Ian Gawler Blog: On Pilgimage

 “A pilgrim is defined by the kind of journey undertaken, not by reaching a particular destination.”

Across the world, pilgrims have discovered that travelling to places and people of spiritual power offers a rich outward metaphor for the inward journey. Frequently demanding, and taking travellers to unfamiliar and exotic lands, pilgrimage is a time-honoured way of seeking profound natural peace and a deeper sense of meaning in life.

Every great religious tradition carries the idea of pilgrimage. Today, when people can travel more freely, widely and swiftly than at any earlier point in history, pilgrimage offers a motive for travel that reaches far beyond the ordinary. As the pilgrim crosses the landscape, often heading toward a land of their dreams, an inner process naturally unfolds, frequently bringing transformation and even transcendence.

Pilgrimage means travelling to a place that is real enough, yet also sacred. Through the inner process, a pilgrim brings home something quite different from what ordinary travel yields. Some make "pilgrimages" to where Elvis lived, Jacko was born, or historical events took place; yet common tourism can feel like trying to "see the world" and often ends with returning exhausted, loaded with photos but short on real nourishment.

Pilgrimage sites, by contrast, are often “out of this world”. The grandeur of Westminster Abbey or St Peters in Rome, Bethlehem in Israel, the sacred peaks of the Himalayas, the crowded ghats of the river Ganges, the mysteries of Mecca, the birthplace of Buddhism at Bodghaya, the great copper-coloured mountain that is Uluru (or Ayer’s Rock); all are places where earth meets spirit, all have drawn pilgrims for ages. These are places of peace and tranquillity, whose spiritual presence is tangible even to the most hardened soul.

So how does one choose a pilgrimage? I suspect the answer is that you simply know when the moment has arrived, along with where you will go and when. Naturally, there will be all sorts of rational reasons not to go - work, family, financial pressures. But when that moment comes, it matters to listen to your heart, take the leap, commit, plan and set off.

A fine contemporary example is John Bettens. In April 2011 John began walking from Rome to Santiago de Compostela in north-west Spain, a pilgrim’s route of roughly 3,000 kms. John has been walking the Camino, as it is popularly known; or, to give its full title, the Camino de Santiago (the Way of St. James). This is one part of a large network of ancient pilgrim routes stretching across Europe and converging at the tomb of St. James (Santiago in Spanish) in Santiago de Compostela in north-west Spain.

Remarkably, John has completed most of this epic alone while dealing with two types of cancer - prostate and follicular lymphoma - and will have walked around 2500kms when he finishes in Santiago on the 5th August. The route has taken him up the west coast of Italy to Genoa. From there he headed west across the breadth of France, and upon reaching Spain, John took the northern way which follows the coastline along the Bay of Biscay.

He has also aimed to raise money to support the work of the Gawler Foundation (it is easy to donate via his website - see the link below) and to raise awareness about holistic healing for those experiencing cancer, and the benefits of integrated care which values nutrition, meditation and belief in the path you choose.

Perhaps you would like to catch up on his progress and support him by sending a message - see the link below. Perhaps you feel inspired to embark upon your own pilgrimage. Or, if you have been on a pilgrimage already, perhaps you would care to share something of the experience in the comment section below.

RESOURCES

John Bettens’ blog

Walking the Camino

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Retreat and go forward

NEWS

1. BOOKS:  Anyone looking for translations of my books that are out of print or translated into foreign languages; or second hand books generally, might find what they are looking for at abebooks.com

2. CANCER GROUP IN DARWIN:  Sue Brownlee is leading a Living Well - Cancer Healing & Wellbeing Program in Darwin from 1st October 2011.  Sue is a long term Darwin resident, with a background in counselling, community education, and non-profit organisation management.  Additionally, she is a Zen Shiatsu therapist and meditation teacher.  Sue is trained and approved by the Gawler Foundation to deliver this Program and it will be an excellent follow-up for those who atended my recent workshops in Darwin.

The Program will be held at Carers NT, 59 Bayview Boulevard, Bayview from 10am-1pm on Saturdays.  Sue is happy to talk with you, and can be contacted on 0439498636, at [email protected], or more information can be found at naturaltherapypages.com.au/therapist/susanbrownlee/30485.