During my summer internship abroad, I found myself surrounded by the freedom to do almost anything I wanted. I could set my own schedule, go wherever I pleased, and indulge in as many experiences as I desired. Yet, I felt trapped. The very freedom I craved led to procrastination, distractions, and a sense of purposelessness. I could have gone to countless museums or started personal projects, but I often found myself doing none of them. This unstructured freedom didn’t liberate me; it weighed me down with indecision and left me feeling disconnected from myself. It wasn’t until I returned to DRBU for fall semester that I realized the importance of having limits and structure. The responsibilities that come with being part of a community here, like catching the scheduled carpool for class, taught me an unexpected lesson: having fewer choices sometimes makes life feel more fulfilling.

The structured environment creates a unique sense of freedom. This isn’t the freedom of endless choices, but rather a freedom of the mind. The simple routine of attending classes, the shared community values, and the absence of constant distractions provide mental clarity that is difficult to achieve in the “real world” where material freedom reigns. The teachings I’ve encountered at DRBU emphasize that real freedom comes from within–from letting go of desires and attachments, and from being mindful of the present moment. Professor Doug Powers at DRBU once talked about this in one of our classes, explaining how the endless pursuit of desires creates restlessness and anxiety. This ties back to a quote from his book called Freedom Simplified: “acting on our desires might feel liberating at first, but in reality, it creates bondage and perpetuates cycles of restlessness”. His teachings helped me see that real freedom isn’t about chasing after everything I think I want—it’s about letting go of those desires to find peace and focus in the present.

This paradox of freedom and rules is something that speaks deeply to me. At DRBU, the structure and rules might seem limiting at first, but they foster a different kind of freedom, a mental spaciousness. The freedom I’ve experienced here is about being responsible, both for myself and others, and it has brought a sense of ease that material freedom could never provide. This balance between external limitations and inner freedom is a crucial aspect, which encourages mindfulness, responsibility, and the cultivation of wisdom. I now see that freedom is more about creating mental space, finding balance, and being present in each moment rather than chasing endless possibilities.