If you stop to read these pages, it is probably because you are searching for something. Hello. I began my search in my childhood, early on. Initially, my parents guided me toward a religion. I learned its practice and, in part, its mysticism—a good start. However, after years of silence, I met a wonderful elderly couple. They, without intending more than to dialogue and show me another possibility of life, told me about Cafh. I thought and thought and thought about it. What could a homosexual do on a spiritual path when I felt I had no place and did not want to be in a religion?
It was the early 90s, in a small town, and I was 22 years old. While I had my doubts, I could not ignore my sexual orientation, nor my spiritual orientation. I decided at that moment to see if this was a path for me and was surprised to read: “The members of Cafh believe that our fundamental task is to develop ourselves spiritually and that, through our spiritual development, we can come to know ourselves and understand our relationship with life, the world, and the divine.” I wanted to know myself and explore my relationship with life!
However, a shadow of uncertainty remained in my mind. Although many spiritual practices have good intentions, they often involve rigid traditional conceptions. My dear friend Oscar, my guide then, surprised me by telling me that Cafh has the following principle: “Human beings have the right to exercise the freedom to think, feel, and decide about their lives without interference from others. The exercise of freedom is essential for human development and gives us countless possibilities…”
After 33 years, I am still on this spiritual path with much freedom. You might wonder why I am sharing this brief summary of my life. I want to share with you that the search you are undertaking is an individual inner process. Like other spiritual paths, we use methods such as the body, contemplation, and prayer; in Cafh, our method is Renunciation.
Let me explain briefly. On my way home from work, I drive over a hill. Generally, I listen to an interview program on the radio, but when I reach the hill, I lose the signal. There are two options: I stop on the hill by the roadside until the program ends, or I continue and miss the interview. Time flows, and we have only the option to decide what we do with it.
Similarly, life’s processes unfold, and we either sink into unconsciousness or take the unique opportunity to give direction to our lives. For this, it is imperative to know intimately what interactions I discover within myself about the world and the unknown to develop a deep, evolving consciousness. In Cafh, the set of actions for this potential evolution of consciousness is called the practice of Renunciation.
We perceive time by the duration of movements and the changes. The sea announces its presence with the waves that caress the shore. Similarly, we perceive the State of Renouncement through the practices of silence and meditation. Defining it as a state limits it or, worse, affirms it as a belief. Just as when you place your foot in the sea, the contact with the water allows you to look at and perceive the immensity of the ocean. As walkers, we reach it if we make that decision, and the experience of doing so is an intimate and personal encounter without the mediation of others. And the sea cannot help but receive us.”
