A “Quesito” can be loosely translated to English as “Quest”, though its meaning is so much more. In Damanhur, the 8 Quesiti are often referred to as the road to enlightenment. These Quesiti are deeply integrated into the workings of the Damanhur structure on a spiritual, social and practical level, so we can experiment with living the path of the Quesiti fully and perfectly in the context of Damanhur life.
With that said, the meditations and practical suggestions offered by the Quesiti can be practiced by everyone, since they work in a universal way. They combine the laws of Spiritual Physics with the development of our chakras (called Adonaj-Ba in the Damanhur Sacred Language). Integrating the teachings of each Quesito, we discover the philosophical basis for new ways of thinking. These perspectives serve as the foundation for our actions, moving away from egoistic behavior and towards wholeness within ourselves and love for others.
The 8 Questiti are to be experienced in a sequence, as the understandings of each Quesito build upon the wisdom, power and actions achieved in the Quesito before it. This progression leads to an accumulation of spiritual energy and centeredness within the self, in order to reach the illuminated state.
Sounds interesting? Let’s dive right into it!
The First Quesito – Complete, responsible action and free will
Here are some of my thoughts on the First Quesito, which came to me while meditating on and applying this Quesito in my life.
The key to action is “indifference.” Not indifference in the sense that, “I don’t care what happens as long as I can watch TV.” What I mean by indifference is discovering that very subtle indifference that is discussed in the Bhagavad Gita by Arjuna and Krishna. So let’s say that I complete an action, and normally there is something in it for me. Let’s just imagine that we as human beings have a tendency to act if we understand that there is a personal benefit or an advantage of some kind.
Going into the spiritual interpretation of indifference, I find that the idea behind this kind of action is closely related to selflessness. Acting with this type of indifference, I have learned that when renouncing personal gain from the actions that I do, acting selflessly, there is a purity of intent to my actions and release the intention of personal gain and personal growth at the expense of others.
It is important to act though, with courage and this kind of purity. In this way, I can act as a catalyst and expand this consciousness of our personal power, used toward
moving synchronicities and events for the evolution of the whole. Every one of us has this power and potential equally, though it is used differently based on knowledge and experience.
The chakra (Adonaj-Ba) that is connected to the spiritually indifferent action of the First Quesito is the heart chakra (in Damanhur called “Naljmaat“), and the color associated with this Adonaj-Ba in the Damanhur tradition is orange. It’s a beautiful and fitting metaphor, the heart. It pumps blood in our bodies for us our entire lives, acting decisively and selflessly. The heart becomes the center of all our actions.
Here are two simple exercises to exercise Free Will:
1. When you get up in the morning, go to the mirror. Give yourself a big smile and tell yourself that you are the director of your own life.
2. During the day, if you find yourself in situations where you can propose things in first person, do it immediately. Be an active agent of change in your life and in the world.
I find that this helps to get me out of a continual feeling of incompleteness, moving toward sensations of completeness. In this way, I feel empowered and in control of my own life. Well… beware! because the Second Quesito is continuity, helping us to be constant in our actions and free will choices. In this way, we take the responsibility of Free Will to yet another level.
Have fun and be free!
