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HOME PAGE | LIBRARY TABLE OF
CONTENTS Afoot and
light-hearted I take to the open road, Henceforth I ask not for good fortune, I myself am From this hour I ordain myself loos’d of limits I inhale great draughts of space, Walt Whitman The modern world desperately needs a social revolution, and of a kind unknown to recent decades. Revolution in this case, does not necessarily imply an armed revolt or other aggressive measures. What it probably means is a quiet, nearly unnoticeable shift back to natural ways, a spiritual coup whose sheer strength of love and clarity overwhelm old world methods with a minimum of friction. In a variety of ways, a spiritual revolution has been attempted many times in recent history, yet a primary ingredient for lasting success in changing the human condition was missing. In our efforts to improve the inner state of our species we have relied too heavily on our own conceptions of spirituality, just when the need to simply listen to nature for spiritual advice was the greatest. Within nature the voice of God speaks to us through forest, stream and ocean. Our distant ancestors listened, but we seem to have forgotten how to receive natural wisdom. It is our needful task to re-learn this sacred ability. The
imbalances within the collective mindset are currently so great, that it
would be extremely difficult for any one person or group of persons to
affect widespread cultural change, from within a corrupt system.
Yet society is not the only system to which we may apply ourselves
in order to effect change. Natural
laws form a “system” that is universal, self-maintaining and evolving.
That which we call nature is more than just a collection of animals,
plants and minerals. It is also a highly organized, intelligent,
progressive reality, and when a person is willing to adopt natural ways,
they acquire the power to bring back to society the qualities of the
natural that it longs for. Unfortunately, many people are still too complacent to
challenge the assumptions of common thought, so that change can occur on a
widespread basis. The comfort
zone of the masses still provides too much insulation from our encroaching
reality. When environmental and international disorder prompt economic collapse, it will be then
that many more people will accept alternative ways.
There will be no more comfort zone, and no more false images to
keep us from the stark, unmistakable reality of the world we are so
casually destroying. This so-called “culture” in which we live has no stable
basis of its own upon which we may fall back, no real bedrock of
practical, daily measures that can compensate for increasing chaos. Advertising and propaganda have become the prime movers of
public thought, and given their content, this is not a favorable sign of
trends to come. It seems
likely that our society must fall by its own vices and short comings,
since the majority of humanity lacks the will to even acknowledge the
scope of world problems. If any lasting change is to be made to this
collective body with which we willingly or unwillingly associate, it must
first be undertaken through clarity and naturalness. Those who would
compassionately inspire such change in others, must cultivate their own
ability to discern the Truth and to be practical, taking what is useful
from this fallen age and discarding wholeheartedly that which is not. Attempts at social revolution in the 1960's and ‘70's had at
their basis the right ideology. An
emphasis upon personal freedom, spiritual pursuits, clarity of mind and an
open heart were unquestionably valuable, yet these qualities did not
capture the public focus as a high priority.
The 1960’s and ‘70’s did not have the clarity of purpose or
farsightedness to fully transform the old school of thought.
The inability of these decades to sustain a grass roots empowerment
of the people did not represent the failure of an ideal. The
failure was of its right implementation.
Those of us who understand such noble purposes as freedom of
thought and the empowerment of the people toward an enlightened age, still
remember the need to question everything and to determine through personal
experience, the answers to the truly important questions of life.
Despite all odds and the increasing tendency of humanity to destroy
itself in fear and regret, the social revolution must begin afresh.
It must never stop or yield to the status quo for any reason, for
within it are the very seeds of our survival that will sprout after the
winter to come. It should be
clear by now to the thinking and informed person that political, social
and governmental change can not be effected on a practical basis, so long
as the public is not honest about its own state of affairs.
We live in a perpetual state of denial regarding the horrors we are
creating and have created. The
world we have fashioned is strangling us, and it is not getting better
through its own accord or through organized public outrage.
In fact there is no organized public outrage.
On the contrary things are getting far worse year by year until the
inevitable collapse of economies, governments and material ideals takes a
major toll on human life. It
is not for us to ask whether or not such a collapse will occur, but when
it will occur. We must let
this fire burn itself out. Social
revolution is not a matter of weekly meetings, unfocused discussions or
catering to special interests. It
can only come about through committed individuals who actually live out
high ideals on a day to day basis. Genuine personal practices are found in
a person's life as the continuous basis for their reality. This is why it
is important to simply act now, today, after having considered the merits
of a spiritual and natural life. Mere
discussion and contemplation alone do not suffice.
Only action ultimately demonstrates the genuine intention to
transform our collective reality. The
person who consciously leaves the cult of materialism behind, and who
drives away in their own house on wheels is doing exactly that.
