By Today was a chilly yet comfortable autumn day with the sun and the clouds peeking in. I had worn my leggings and my favorite warm fluffy sweater as I walked my puppy. Rain showers keep on peeking in as the rain is playing hide and seek with me.
My apple tree still has apples on her for all the visiting deer, yet all the leaves are falling off. I watched a mother and baby deer take a break during their lunch as they watched me for a while. Then, they resumed their lunch. The trees all around have announced the arrival of winter. I knew I must get all the fire logs ready to warm up my log cottage.
My life has been devoted to the spiritual awakening of the mind, body, and soul.
The wellbeing of the human mind is directly interlinked with our daily life and the way we live our life.
Humans with humanity are the only cause that bonds the humans with one another. No relation, but just the human love. The complete sacrifice that but brings satisfaction to the mind, body, and soul. This is not a sacrifice, but all the love for humans and humanity. This is my life’s goal, and as I walked I thought of a faraway land and her founding father.
Another soul from another time period, I have not met him, yet I feel like I know him somehow, someway. The journey of his life has been written within the pages of history. I will not talk about a historical figure, but only the spiritual awakening of the historical figure. It was his awakening that led to the awakening of a great nation. Humans with humanity, accepting the differences, yet keeping one’s own faith and protecting others from being punished or criticized for their beliefs.
I have not met him as time had not allowed me to meet or greet this great man. As I landed within this nation you today know as the Netherlands, I saw his statues were all around this land.
The complete human values that but only awaken a complete nation for the wellbeing and the wellbeing of all involved, were born within a brave soul, you all know him as William the Silent (Willem van Oranje).
He was born on April 24th, 1533 in the House of Nassau as Count of Nassau – Dillenburg and he had left this Earth on July 10th, 1584.
In 1544, he received the title of Prince of Orange. William the Silent was the founder of the House of Orange. He is the ancestor of the current royal family of the Netherlands.
William the Silent was a man who had been very close to God. As the Protestants were being prosecuted for their religious beliefs, he had objected. This had struck the humanity within him. Even though he was born and raised a Lutheran, he had the upbringing and education of a Catholic.
In 1554, his cousin, Rene Of Chalon, Prince of Orange, had died childless and named William the heir to all of his estates as the condition was William must have a Catholic education and upbringing. This is how he had inherited even the title, Prince of Orange. Yet, he could not allow his mind, body, and soul to prosecute others for their different beliefs. He did not agree with the thought of the monarchies placing their choices upon the subjects as there should be freedom of thought and religion. This had eventually led to his death.
He was eventually assassinated by Balthasar Gerard within his own house.
To this day, the house of William the Silent is being viewed by people from all over the world as this is a museum.
The life of William the Silent is all over the pages of history and it records a human who wanted to awaken all to humanity. Religion should not be dictated by anyone but should be one’s own choice. Humans should be free to choose their path and will.
This day, as I had visited this great liberal nation, I was amazed how open-minded the Dutch are. This day they have an open-minded King who has married an immigrant as his Queen. This nation has a very openhearted liberal Prime Minister. I know their founding father watching over them would be proud and honored.
I had visited the Prinsenhof Museum and as I walked within this house, I saw a human with humanity.
Also, I knew even in the past this human had only wanted the well-being of humanity. Today, I walk with my own paper and pen, and have the same dream to awaken humans to humanity. Freedom of will and religion, each individual should lay upon the paths of their lives, their own footsteps. Walk with your own feet, leave behind your learned lessons of life. If you are victorious, then others shall follow. If you happen to fail, then from the journals of life people shall know which path to avoid and create their own paths.
The Prinsenhof Museum had so much history as it had the amazing Orange Tree family carpet laid upon the floor of a room for all to see the lineage of this blessed Orange Tree.
Within the New Church, is but laid to sleep the founder of this blessed nation.
As William the Silent had been laid to sleep, he had requested to have the two top buttons of his shirt to be unbuttoned, so his soul could go in peace.
As William the Silent lay dying, he had said, “My God have pity on my Soul; my God, have pity on this poor people.” This is one of the versions of his last words as they vary slightly but the message remains the same.
All the monarchs of the Netherlands to this day are being laid within the New Church, where their founding father is but laid to rest. Their bodies are embalmed as they sleep within individual coffins within this church. All of the kings, queens, and their consorts will be interred in the crypt, however they can choose to not be embalmed. The rest of the royal family members can choose their own paths whether they want to be in the crypt or not.
Within the New Church, there is Latin writing which translates to, “Here lies William I, Father of the Fatherland, awaiting the resurrection.”
I must say some of my friends were very uneasy at this section of the tour. If you are a little weak in mind, please avoid this part of the tour.
I must say for me, this was an amazing journey through time. From the house of William the Silent, the Prinsenhof Museum, through the Old Church, through the New Church, I had felt like I walked through the life of William the Silent. Life is a journey where we the present are always being guided by the past, the present, and yes even the future guides us through their life journeys or at times through dreams. As today I live my life, yet tomorrow as you the future walk upon this same journey you are being guided by me.
William the Silent has guided all of his future generations through his life lived. Today, as he has passed away, don’t fear his dead body. Know all the dead only leave behind their legacies lived through the journeys of their lives.
I prayed at this church where I know funerals are held by the beloved family members.
I felt this peace and certain fulfillment of peace, as I had taken this trip to a foreign land. Yet, I know somehow my blessed soul felt this peace and joy knowing I have met a great man. He lived in a different time zone yet I know we had met, through the miracles of life.
Life is a journey where we the humans find peace and serenity in the knowledge we had lived our life thinking of the wellbeing of the others. Humans with humanity are what my soul but seeks throughout all the lands across this globe. I realized time is but not an obstacle for all the sacred souls seeking this path. Time is not an obstacle as the writers of history and the historians unite all throughout even time.
William the Silent, the founding father, of the Netherlands had a very special place within my soul, a person who tried to unite all regardless of their differences.
My blessings and prayers be with this sacred soul who to this day watches over his blessed land, the Netherlands.
SOME PICTURES FROM MY TRIP IN THE NETHERLANDS
VIEW “THE NETHERLANDS: LAND OF MY DREAMS” ON AMAZON BY CLICKING THE IMAGE BELOW!
My next blog post is on the transportation system of The Netherlands.
Blessings from Seattle,
*This is the eighth post in my A Traveler’s Journal blog series.
9 comments on “A TRAVELER’S JOURNAL #8: WILLIAM THE SILENT”