Spartacus

If you think that this is about THAT mini-series, then you will be sorely disappointed. This is not about the HBO Spartacus which reek of violence and sex. The Spartacus that I am talking about is the one where each and every one of us will encounter at some point of our lives. How you deal with Spartacus will determine the outcome of your lives.

First of all who is this Spartacus? Spartacus was a Thracian slave who became a gladiator and then later an insurrectionist. He was famous for fighting for freedom. Freedom from being oppressed. Freedom from being slaves.

Many of us today are slaves to oppression. We allow our minds to be oppressed. We let our souls to be enslaved to oppression. We let oppression dictate how we should walk and live our lives. We allow oppression to creep into our lives to the point that it cripples our being and cause our minds to cease to think.

1. Tradition

What is tradition? Tradition is a long established or inherited way of thinking and acting. And many times, these traditions have been the cause of breaking up marriages, families and lives. You MUST do this, you MUST behave in this manner, you MUST live in this manner. If not, the ancestors would be displeased with you. The family would be upset and disappointed with and in you. And if I were to follow and obey in my actions only, but not in my heart, do you think that it is acceptable? In order for a tradition to exist at any time, it has to be created. So who says we can't break tradition or even create a new one? Must we live in oppression for the sake of tradition till it robs us of our joy for life? Or is that a new tradition to be living in oppression?

2. Relation

How many of us have been slaves to the thinking that blood is thicker than water. I beg to differ. Blood is NOT thicker than water because I have seen with my eyes how mothers betray their sons and their sons’ marriage and happiness in order to wield their control and for money. I have seen with my eyes how family members latch themselves on to other family members and suck them dry like a leach/parasite to the point of death. And all these are done under the term 'We are family'. And many of us allow ourselves to be suckered into this oppression and be manipulated, taken advantage off to the point of being buried six feet under.

'But she is my mother!' 'They are family!' many would say. Family to the point of allowing your soul to undergo a slow death from the toxicity of that 'relationship'? Family means people who genuinely love and care. Some family members can never be embraced as family. And yes, some mothers can never earn the title ‘mother’. They will either kill you with their demented ways, or destroy your life with their toxic ways and then leave you in the middle of the road to be added to the statistics of road-kill. You either flee from them forever or stay and die.

3. Submission

Many times on the pretext of religion, people are oppressed into submission. The leadership demand absolute obedience with no questioning whatsoever. He who questions is deemed as a rebel and is labeled as an outcast. 'If you love God, then you will obey' has been hammered and shoved down too many people's throats. 'If you love God, you will behave in this manner, speak in this manner and live in this manner' mantra has been abused one time too many. It is time to break free from this oppression. Religion is supposed to give you peace, not rob you of your peace and to oppress you into submission.

4. Deviation of Information

We have been given a body, a soul and a spirit. We allow ourselves to be oppressed into thinking that it is only the 'spirit' that needs feeding. If so, why were we given a body and a soul? The body and soul too needs to be fed. The mind is part of the soul. The mind needs to be fed with the knowledge of the world. You need to feed your mind with knowledge. Then only will you be a double-edged sword. If you are one that only feeds the spirit, it comes to no surprise that you are constantly ‘floating’ about in this world and not grounded with both your feet firmly on the ground.

I have met Spartacus 32 months back and by embracing him, I have been set free. No longer am I a slave to the arena who lust wantonly for blood and gore. At the end of every tunnel is still Death. It is your decision in allowing yourself to be set free that will dictate whether your walk to meeting Death at some point of your life is through the dungeons or as a free man.

Morpheus: I'm trying to free your mind Neo. But I can only show you the door. You're the one that has to walk through it.

- Matrix (1999)