Lightening the Wagon: The Act of “Leaving” in the Spiritual Journey

Life is an arduous and long spiritual journey. To move forward on this path, sometimes we don’t need to add new things to our bags; instead, we must get rid of existing burdens.

In the America of the 1840s, there was a peculiar sight on the famous migration route known as the “Oregon Trail.” Pioneers heading West toward a new life were forced to lighten their wagons as they faced the harsh conditions of the journey. The roadsides were filled with priceless pianos, heavy oak furniture, antique chests kept for generations, and entire libraries. People had to abandon these treasures—symbols of their past—in the middle of the desert to survive. Those items were valuable, yes; but they were too “heavy” to be carried for the remainder of the journey.

This “Oregon Trail” metaphor, which I recently came across in an article by Kaan Gülten, sparked a light in my mind. He compared the tragedy of modern humans to those migrants carrying invisible sacks on their backs.

This made me think about the heavy chests I still carry in my own life. I wanted to open a “spiritual” window to this magnificent metaphor through the lens of Existential Development and Evolutionary Spiritualism. Spiritual teachings whisper to us: If you don’t empty that wagon, not only will you be stranded, but the path itself will disappear.

The Heaviest Burden: “Sacrificing Suffering”

What does that heavy piano on the Oregon Trail correspond to in our inner world? According to G.I. Gurdjieff and P.D. Ouspensky, the answer is startling: The hardest thing for a human to give up is not their pleasures, but their “suffering.”

Through a strange mechanicalness, humans do not want to let go of their grief, victimhood, and the injustices done to them because the ego feeds on these. This arduous spiritual journey is only possible by “sacrificing suffering.” You cannot achieve a “free” identity without leaving that “victim” identity in the desert. (Also read: Spiritual Exile)

The Cup Paradox: “If I Put It in the Full, It Doesn’t Take…”

Why do we struggle so much to let go? This is where the “Cup Paradox” appears. We need the water (new knowledge/evolution), but our cup (mind) is already full. Our folk poets described this helplessness as: “If I put it in the full, it doesn’t take; if I put it in the empty, it doesn’t fill.”

• Buffers (The Lid of the Cup): According to Gurdjieff, what closes the cup are “Buffers.” These are the excuses, prejudices, and defense mechanisms we create to avoid the sting of conscience.
• Forgetting to Learn: The guide Silver Birch summarizes it: “Before they can begin to learn, there is a stage of forgetting what they think they know.”

Being Locked in the Bardo: “Confusion” (Teşevvüş)

What happens if we cannot discard these burdens? Dr. Bedri Ruhselman, the founder of Neo-Spiritualism, explains the cosmic dimension with the concept of “Teşevvüş” (Confusion/Disorientation). If a human cannot abandon worldly passions and old files in their “full cup,” they experience great confusion after death. The soul fails to realize it has left the physical world and becomes trapped in an imaginary archive room created by its own mind. (Also read: Spiritual Freedom)

Energetic Blockage: “Hardened Energy”

Michael Newton and Silver Birch describe the fullness of the wagon as a “blockage.” Silver Birch says that grief and resentment create blockages in one’s aura. In his book Destiny of Souls, Michael Newton notes that anger forms black spots on spiritual energy that are “hardened like cooked eggs.” Forgiving is not just a psychological choice; it is an energetic detoxification.

The Solution: Clearing and Making Space

Emptying your wagon is the first step; the next is to ensure that what you fill it with truly nourishes your soul.

In her book Creative Visualization, Shakti Gawain gives the formula with the “Law of Emptiness”: For new and beautiful things to enter our lives, we must first make space by discarding the old. Unless you dare to leave that “piano” (the old) behind, the fresh energy of the universe cannot flow in.

Conclusion: Spiritual Journey and Freedom

The migrants in Kaan Gülten’s article likely cried as they left their pianos in the desert. But those who left the pianos were the ones who reached the “new world.”

Empty your cup today. Lighten your wagon so that this challenging spiritual journey can lead you safely to your destination.

Join the Discussion: I invite you to share your reflections and engage with a global community of seekers on my [Medium page]. Let’s explore the laws of the inner garden together.