Living in your vehicle is a practical and unpretentious response to
a world that has lost track its own deeper motives.
Such a lifestyle makes a statement to that world, to the effect of
affirming the real values and opportunities of life, in a way that
demonstrates more interest in truth than in public opinion.
The social revolution begins here, self contained and mobile, ready
to meet the spiritual challenges of the coming millennium. As soon as you begin your new mobile life, the opportunity opens up
to immediately start improving your physical, mental and spiritual health.
The reader is urged to spend their newfound time and energy in
practicing various disciplines, which will enhance these important aspects
of the self. First, the revolutionary will notice an immediate improvement
of their physical health as a result of taking more time to care for the
body. Leaving behind the stresses and insanity of wage slavery, means
replacing the felt need for stimulants, depressants, junk food and other
indulgences. Chapter 6 will
speak of specific dietary, herbal and exercise recommendations that will
assist in reclaiming good health. Through
better and better health, you will find within a new sense of strength and
capability reminiscent of childhood. In a natural life time and energy exist for the purpose of
sharpening the mind, and clearing from it all of the useless garbage which
seems to fascinate the modern person.
The mind will again be your own instead of being dominated by the
idiocy of television, and the continual preoccupation with the work place.
In this way you will regain an appreciation for silence, for the
contemplation of what is truly important and for spiritual progression.
This may be called a process of
"finding yourself,” or in other words the realization of the
self as soul, and as a part of nature.
The reader will find specific practices in following pages
including meditation, progressive mental focuses and suggestions for
spiritual upliftment. Through
greater health and mental clarity, you will increasingly recognize through
direct experience, the necessity for rejecting society and a strengthening
of ones’ ties with Nature/God. Through newfound time and energy the natural person may redirect
their focus to a spiritual realization of self and world.
The once a week spirituality in this culture does not with any
honesty, genuinely reflect a dedication to spiritual ideals. Spiritual ideals are best understood through a continual
focus upon them, and do not depend on circumstance or financial
convenience to be exercised. There
are many, many people who speak often upon the subject of gaining a
spiritual life. Yet how many
of these people spend the majority of their time and focus lusting after
the same fame and fortune as does everyone else, while driving luxury
automobiles and living in enormous mansions?
How many of these convincing speakers actually do good and natural
works in their own lives? How
many truly seek the welfare of all peoples as equals, without taking
advantage of their notoriety for political or social gain?
When seeking out a genuine spiritual guide, remember the following
useful phrase, "Don't tell me, show me…and if you can 't show me, then don't
bother telling me." There
was a time, (in various places, cultures and ages) where the person who
renounced worldly accumulations was a respected figure.
Such renunciants or ascetics were considered truly spiritual,
primarily because their lifestyle actually demonstrated their convictions.
Any lifestyle in fact that does not demonstrate its stated
convictions is simply hypocrisy. The
ascetic traveler and revolutionary may be said to genuinely reflect their
convictions toward simplicity, practicality and even spirituality.
For this reason they are the true administrators of a new age.
If there was ever a genuinely needed full-time occupation that
would benefit the world, it is surely that of self-improvement.
No other life focus produces as much inner refinement, good works,
or lasting benefit for the self and the world.
Personal evolution is a full time occupation because is best had
through continuous focus and reinforcement.
Truth and the laws of nature, (as well as their application) are
subjects so vast that they can never be exhausted.
Wisdom is had through a realization of these laws, and it cannot be
cultivated through a part time effort based on convenience.
Your new lifestyle will give you the opportunity to explore that
wisdom. With it you will be
far richer than kings and corporate chiefs who have never bothered to
embrace the universal. Besides the improvement of body, mind and spirit, a simple
lifestyle will also afford the opportunity for involvement in various
group activities and creative projects. You will now have an opportunity
to devote much more time and energy in promoting their work as well as
your own. This new lifestyle
will also allow in-depth reading and contemplation.
New ideas and inventions, inspiration for important works such as
writing or speaking, and the improved health to carry them forward will be
yours. Creative projects of
all kinds, including painting, drawing, writing, networking, the formation
of your own group(s) and long term retreats for the purpose of gaining
spiritual insights, are all waiting to be discovered.
Through these projects you may reclaim a unique personal identity
and be able to demonstrate your positive contributions and intentions to
humanity. Keep in mind that you no longer spend year after year
catering to someone else’s greed. Now
you work for yourself, for nature, for God and for the good of the planet WHERE TO GO From mid-spring to late fall, the full time traveler should take
every opportunity to visit national and state forests.
