Many people go on pilgrimages. Of late pilgrimages have become too frequent. Do these pilgrimages serve the purpose for which they are undertaken? This is a debatable question. Very often pilgrim spots end up as places of picnic and entertainment! The very purpose of pilgrimage is thus defeated. Man is really a pilgrim in search of God! “ All men in all countries are pilgrims proceeding along the path of God. The progress of each is decided by the discipline adopted, the character formed, the ideal kept in view, the leadership chosen and the faith implanted.” declares Bhagawan Sri Sri Satya Sai Baba. (SSS: Vol vi) Many people arrive in special buses and go round many holy places. But the spirit of holiness is quite often forgotten. We visit the doctor when we are Ill. When we are in a temple we are reminded of the Divine form and the force that animates the universe. Pilgrims should not be involved in bad traits. Pilgrimage should not end in entertainment or Vinoda prayana! It should be an intellectual journey or Viveka prayana! It should be the endeavor of the pilgrim to seek the company of the good and move in the midst of the sacred and the sanctifying.
People crowd at very sacred places like Badrinath, Kedarnath, Haridwar, Tirupati and Kashi with their own individual desires to be fulfilled. They have their own problems and difficulties to be addressed by God and solved. They are in search of peace and seek prosperity. But unfortunately there is no peace or silence as you enter the temple! There is a tremendous crowd at the entrance of the temple, every one tries to get entry first, rubs shoulders against the other, engages himself in argument with the other and totally forgets God whom he wants to see! The crowds are such that sometimes there is a stampede, one rolls over the other, and a few are trampled upon and lose their precious lives! Is it necessary that you should be maimed or lose your life during a pilgrimage?. It is always better to have the darshan of the God or Goddess in a calm and serene atmosphere.
“Pilgrimage should be as silent as eyelids dropping on the eye. Why should people wag their tongues, shout and wrangle when they are Godward bound?” says Swami in his Divine discourse. The spirit of pilgrimage is destroyed when there is too much noise and attempt to have priority for darshan. The object of any pilgrimage is to visit rare and holy places and purify themselves. It has become mechanical for people today to visit places and come back without any transformation in their conduct and character. There is no noticeable change in their behavior after their visit to holy places. What should be the effect of visiting sacred places? People are not concerned much about this factor!
“ The pilgrim must traverse and overstep the vast waste of worldly desires (Kama) and overcome the thick slushy growth of anger and hate (Krodha) and negotiate the cliffs of hatred and malice (dwesha), so that he might relax on the green pastures of concord and love.” Says Swami. As a result of one's pilgrimage, he should be in position to control his desires as much as possible. He must give up silly and wasteful wants. Anger, the worst enemy that alienates one from the other should be subdued if not overcome. Hatred must be kept in check. In other words, the six inner enemies deeply embedded in our nature, Arishadvargas, should be in our control! Is this possible in general? Definitely it is impossible for the common man. It is only the fortunate few, the spiritually inspired, that may may try to do so!
Pilgrimage should bring about a change in the person. One's habits should change for the better. His outlook should widen. He should look with in deeply and become more steady. He should recognize the omnipresence of God and the oneness of humanity. He must become tolerant. He must learn patience. He should become charitable and service minded! Service to man is service to God! Apart from normal pilgrimage of visiting many holy places, there is a spiritual pilgrimage that elevates man. “ When the animal is conquered and Godhead is felt within reach, man can assert that all these pilgrimages are within him. He has no need to travel from temple to temple.” declares Swami. (SSS: Vol X) When you realize God in the temple of your heart where is the need for hopping from one temple to the other? Some consider pilgrimage as waste of time, money and energy! These are empty words in the absence of God realization. Pilgrimage is the best way of spending time and money for the devoted soul!
Ok
People crowd at very sacred places like Badrinath, Kedarnath, Haridwar, Tirupati and Kashi with their own individual desires to be fulfilled. They have their own problems and difficulties to be addressed by God and solved. They are in search of peace and seek prosperity. But unfortunately there is no peace or silence as you enter the temple! There is a tremendous crowd at the entrance of the temple, every one tries to get entry first, rubs shoulders against the other, engages himself in argument with the other and totally forgets God whom he wants to see! The crowds are such that sometimes there is a stampede, one rolls over the other, and a few are trampled upon and lose their precious lives! Is it necessary that you should be maimed or lose your life during a pilgrimage?. It is always better to have the darshan of the God or Goddess in a calm and serene atmosphere.
“Pilgrimage should be as silent as eyelids dropping on the eye. Why should people wag their tongues, shout and wrangle when they are Godward bound?” says Swami in his Divine discourse. The spirit of pilgrimage is destroyed when there is too much noise and attempt to have priority for darshan. The object of any pilgrimage is to visit rare and holy places and purify themselves. It has become mechanical for people today to visit places and come back without any transformation in their conduct and character. There is no noticeable change in their behavior after their visit to holy places. What should be the effect of visiting sacred places? People are not concerned much about this factor!
“ The pilgrim must traverse and overstep the vast waste of worldly desires (Kama) and overcome the thick slushy growth of anger and hate (Krodha) and negotiate the cliffs of hatred and malice (dwesha), so that he might relax on the green pastures of concord and love.” Says Swami. As a result of one's pilgrimage, he should be in position to control his desires as much as possible. He must give up silly and wasteful wants. Anger, the worst enemy that alienates one from the other should be subdued if not overcome. Hatred must be kept in check. In other words, the six inner enemies deeply embedded in our nature, Arishadvargas, should be in our control! Is this possible in general? Definitely it is impossible for the common man. It is only the fortunate few, the spiritually inspired, that may may try to do so!
Pilgrimage should bring about a change in the person. One's habits should change for the better. His outlook should widen. He should look with in deeply and become more steady. He should recognize the omnipresence of God and the oneness of humanity. He must become tolerant. He must learn patience. He should become charitable and service minded! Service to man is service to God! Apart from normal pilgrimage of visiting many holy places, there is a spiritual pilgrimage that elevates man. “ When the animal is conquered and Godhead is felt within reach, man can assert that all these pilgrimages are within him. He has no need to travel from temple to temple.” declares Swami. (SSS: Vol X) When you realize God in the temple of your heart where is the need for hopping from one temple to the other? Some consider pilgrimage as waste of time, money and energy! These are empty words in the absence of God realization. Pilgrimage is the best way of spending time and money for the devoted soul!
No comments:
Post a Comment