Pilgrimage

The view from the bench I usually sit on at Frankfurt am Main Central Station

My backpack and boots and other articles

"The day on which one starts out is not the time to start one's preparations."
-Nigerian Proverb-

Every month for the past while, I've been going to a Buddhist Temple: http://www.dharmazuflucht.info/ . Since it is about two hours from our home, I see each time as I go as a small "Pilgrimage". This has really helped me to arrive at the temple with my heart and mind in the right "position", as long as I treat the whole journey as a pilgrimage. The first very important point is explained so well by the quote above. I've learned to really start planning at the beginning of the week for the journey on Friday. In this way, I slowly bring my heart in line with the rhythm of the temple. As I thoughtfully put together the things that I'll need or the things that are needed at the temple, I can already begin the inner preparation. The few times I've not done this are the times that I've forgotten some bedding or my watch or alarm clock and I noticed that as I arrived at the temple, my heart and mind were not at all settled. In fact the ego was still bouncing about, either complaining about something on the journey or justifying itself for being grumpy or whatever else let it wander about. So, there is something to this preparation. This preparation is to point the Way. In a pilgrimage there is a definite point to come to, whereas, often in simply journeying about there is no endpoint to come to and I think this in itself causes the self to also wander aimlessly.

However, it's not that on a "pilgrimage" one does not take notice of things around, only looking towards the destination. Not at all! This is such an important part! In fact Alan Watts said this wonderfully:

"We usually don't look. We overlook."

That's the most wopnderful part of my "pilgrimage"...there is so much to see and reflect about on the way/ Way!

More tomorrow....