The forest service can provide state and regional maps, which
display these in detail. A
more available source for information however, is the detailed road Atlas,
particular those which cover one state at a time.
A countrywide Atlas will also show the major national forests and
other natural areas, providing a good overview for the entire country.
Every local region has its own national public lands, as well as
state lands, which tend to be more restricted in their use. There is no
need then, to travel very far to visit one of these locations.
Before arriving at a given area however, it is a wise practice to
find out if there are any restrictions governing its use.
Choose locations with fresh running water,( or standing water if
necessary). Mountainous areas tend to provide the cleanest water, since it
is unlikely that they will contain any contaminants from up-stream
sources. In most national
forests the regulated period for the length of stay is usually a maximum
of 14-21 days. This rule is
not, and frankly cannot be strictly enforced, and it can also be
circumvented by leaving a specific location for a while, (4-10 days) only
to return to that favorite spot. By all means avoid so called “improved areas” set up by The
National Forest Service or the Corps of Engineers.
These areas generally have all the accommodations, such as
bathrooms, showers, electrical hook-ups and even cabins, but they are
little more than moneymaking schemes.
They cost anywhere from $5-$50 a night, just for the
“privilege” of being amongst some trees with 10-50 other people doing
the same thing, within 100 yards of your camp.
Such places prey upon an unwary and undemanding public.
Consider the absurdity of the already over-taxed person, trying to
use the public lands for which they have previously paid large sums to
maintain, only to find they are charged much more to enjoy them.
The forest “service” and public lands are primarily run by the
USDA, (Department of Agriculture) an agency which apparently takes the
view that the forests exist for the purpose of exploitation. They are
stripped by the highest bidding private companies, (through contractual
agreement) of wood products that are very often sold to foreign countries
for a profit. That profit is of course gained at the public expense, whose
loss of natural areas cannot be replaced by any means.
Such profits should at least be used to provide free access to all
forest service lands and facilities.
Those monies should also make the USDA and forest service
self-sustaining, and give the public a tax break due to the enormous funds
that are generated. The
public lands are for the people not for monetary profit. After stripping
the forests, these same agencies have the audacity to charge us high rates
for the use of the public lands which tax money already supports, using
the excuse that such monies, “help to support and maintain them.” The public lands should not be turned into expensive money
generating subdivisions, but this is exactly what is happening to them.
Not only are these so called “improvements”, (cabins, RV sites,
parking lots, gift shops, restaurants, lodges and fleets of green vehicles
carrying uniformed employees) paid for by tax money, so are the salaries
of those who run them. These
places unscrupulously gouge the citizen for even more money, so that even
more “improvements” can be made.
The public should not have to pay such rates just to enjoy nature,
and neither should you. It is
wise to avoid them altogether. Seek
out instead the “primitive” areas as they are called, which are the
“unimproved” locations of gravel road, stream and small clearing.
By-pass the noisy crowds, and truly be at one with nature by paying
nothing for the experience. Finding primitive areas will sometimes take a bit of exploration,
because the Forest Service will not tell you about many of the back roads
that lead to them. Neither
will the most accurate Atlas always indicate their presence.
After deciding upon visiting a given national forest, preferably
for many days or weeks at a time, look on the map to see which of the
smaller highways pass directly through or by it.
When driving down these highways look for unimproved but passable
roads, especially ones which lead to water.
Most of these are the result of previous logging ventures.
The most ideal of the back roads lead not only to water, but will
also conceal your vehicle from the roadside view due to their length. Once you have found a good location overnight parking is no
longer a problem. Then a
daily exploration up and down the main roadway for other locations for
equal or greater merit can begin. Such forest locations are absolutely ideal for the in-depth
purification of body and mind. As soon as you arrive pitch a tent, get
some deep relaxing sleep and begin regaining the naturalness that is our
birthright. Allow for many
days of undisturbed rest to facilitate deep inner transformation.
Watch your health and clarity of mind improve day by day.
Cook for yourself with natural, simple foods.
Go on long hikes, jog, meditate or pray as you feel the need.
You will find the natural setting and the use of such practices, an
invaluable combination for personal empowerment.
The value of these “vision quests” cannot possibly be
overstated, for there are immediate as well as profound benefits that tend
to defy mere description. Seek
out the deep woods and experience these benefits for yourself. When visiting various cities and towns get a copy of the local
calendar of events. These
will list concerts, festivals, special events, club meetings and other
activities that may prove interesting and beneficial.
Definitely visit the local Chamber of Commerce if you plan on
staying more than a day in any given location.
The Chamber of Commerce will provide free local maps, telephone
books and other valuable information upon request.
When arriving in a given city or town it is best to do so early in
the day, so that you can find a good place to park, preferably outside the
city limits on national or state public lands.
