5. THE ROAD TO PARADISE

SPIRITUAL JOURNEYS

ON THE WINGS OF A BOOK

Books about the search for the self are a big publishing trend in Northern Europe and in Anglo-Saxon countries. For the past 20 years, novels and sagas about spiritual growth have been bestsellers: “The Celestial Profession”, Coelho’s books, “The Secret”, “Who am I?” are just some examples of the numerous international bestsellers that follow on in the footsteps of 20th century writers like Richard Bach (“Jonathan Livingston”) or Hermann Hesse (“Siddharta”). Oftentimes, books allow us and our imagination to take flight. Each and every one of us has been inspired by a book that has changed our way of living or of looking at the world...

Video. BOOK BURNING

REJECTING WORLDLY GOODS

He left his wife and daughters and sought refuge in the mountains, where he lived for over 20 years. When he returned he was a different man. He started a religion that was destined to last for centuries. His name was Zoroastro or Zarathustra, a man of myth and legend who lived thousands of years ago. His choice to abandon worldly goods is often an obligation, especially for those who have chosen the way of religion. Worldly goods can refer to a place or an object, Zarathustra’s home, for example, or they can be riches, like for example, those rejected by Saint Francis. It can also refer to sex. Gandhi, Saint Augustine and Petrarch renounced sex in order to reach a higher level of consciousness and knowledge. All of these stories are marked by the distancing of the person from material objects or goods, which allows him/her to return to their daily life, metamorphosed. Leaving everything behind in order to find true freedom, this is the teaching of the wise men of every creed and philosophy.

Video. GANDHI PROMO

NEW ENCOUNTERS

Some have claimed to have met God, like Saint Paul on the road to Damascus. But maybe this is extreme example of what can happen to each of us in our daily lives when we meet an extraordinary person. It’s been said that a Master is someone who shines a light, who shows us the way. If we agree with this statement, then all of us have encountered "masters" who have guided our path. This issue is full of examples of this kind of story: people who have revolutionized knowledge or thinking thanks to an encounter with an extraordinary person. Gurdjeff, a leading figure of the 20th century dedicated one of his books to the great men he encountered in his life ("Encounters with extraordinary men"). It is difficult to imagine Carl Jung without Freud, Heidegger without Husserl, Plato without Socrates, to cite just a few examples of those who have had the good fortune to meet with a master before becoming an intellectual icon in their own right. And who hasn’t had the chance to meet someone extraordinary, even if it’s been via the internet, which allows us to contact and interact with almost anyone in the world. Oftentimes, the most extraordinary people are those who are the most giving of their time...

Video. TROISI MEETS LEONARDO DA VINCI

THE JOURNEY OF THE SOUL

Some say that the soul is the one true love of great men and of great women. This was a belief shared by the Ancient Greeks, religious people, numerous scholars and contemporary philosophers. A certain type of psychology directs the rational self towards the spirit, or towards something beyond knowledge, which Jung referred to as Humanistic Psychology and which has given birth to a number of new trends and ways of thinking. "Journey of souls" is also the title of psychologist Michael Newton's bestselling work. Like many others, Newton believes that the journey of the soul is a process towards greater knowledge, that can be realized by us all. He also believes that this journey goes beyond our earthbound existence or being. The increase in trends like "coaching" and "the science of fulfillment" may be a sign that psychology, whose initial aim was to cure neuroses, may also be an important tool in the individual growth of sane people. Understanding psychology may help us understand better the latent forces that accompany us on each of our life journeys.

Video. THE JOURNEY TO THE ENDS OF THE UNIVERSE

MEDITATION

It’s still the easiest method. It takes nothing to learn it. All you need is to close your eyes and to control your mind. Meditation can be divided into 2 schools: Western or Eastern (Transcendental) Meditation. The difference is that Western meditation consists in focusing your mind on something, for example, a thought, or your body or an image. Eastern meditation on the other hand, encourages you to empty your mind of all thoughts. Meditation is practiced by people all over the world whether they believe in a God or Gods, or not. They all agree that taking time for oneself everyday (from 20 minutes to an hour), to liberate the mind, is an essential tool for promoting happiness.

Video. RUN FORREST, RUN!