What Is The Value Of Pilgrimages And Charity?
Are all the faithful merely wasting their time, money and energy to no effect? Not really. Pilgrimages have their value. Not every pilgrim wants to go on a pilgrimage in order to become liberated. Not every charitable person does charity because he wants to become enlightened. These things soothe the mind and engender goodwill. Often, they bring one closer to one’s ishta devta, one’s chosen diety, by making the mind focus on one’s faith in a special way.
Pilgrimages have another advantage. The accumulated faith of hundreds of thousands of people in one place creates a milieu that is unique in its ability to transport the mind, at least for the duration of the pilgrimage, to a different plane. Like snow all around affects light in a very special way, mass faith affects the atmosphere in a special way, making it more conducive to bliss. Often this lambent feeling itself makes the pilgrimage worthwhile.
To an enlightened person, the very wisdom makes it unnecessary to embark on any pilgrimage as he sees everything and everyone as his own self. There is no distinction between the subject and object. Everything becomes holy and the pilgrimage destination is wherever the enlightened person is.
Om Namah Shivay.
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