If this is not possible or if such lands do not allow overnight
parking, then an overnight stay in the city itself can become quite a
task. You may have to pay for parking, which depending on the city
can be expensive, (though it is usually not).
The crafty traveler will very often find ways to park for free
without being particularly conspicuous.
Large 24-hour grocery or variety stores are one good option.
Another is residential side streets, particularly those which
harbor large apartment complexes. These
areas must provide parking for many visitors, and if you keep a low
profile no one will know that your are not the guest of a resident.
When in such a situation, particularly at night, never use an
observable light source, make noise or noticeable movements.
As long as you remain inconspicuous, have curtains which cover all
visibility from outside view and the doors are kept locked, then you will
rarely experience any problems. Except
in rare circumstances the only people who will approach are the police. Even they will only do so when something seems out of the
ordinary. Keep all tags
current. When spending a long time in a given state, the display of local
plates will make you less conspicuous.
In
terms of practical convenience, the city setting is just not very ideal
for long term stay in a vehicle. If
you must stay many days in such a place, try to do so next to a park,
(which usually has a good amount of uncommitted parking surrounding it)
particularly one that is bordered by an apartment complex.
Take showers at the YMCA or other health club.
Some may offer you weekly specials as a term of trial membership.
At other times you may have to pay the expensive daily fee that is much
more than regular membership. Whenever
entering or parking in a given neighborhood, listen to what your intuition
is telling you about how safe or desirable it is to stay there. Depending on circumstances this may require a subtle balance
between intuition and logic, but in most cases common sense will prevail.
As a last resort you can park after hours at small auto repair
shops amongst vehicles that need repair.
In most cases no one will know the truth of the matter, especially
if you pull away prior to the opening of business hours the following day.
The major highways also provide rest stops every 20-60 miles or so. For the self-contained traveler these can provide suitable
(temporary but not overnight) accommodations at no cost. The
better option is to stay at the "Travel Plazas" along the
interstate highways, for free parking, showers and meals. When staying long term in a given area it can be useful to obtain
voice mail services, as well as a P.O. box or private mailbox, in the
nearest town or city which offers them.
Libraries and colleges can provide Internet access in addition to
their usual services, which is another option for receiving or sending
communications, (when you have an e-mail address). When traveling it is often wise to convert your existing funds into
travelers’ checks, which in almost all locations are as negotiable as
cash. If for any reason these
are stolen, lost or damaged they can be replaced by the issuing agency so
long as you have recorded their serial numbers.
When on the road it is wise to be security minded even when parked
in the woods. Don’t leave
your vehicle unattended for long periods of time, especially in the city.
Lock your doors at night when asleep as a matter of habit. THE TRULY LOW COST OF LIVING The cost of living for the live-in van or RV owner is remarkable
low. Except for the winter
months there is no cost of utilities whatsoever.
There are no electric, water,
or sewer bills, no property taxes, no rent and no hassles.
If you do most of your own cooking, which is extremely advisable,
use such inexpensive and natural foods as those listed in Chapter 6.
Spending only $150/month/person is a very achievable goal.
When a couple travels and lives together in this way, such a
lifestyle becomes even more efficient.
Situations where more than two persons are living on the road
should probably involve a vehicle that is larger than a van.
It is advisable for a couple with children to consider living in a
small to medium-sized RV instead, even though it does tend to be more
costly. For the spring,
summer and fall months of the year, the major expense will be food, herbs
and other supplements. The
next major expense will be gasoline and the occasional automotive repair.
For the winter months, consider traveling south to Florida, Texas,
Arizona or the lower southwest, including southern California.
As long as the environmental temperature does not dip too low, this
lifestyle can be very pleasant. If
you must stay in more northern areas of the country, then you will
definitely need to obtain some source of electrical power for warmth and
lighting, because more time will be spent indoors.
It is possible that a generator with a significant reservoir of
fuel could provide adequately even in remote wilderness areas.
A more probable alternative is to find a well-priced RV campground,
which has bathrooms, showers, electrical and water hook-ups. With a ready source of power, a small space heater is almost
always enough to keep warm. For
lighting rely on candles, clean burning lanterns or fluorescent, hand-held
lights that are powered by the cigarette lighter as much as possible.
Candles can be bought at thrift or dollar stores at a modest price.
As for clothing in either the summer or winter mode, (shoes, boots
and rain gear and the like) such items should also be purchased at the
thrift store. These is so
much waste in this country, with so many clothes and good equipment being
thrown or given away every day, that there should be no problem obtaining
any of these at low prices. No
one will even know that what you have is not “new.” GENERATING EMERGENCY FUNDS The “working to
live instead of living to work” philosophy, is one in which a job is not
considered a measure of ones’ worth.
