Topic: The Bohemian Journey
The Bohemian Journey
... or how truth shall set us free
It all starts with the nagging feeling that something isn't quite right about what we are told is reality, that a much better world is not only possible but necessary. Despite being told over and over by school, the media and our parents that it has always been and will always be like this, that we better have to "accept" this reality, we just can't. Something doesn't click. And we are determined to find what.
We soon discover others do not want to hear about this. We are bullied at school for not being interested in petty subjects. We suffer in the hands of teachers for asking the "wrong" questions. We end up lonely and depressed, and start wondering if they were not right after all, if we do have a "problem" for not enjoying this world like they do. But no matter how much we try to adapt, we just can't, and we know deep inside that we are lying to ourselves by doing so.
And this is how starts our journey toward TRUTH.
Not really having a choice, we explore just how far suffering can go. We isolate ourselves from society and take even more distance from the "reality" experienced by others. It becomes more and more difficult to relate with them. We are not sure if this is because we don't communicate well enough or if the others just doesn't understand what we are saying. Either way, the dark night of our soul brings us to the less frequented corners of the universe.
And then one day as we lie down on our bed, unable to stand up or even make a movement, it happens. We see ourselves suffering, but realize this suffering is not us. We observe these emotions as they come and go. The pain we feel may not be ours, yet it makes us feel alive. Every time it touches us, it gives us more depth, more understanding.
And this is where we come across BEAUTY.
This moment of clarity doesn't last long. Pretty soon we plung back into illusion, forget this is a dream, and let ourselves be moved again by the oceanic turmoil of our emotions. Yet periodically it happens again, often right in the eye of the storm, where we have the best opportunity to see the blue sky. This is not easy, but we feel grateful to be able to feel so many different things.
These short moments of awareness slowly allow us to better understand ourselves. We realize we can move more fluidly within the highs and lows if we accept whatever state we find ourselves in, if we stay awake even in our worst nightmares. The highs and lows tends to accelerate as we develop enough strength and confidence to feel comfortable within them. Our patience turns to compassion.
And this is when we discover LOVE.
This little bit of love gives us the opportunity to see the light at the end of the tunnel. We are again able to relate with others and, armed with some self-respect, we do not let ourselves be wounded so easily. At this point in our journey, we are finally allowed to meet other wounded souls. We gather the little bit of confidence we have and talk with them. We share, laugh and cry. Together, we remember who we are.
Others provide us with some pieces of the puzzle, and we soon realize we do the same for them. Life feels like a game, where we solve problems in order to move to different and more subtle challenges. The dream becomes more complex, the illusion goes deeper and deeper, yet it feels like we are all participating to an ecstatic collective liberation, and that at any given moment we have, and always had, all the clues we need to help us toward that direction.
And this is how we find FREEDOM.
