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November 2008

The Road to Freedom

The Road to Freedom

A Reflection on Attachment

I am an almighty and unlimited ship called LOVE. My thirst for freedom entices me to sail towards the infinite. “Cast off the moorings!” I scream. But nothing moves. Despite all efforts, I cannot manage to leave port. What is going on? That is when I discover that hundreds of lines are holding me back to the dock. And I believed that I was free!

These mooring lines are entitled: family, parents, children, names, coats of arms, signet rings, ancestors, patrimony, jewels, paintings, pictures, traditions, culture, roles, profession, diplomas, reputation, titles, ambitions, dreams, desires, country, homeland, royalty, religion, spirituality, order, party, organisation, friends, animals, beliefs, values, thoughts, ideas, science, laws, army, rights, privileges, acquisitions, land, house, place, possessions, income, savings, salary, physical appearance, clothes, beauty, youth, health. The list is endless. Am I doomed to remain tied up at port, bored to death and forever unable to fulfill my dream?

Strangely, what is holding me back represents people and things that I like. They should never hinder my freedom, but help it along. As I look more closely, I realise that each of these attachments fills one of my animal needs and brings me pleasure. Let us take an example – the love of my children. In reality, I do not love them, but I like the satisfaction they bring me when I open my heart. Their presence pleases my emotional body. What stops me from moving forward is my fear of losing this emotional pleasure that I call ‘happiness’. The truth is that I am the prisoner of my needs and of the people or things that satisfy them.

As I become aware of this, I take the decision to untie these mooring lines, one at a time. As long as I was held back in every direction, I risked nothing. I was safe and did not fear the storm. But as soon as I untie a few lines, I fall prey to fickle winds and I am tossed around by waves. The experience scares me. I could tie everything back and recover my former comfort. But I would need to give up freedom and accept to rot on the spot. “No! That is not possible!” screams my soul. I feel that I have lost all control, all bearings. I am left to myself, in an unbearable state of fragility.

The more mooring lines I cut off, the more terrifying the experience gets. Often, I want to stop everything, but I cannot go back. I aspire to freedom; it has become my raison d’être. So, I continue the process with determination and courage. Finally, I reach the thickest line called “I would rather die than…”. I am now facing the wall of death. Who is going to die – death or me? If I release this line, I die TO fear. If it remains tied, I die FROM fear. What a dilemma! What should I do?

I finally remember who I am and what I have come to do on this planet. I become conscious of the fact that seven billions LOVE ships have incarnated at this time to make the gigantic jump toward the new species. Some ships are tied in Asia, South America, Africa… and their moorings lines are torn away violently without warning. Others are locked in refugee camps or prisons, without the possibility of sailing away. Others still experiment war, injustice, torture, rape… without being able to say or do anything. All these ships incarnated so that I could see this hell-on-earth that I have created in my image and likeness. They contribute to the awakening of my consciousness, while I still have the choice of casting the moorings or not. I thank them and take the decision to play my own partition. I say farewell to my old world. I let go of all attachments and I sail away for good. Finally, LOVE can journey freely toward the infinite!

Will you come with me?