The view that occupation defines self-image is frankly absurd.
When you do run low on funds, remember that you don’t need a
flashy job title to earn enough to get by.
Naturally you will need a greater reserve of cash for long distance
travel and for the winter months. In
almost any location in the country, temporary jobs may be found which pay
more than enough to give you lasting support.
Even at $5 net/hour, for 40 hours in a given week, the $200 earned
will provide most of the rental for an RV campground space or for 5 weeks
of food and supplies. Look in
the local newspaper or simply ask around for who might need help.
Experience in the trades of electrical, carpentry, plumbing,
housekeeping, remodeling, automotive, etc… will make it easier to find
work, yet these are not a prerequisite.
Another method for obtaining quick cash is to seek out the local
“temp” agency, which contracts with various employers for temporary
labor on short notice. With
all your spare time you can also find a market for any works of art,
crafts or writings that are the product of your journeys. Living as a free person without unnecessary attachments, involves a
practical life that leads one to find their own conclusions and solutions.
It is a dynamic form of self-education which no amount of formal
training at high costs could ever compete with.
Spending time in nature with ones own natural self, away from the
insanity of modern culture forms the basis of a vital life.
It allows direct experience of the principle and practice of
natural law. The meeting of a
variety of people offers experiences whose value most others could only
guess at. This is an
authentic education whose product is wisdom through genuine experience.
Part of the fallacy of the modern world is that a person must go to
college to know anything of value, and to “make something of
themselves.” The real
meaning behind college, (generally speaking) is the memorization of other
peoples ideas and the regurgitation of that knowledge as a demonstration
of “expertise.” Knowledge
itself is not expertise; it is only one theoretical opinion.
To be honest about modern education is to say that it primarily
exists for the purpose of justifying tuition costs, government funding,
corporate tax breaks and the image of success in Western society. To understand how this is so we need only look once again to
the foundation of our social values, summed up in a single word; MONEY.
The whole ideal behind “education” has become extremely questionable,
in that all attempts to justify it are aimed at the making of more dollars
per year. Education has
become a process of conditioning for the individual, rather than as a
journey toward personal enlightenment or empowerment.
It is not about thinking for yourself.
It is a process of merely excepting the material given as though it
has some practical, living value when in fact most of it does not.
“Education” is primarily about the wholesale and unquestioned
absorption of other peoples’ ideas, for the ultimate purpose of serving
the corporate marketplace. The
only real "higher education" that one can receive is by means of the
natural, and through the application of natural law.
Higher education means communing with God and your own soul. It is
the expansion of your own consciousness through direct experience. If the product of a college education is in fact the
enlightened individual and a better world, then where are all these
enlightened individuals? Where
is this better world? A
person can learn more about life in one week of practical application,
than in a year of theoretical speculation. Just as there is no answer found in today’s formal education to
the real questions of modern living, there are also no solutions to be
found in political reform. Our
government has become a tyrant that does not respect the sovereignty or
civil rights of the individual. The
true idea of government is the representation and administration of the
peoples’ will, in accordance with their greatest welfare.
Government exists for the purpose of serving the people.
The general attitude today is that the people exist to serve the
government. This attitude
represents a betrayal of the public trust on behalf of greedy politicians,
military and civil leaders. The
idea of democracy or consensus rule is a good one, but it is one that has
failed to take root in our daily reality.
Decisions regarding the state of the world, of environmental
welfare and of the life and death of others we shall never know are being
made for us even without our knowledge, let alone our consent.
The tax money we pay supports corruption, welfare, over-inflated
government and corporate greed more than it does the common good.
All attempts at political reform to change our state of affairs have failed, because as we can see, the daily reality grows only worse and not better. Both of the political parties in our present system make a show at being at odds with one another, when in fact they stand for the same corruption and the same money making agendas. The intelligent person must conclude that there can be no political solution for significant and positive change. There is too much inertia behind corruption, and the public is simply too distracted and conditioned by the media to raise an effective revolt. Therefore, we must take right living into our own hands. If we cannot remedy the system as it currently stands, than we can at least live is such a way that does not contribute to corruption and to the childish fixations of the market place. We must each live free and strong in a manner that is as independent as possible of a system which will eventually destroy itself. The good and progressive people of the world will not be destroyed with it. They must preserve themselves through natural and simple living, and by recognizing what is of true importance. Through love and clarity will such people live, rather than through the vices of materialism. Matthew Webb
visionquest@eoni.com The World Mind Society http://www.eoni.com/~visionquest |
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