An ancient Arabic farewell greeting for those embarking upon a Pilgrimage.
A Pilgrimage is many things and one thing to the individual seeking that path. Whether the destination is the Pyramids in Egypt, the Babe's place in Bethlehem, or Elvis' Graceland, a journey designed to draw from the wellspring of your heart is a pilgrimage. Somewhere in my search for it's meaning, I realized the connection between my lifelong wanderings and this present longing for an unknown place of peace and reflection. Phil Cousineau writes about the soul's journey here on earth. He reasons that we are all strangers in this world and the stranger on the move is perpetually a soul in wonder. I like the feel of this sentiment. A childhood spent moving from place to place, sometimes two or three places a year, could have been and sometimes was unsettling. However, I remember it as adventure, newness, the unknown and therefore exciting. Each new place, each new face brought me closer to the journey-soul inside me. Learning who I am, allowing me to reinvent myself, seeking peace with the world around me has always been the wonder for me. Stranger that I am, each new experience affords me the opportunity to be a pilgrim, lending a certain dignity to my position as a stranger and a traveler.
Even as I became the one in charge of my own life, in terms of where to be, I continued to move about with regularity. One year I rode a Greyhound bus across America, a kind of pilgrimage reflected in the single brown paper sack holding all my possessions. The wonders of America by bus can only be experienced by getting on that bus. Strangers reach out to each other because they share nothing but a common road. I don't believe a pilgrimage is necessarily to a place, but I believe it is the path itself. Since that bus trip, I have been to a few more exotic and famous destinations, along more seemly paths. What I have observed are the amazing number of miles traveled don't necessarily relate to what one sees. Maria always reminds me that The Path is for each person to experience in their own way. Thinking back on the paths I have taken, I believe each has a sacredness unrelated to the Saints who have gone before me, and more so are related to my soul's willingness and ability to travel the road with eyes open and on the path and my heart ready. This isn't to say I won't be entertained or awed by a particularly striking phenomenon, I mean really, Notre Dame, The Coliseum, or the Grand Canyon can inspire without any help from me. But how often are some people still uninspired despite the grandeur? I have found awe in many uninspiring places too and a life time of journeys has taught me to look where it is least expected. So, am I ready to be a pilgrim on a path already made sacred by countless acts of devotion over countless years and centuries? Can I see what is sacred in the world around me? If I can, then I am a Pilgrim and my road is a Pilgrim's road.
The evolution of my experiences in the world are mine alone. No other pilgrim before or after me will have the same (enlightened or not) relationship with that path. We each make our own way. This isn't to say we cannot benefit from others' chronicles, guidebooks or blogs. In fact, preparation can go a long way towards helping me keep my eyes on the Path. If my feet are dry and my back doesn't hurt, I can probably hear the babbling brook bringing peace to my soul. Hardship, struggles, maybe even pain, suffering and hunger are equivalent to a true Pilgrims readiness to see what sacred stones lie in the path, or so it is said. The paper sack on the bus may be symbolic of my own readiness.
I long for a sacred experience. I prepare my self physically. I acknowledge the existence of a being greater than myself. I go with a plan but the plan is not who I am.
I hope to be Safe and Well. I treasure the Love and Courage you all give me. Peace follows my steps and Peace leads me onto The Path.
