and then there were six

Ecole Roue Libre

We are a group of 7 people embarking on an experimental journey which will involve cycling 850km from Kochin to Auroville.

We would like to share these experiences and describe the challenges and insights that this type of journey will reveal.

Travelling on your own is challenging enough and sometimes hard to make decisions, this time we were challenged further with 7 different minds, 7 different abilities and 7 personalities on an uncertain road, with uncertainty feeding many fires of fear. I believe that there is only one way to survive such uncertainty and that is to surrender to it, and that is the gift of India, the test, to live in the present overcome the problems as they present themselves, these are the daily challenges that often becomes a revelation, paradise or a problem.

Initially at the beginning I enjoyed the few days we had together going through a process of learning about each other revealing our abilities both good and bad, this I thought was a good place to start to make some sort of framework that would be suitable for us to function as a group. To survive, to grow. I could see the value of doing such work on these foundations.

The reality of cycling through India though with a group of people with mixed abilities and experiences proved to be something which needed to be re evaluated each day, as each person built up new experiences day by day and therefore realised there own capabilities. Decisions taken by the group that sometimes worked and sometimes did not. I had hoped that it would be an evolution where finally life and the road would teach us individually that we did need each other, that we all had our various abilities if we could harness them and integrate them into a single functioning entity then collective power would shine brighter than any individual light. When we were able to go beyond our own personal dramas, this quality did surface from time to time, changing the thinking from how am 'I' going to feel better, to how are 'we' going to feel and function better, if the 'we' is resolved then normally the 'I' feels safe and happy.

3 weeks was not enough really but did reveal a pattern:

1) The first week was easy enough for personalities to be kept hidden, as it is easy to survive a few days without really revealing you true feelings.

2) The second week it becomes too difficult to contain such feelings as the challenges of travelling soon brings to the surface all issues, and so conflicts start to arise.

3) The third week then becomes a period of truth, do or die, sink or swim, either resolve things or it all falls apart.

It bought to the surface various individual personality problems and conflicts, so instead of focusing on a group intention and adhesion, any spare energy was used to resolve personal issues.

It was an experimental journey though which proves that people are still not able to fully surrender, let go of ego, let go of fear, and to focus on a bigger picture which was the whole point of this journey to try to learn to work together.

We survived the experience, but just survived nothing more.

It did not fail, it was perfect in every way a truthful mirror to look at ourselves, what is our true intention? I don't believe we were meant to live alone, to travel alone, to experience alone, to love alone, but we seem to have created many blockages, maybe through education, culture, society, various selfish attitudes we struggle to break through this conditioning, only in times of real crisis do we forget ourselves and look towards our brothers and sisters for assistance and comfort, I need help please! is it really these people that we want to exclude from out of our lives, to judge, to gossip about, to fight?

I have been in Auroville now since 3 days, the group has gone its various ways relieved to have their own personal space again, but rich with memories of our experience cycling through some amazing places in India, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu.

Auroville seems to be a reflection of our own small dream of unity, that seems also to be fragmented, separate people doing their own thing but with the potential of great union. I hope one day this place ad all of humanity will come together the heart, the soul, still resonating strong a golden globe which resides at the center of all things and all beings.

Aum Shanti Shanti.