as Spiritual Practice", 2009)
"Actual meditation practice is a constant act of freedom in the sense of being without expectation, without a particular goal, aim, and object. But as you practice meditation, as you go along with the technique, you begin to discover your present state of being. That is, we could almost say, a by-product of meditation. So it does happen that way, but is no good looking for it and trying to fit it into different degrees or patterns. That doesn’t work." (Chögyam Trungpa, "Transcending Madness The Experience of the Six Bardos", 2010)
"Where mindfulness is, true life, solidity, freedom, and healing also manifest. We all have the ability to generate this energy of mindfulness. Do walking meditation, breathe mindfully, drink your tea mindfully, and cultivate this energy that dwells in you, that illuminates you, and makes life possible." (Thich Nhat Hanh, "You Are Here: Discovering the Magic of the Present Moment", 2010)
"Freedom is possible. One in-breath alone is enough to set you free - from your regrets about the past, your worries about the future, and your projects in the present. In that state of freedom, you will make better decisions. Next time you have to make a decision, be sure to breathe in and out first." (Thich Nhat Hanh, 2015)
"Peace is within oneself to be found in the same place as agitation and suffering. It is not found in a forest or on a hilltop, nor is it given by a teacher. Where you experience suffering, you can also find freedom from suffering. Trying to run away from suffering is actually to run toward it." (Ajahn Chah)
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