Seeking a spiritual community

Change is one of the most important values in Damanhur, and when I came to this community for the first time, I was completely fascinated.

My name is Aninga. I’m 22 years old, and what better age to revolutionize your life?

More than three years ago after finishing high school, I started to feel that what was usually surrounding me did not offer me satisfaction and growth. I wanted something more, to explore the meaning of life and the classic existential questions that human beings have always sought answers for.

In Rimini, Italy, where I grew up, in a young, cool and fun environment, I was fortunate enough to meet other brave and courageous youth who found themselves in the same situation as me. We asked ourselves the same questions: “How can we change? How can we create a reality where we can find healthier values ​​and principles?”

From these doubts and from this desire to seek something new, a small urban community was born in Rimini, which still exists and is called Assamil. The idea of community was the answer to the feeling of disintegration that many of us felt. The magic of being together led us to smoothing out our individual rough points and to feel like a part of something greater, going beyond the limitations of our egos.

On this wave, I came to know Damanhur. The desire I had to find a spiritual path aligned with my ideals had materialized. I think this encounter was one of the most synchronic and spontaneous events of my life. Reading the Constitution of Damanhur, seeing and understanding how the community is organized, getting involved in the School of Meditation, these are all pieces of the puzzle that came together within me and made me realize that this place is in complete resonance with who I am. Not only that: it has something to offer to me and the world! In Damanhur, I found an active container of knowledge and wisdom, an existence based on respect for life in all of its forms and the consideration that we, as human beings, are much more expansive than what we can see. With these potentials within us, we can connect to our most divine aspect.

What gave me strength in coming here was seeing the Temples of Humankind. Within me, I still feel the emotion, the beating of my heart, and the thought that everything is possible if we really want it. I believe that the strength of the community is this: having a common goal to reach and being ready to collaborate in order to achieve it. The Temples of Humankind are a great example of how we can accomplish an enormous work in this way. Another great stimulus is the path of Meditation, that is, the path of knowledge that Damanhur and Falco have organized over time, drawing from ancient traditions as well. Even when I was studying at university, this is precisely what I wanted to learn… not so much about theories, but real tools to grow and get to know ourselves and the world.

In Damanhur I found a home, and I felt that I could realize my dreams and my deepest goals here. Living here is a truly intense experience.

There are so many events and stimuli that you can only change, question and learn something new every day. In this process, other people are an accelerator, because with so many eyes around you, you can see the world from many different points of view. In the end, even if the guide of your life is and always will be you, you can at least consider the fact that you have been enriched by the diversity of others and some perspectives that you would have otherwise ignored!

Aninga