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Pilgrimage at every momentNot everyone approaches pilgrimage in the same way. Sometimes we are more assertive in making change in our lives and sometimes change is just a reaction to events in our lives.I actually believe that we are all going through pilgrimages, or life transformations, at every moment in our lives. Since our lives are never static, we are always struggling with some change, even if we don't realize it at the moment. There are two main ways in which we begin to approach these changes more deliberately and mindfully: By accepting a pilgrimage and by chosing a pilgrimage. Accepted PilgrimageAn "Accepted Pilgrimage" is a journey that emerges organically from life experiences.Events like these are always happening, forcing us to shift how we interact with the world. I have found myself almost constantly involved in such journeys, but I find it much more difficult to step back from the changes and walk mindfully with the transformation. It's hard to shift from being acted upon by life and to begin being a deliberate and active pilot through these changes. The first step in an Accepted Pilgrimage is to accept that this experience that I'm going through is indeed a pilgrimage. Once I do this, I can begin to take a bit more control over how the the transformation process evolves. Second, Accepted Pilgrimages tend to be very individual -- we struggle by ourselves, and these journeys often feel quite lonely. How can our communities support individuals who are involved in an accepted pilgrimage? How can we nurture mindfulness in the process and provide communal support when needed? A community can provide a discernment process for someone who is struggling with a pilgrimage that has been thrust into his or her lap by life. The acceptance process, itself, is a difficult challenge. The support a community might offer to someone who has just accepted a pilgrimage is to help that person design some structures and practices to help them be mindful of the process they are going through. Chosen PilgrimageA "Chosen Pilgrimage" is a journey that we consciously choose to embark on.Sometimes we have a particular issue in our lives that we want to explore. In such a case, we might be lead to choose to go on a pilgrimage. In doing this, we name our pilgrimage (define what the goal of our pilgrimage is) and develop its structure. Most traditional pilgrimages, rites of passage, and coming of age rituals are designed to be Chosen Pilgrimages. Unfortunately, in many cases, communities ask youth to undertake pilgrimages at a certain age and to do a certain thing. Because the pilgrimage or rite of passage is required by the community, it is not truly a Chosen Pilgrimage because the individual does not necessarily make the choice to participate in the journey. How can we help people create Chosen Pilgrimages for themselves without proscribing the path or the results? A Chosen Pilgrimage is a BIG undertaking that takes a great deal of confidence and focus. A community might better support its members by not requiring Chosen Pilgrimages, but specifically offering help and support to people who feel led to choose a pilgrimage. A community has a great deal of wisdom as to how one structures a pilgrimage that matches one's skills, needs, and goals. These are beautiful gifts a community can offer a prospective pilgrim. |
