O Raahi Re

"To be a pilgrim is to be on a path of adventure, to move out of our comfort zones, to let go of our prejudices and preconditioning, to make strides towards the unknown." ~Satish Kumar~

Over the last few years, I have been deeply inspired reading about the lives of pilgrims such as Vinoba Bhave, Peace Pilgrim, Satish Kumar and Sri M, who while walking personal journeys for inner change recognised that their small steps contribute to a shift in the universal consciousness towards peace.

Even mystic saints of the past such as Guru Nanak, St. Francis of Asissi, Buddha and Mahavira were known to have spent long times in prayerful and meditative walking.
 
A few weeks ago, a fascinating quote from Satish Kumar's book Earth Pilgrim struck a deep chord: "Tourists consume. Pilgrims revere". Serendipitously I was reading this book while attending the Giftival Italia, a celebrative gathering of pilgrims committed to living a life in gift culture. 

One early morning, we decided to hold a circle of prayerful silence at the Pantheon, one of the most sacred temples in Europe. As we stepped under the beautiful circular dome, my eyes fell upon a board: "da turista e pellegrino" (tourists to pilgrims).

Fifteen years earlier, inspired by a popular Bollywood movie, my best friend Vishwajeet and I had set off with a backpack for an adventure across Europe. Back then, little did my younger self know better than to indulge the senses and ungratefully consume all the gifts that came my way. We had spent a lot of time in Rome as a "tourist", and though that was fun, it was not as nurturing as the time I was spending now as a "pilgrim". As a tourist, I took more and offered less, while as a pilgrim I did the opposite.

I smiled to myself as I noticed how easy it is for me to slip into tourist mode when I process the world from my 5 senses alone. However, when I experience the world through the eyes of my "soul", I sense that this is not the first time I am passing through these landscapes and ultimately I am a pilgrim, not a tourist.

Last week, as Chitra hosted her first Awakin Jaipur, post dinner we entered an enriching conversation into the subtle differences between a tourist, traveler and pilgrim. Chitra, a prolific writer, later emailed me a beautifully articulated synopsis of that conversation which I found resonated perfectly with this week's newsletter.

"A TOURIST tours a place to "consume" its audio, visual, gastronomical, natural, manmade, modern, and ancient delights. Tourists are mostly interested in how to GET / EXTRACT the most value out of their money, time and energy. Tourists are mostly in a hurry. They change a place, its people and their consciousness from the material point of view.

A TRAVELER is more mindful of the subtle nuances of culture, people, food habits, natural habitats etc. Travelers allow the place to be exactly as it is and partake of its pleasures gratefully, gracefully and mindfully. They change a place, its people and their consciousness from the observer point of view.

A PILGRIM is not only mindful of what the place and its people offer, but also of what s/he has to offer to the place and its inhabitants - often offering more than receiving. Pilgrims leave a place more enriched and fulfilled - by their blessings, presence, and freely offered gifts - from what it was when they first arrived. The pilgrim has no personal agenda, only a desire to serve.

In the days bygone, there were no tourists and very few travelers but a lot of pilgrims (thanks to the practice of Vanaprastha and Sanyasa ashram). Atithi Devo Bhava - suited them to a T. They arrived unannounced (A-Tithi means one who arrives without a tithi or a date of arrival), they were full of wisdom, they were satisfied with whatever was offered to them, and they offered many blessings in return."