Many people on this blog have already shared their personal answers to this question: why Darsi Pace? And why now?
I would like to attempt an answer as well, but to do so, I want to begin with another question: what is Darsi Pace?
Is it a cultural association? A spiritual research group? An ecclesial community?
From my experience, Darsi Pace is, first and foremost, a method.
It is a way of learning – a well-grounded approach both in theory and practice, gradual and wise. It is rooted in the history of human thought, yet it is a practical and concrete toolset that works directly on our physical, mental, and emotional bodies. Darsi Pace is, therefore, a method that wisely teaches us to do something.
And here we come to the central point: what does it teach us to do? What is it that we still need to learn which schools, society, and various institutions have not already provided?
I believe that Darsi Pace is a method for learning to live better.
We still don’t know how to live up to our true selves, which is why we are becoming increasingly chaotic, unbalanced, and contradictory.
There is an underlying restlessness and greatness in being human, and in being alive, which our many roles often diminish and repress.
We find ourselves alienated from our true selves, and the social and media systems not only fail to recognise this, but actively fuel and amplify our sense of alienation. This is often exacerbated by religious institutions as well. We suffer, sometimes without even being able to articulate our distress.
Philosophy, psychology, and the millennia-old religious traditions of the world have much to teach us about this.
Above all, there is a Master – Jesus Christ – who, through his historical and tangible life, has revealed a remarkable understanding of both man and God. When we reflect on human history, it becomes clear that these two issues – human experience and the divine – cannot be resolved in isolation from one another.
God and man, whatever meanings we attach to these terms, seem to be constitutively connected. Two thousand years have passed since the event of Christ, yet we may not have fully understood His intended message.
We need time; there is still much for us to learn in our everyday lives, one by one, and we must support one another to do so.
While the human issue has always existed, it is also true that today’s historical moment is pressing.
Globalisation, economic crises, and crises of faith and family are not merely sensational news headlines; they are tangible subjects of distressing immediacy. Are we truly equipped to understand the unique nature of the times in which we find ourselves?
Culture, religion, and self-knowledge are faltering; they seem to have reached a point where they risk imploding into their own self-referential tendencies. Meanwhile, our personal problems are overwhelming, and we lack an adequate frame of reference to understand them.
Therefore, these two dimensions no longer seem resolvable separately: the individual and the societal, personal history and collective history increasingly mirror one another, for better or for worse.
The fact that someone is providing us with tools to navigate the complexities of our lives and the world around us, to better understand and begin to change them, strikes me as wonderful news.
However, there are no illusions about finding ready-made solutions or shortcuts in Darsi Pace: this method is a journey where you are supported, but no one can walk the path for you. The work is personal and concerns nothing external; indeed, the subject I learn to work on is myself.
The goal is to achieve a freer, more authentic life, cultivate more fruitful relationships, and unleash our creativity. Basically, a newfound sense of joy, but from the very beginning, even in the initial steps. And after all you might even feel blessed to discover that there is already Someone holding your hand throughout this process, gently guiding you along the way.
This is why Darsi Pace, and why right now.