Kuala Lumpur Photography Festival 2014 Finalist - Yong Lin Tan
As you lie on the ground with your eyes open, all you can see is the sky. The skies mean freedom; the clouds represent our thoughts, bringing forth the desire for something that grows with the passage of time. Freedom is a desire, a longing to be free. However, if we desire too much, we will be restrained. Imagine a monkey holding two or three bunches of bananas, if it does not let go, can it still climb the tree? Humans mind is more freeing than a soaring eagle, as it transcends beyond the sky over a vast, boundless universe. Raised on land, we always looked towards the sky, and naturally assume that we will understand freedom if we can fly. However for creatures that have flown all their lives, they gaze upon the ground thinking that it is livelier on land. Have we been living in a restrictive environment or are we bothered by thoughts that are not freeing? Only those who live in the present can experience freedom, because they are not tied down by the past, and are not anxious about the future. Perhaps we can imagine ourselves as a bird yearning for life on land, then silently lie back, watch the skies and enjoy the feeling of content. Instead of seeking freedom, try embracing freedom.