Bukowskis unburdening

Trust in no man nor woman to enlighten you
If they say they can lead you to a highly enlightened state then they are liars and thieves
Trusting in a person with a task such as this is bartering with your spirit
Your pockets may be deep but your soul will be shallow
You are the only person who has the power to free your mind
No drug nor contraption will make the task any less difficult
It is not until you shed yourself of this belief and give your spirit the freedom to lead your vessel to the threshold
Forsake everyone if you must
Forsake shelter if you must
Forsake higher learning for there is no higher knowledge than that of one's self
Forsake sleep and forsake food
Give yourself to the only God that has power over you and forsake religion
The time, and I speak of real quality time, should be dedicated to yourself
Isolation and self awareness are your only hope to save yourself from societal expectations
If you think you can benefit society by sacrificing yourself then you have already failed
You can't escape life alive but you can escape a life of prison inside yourself
Break your chains and free your mind and spirit
There's no better feeling than to have an unburdened spirit
The only thing stopping you is the only thing that you have control over
“If you’re going to try, go all the way. Otherwise, don’t even start. This could mean losing girlfriends, wives, relatives, and maybe even your mind. It could mean not eating for three or four days. It could mean freezing on a park bench. Or it could mean jail and derision. It could mean mockery isolation. Isolation is the gift. All the others are a test of your endurance, of how much you really want to do it. And, you’ll do it, despite rejection and the worst odds. And it will be better than anything else you can imagine. If you’re going to try, go all the way. There is no other feeling like that. You will be alone with the gods, and the nights will flame with fire. You will ride life straight to perfect laughter. It’s the only good fight there is.”-Bukowski