The Forest Within Us

I

A majestic forest stretches out before you, boundless and deep like consciousness itself. This is not just any forest, but a mysterious realm where towering oaks stand like sentinels, guarding the deepest secrets of life. Their trunks, covered in thick bark, reach upwards, striving for the light, while their branches are so high that they seem unreachable, merging with the sky.There is no chaos in this forest-everything is governed by a certain order, invisible yet palpable. The forest, much like adult life, is filled with possibilities, choices, and mysteries. As you wander among these trees, you feel a profound peace while simultaneously searching for answers to the questions that constantly arise.

II

The forest is vast and deep. You walk among the trees, wandering from one oak to another, feeling a sense of peace and harmony with nature. Each tree has its own story, its own experience, silently passing it on to you. The forest envelops you, allowing you to immerse yourself in its depths, as if all the answers to your questions are hidden there.Amidst this boundlessness, there is a place where the oaks have been felled, leaving only even stumps. They stand in three or four rows, as if someone meticulously planned their cutting. This place symbolizes the changes, losses, and trials we face in life. The stumps are located near a slope, next to a small house nestled in the lowlands. This house was once your first refuge, the place where your journey began. It was like childhood, where all the world's secrets were open to you, but without experience, you couldn't understand their purpose.

III

Sometimes, as you wander the endless paths of the forest, you find yourself accidentally returning to the house. You weren't looking for it, but the forest itself led you back to the place where it all started. Now, after all the trials and experiences, you see this house differently. Something that once seemed ordinary now takes on new meaning.And it is only here, near the familiar stumps, that you accidentally notice the slope leading upwards. Before, it was invisible, hidden from your eyes, but now, with new understanding, you see a path that leads to something greater.

IV

As you climb the hill, you begin to notice how the forest recedes below, becoming less significant, though it once seemed endless and inexhaustible. The hilltop reveals a view of a temple standing high on a mountain, rising towards the sky. Its walls, like white sails, catch the light of the setting sun, and it seems as if the temple itself unites the earth and the sky.Above each window of the temple hang golden crosses, which seem to grow out of the walls and stretch towards the very heart of the universe, striving to connect the earth with the heavens.

V

The foundation of the temple is made up of petrified human faces. These are the faces of those who, like you, set out in search of answers, climbed this peak, and found their truth here. They are frozen in stone, like eternal observers guarding the secrets of those who have reached this height. Their features are calm; they show no fear or regret. On the contrary, their faces radiate understanding and wisdom, which they gained by walking their path.You stand before the temple and realize that the forest, though vast, was only part of your journey. Now, a new horizon opens up before you, waiting to be discovered. You take the first step, leaving the forest and the house behind, and with the same confidence with which you once ventured into the forest, you now set out to wander the sky, discovering new truths and knowledge.Moving forward, you don't know what lies ahead, but you have an unwavering certainty that one day you will return to both the forest and the house, for every new path begins at the start.