Mental attitude in pilgrimages.

[Guest guest]

Dear Ash,

 

You have raised a very pertinent and interesting poser. Yes, what should be our attitude during pilgrimages?

 

Well Ash, I don't think there is anything wrong in paying more for a quick darshan. What is more important is that how we have prepared ourselves for the pilgrimage. I remember an interesting quote of Thakur where he says that the "lota" or the water carrier of a sanyasin travels to all the tirthas with him but it does not change one bit ! Are we all like that "lota"?

 

Meeting God in pilgrimages is like going to the house of a very near and dear relative. We are excited at the prospect of meeting him. Days before the journey starts we think about him and all that we have to say to him. We purchase gifts for him and may also prepare sweets to feed him. We talk about him to everyone we meet. When we sleep we dream about him. We find ourselves smiling and nodding our heads for no apparent reason; we are so much engrossed in him.

 

Then the journey begins and our excitement increases. Each second brings us closer to him but the journey seems too long. We despair and wish time would speed up just for us. During the journey idle talk does not interest us. We are indrawn and impatient. Sometimes we open our baggage to check whether we have brought the gifts along with us. We blush like newly wed brides at the prospect of meeting him in person.

 

The journey ends and we embark in haste. Barely oblivious to our surroundings we somehow engage a vehicle to take us to his house. We push through the crowd, even bribe the gatekeepers to get close. And then the darshan!. Oh how sweet he looks. How radiant his smile. He was waiting for us as eagerly as we were impatient to see him. We forget the gifts, the sweets and keep on staring. We feel a part of us rushing into his body and he reciprocates by rushing towards us. We are overwhelmed with love and bend down in obeisance. He takes us in his arms and liberates us from the cycle of births and deaths.

 

If we can keep this attitude then every place becomes a Kashi.

 

Regards

Jagannath.

 

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[Guest guest]

Ramakrishna , Jagannath Chatterjee

<jagchat01> wrote:

 

> > If we can keep this attitude then every place becomes a Kashi.

 

Namaste,

 

Krishna said the same, and so did Shankaracharya:

 

antakaale cha maameva smaranmuktvaa kalevaram.h .

yaH prayaati sa madbhaava.n yaati naastyatra sa.nshayaH .. Gita 8:5

 

Whoever thinks of Me alone even at the time of death, attains to My

state on abandoning the body. There is no doubt about this.

 

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kaashiikshetra.n shariira.n tribhuvana\-

jananii vyaapinii GYaanagaN^gaa .

bhaktiH shraddhaa gayeya.n

nijaguru\-charaNadhyaanayogaH prayaagaH .

vishvesho.aya.n turiiyaH sakalajana\-

manaHsaakshibhuuto.antaraatmaa

dehe sarvaM madiiye yadi vasati

punastiirthamanyatkimasti .. 5..

 

This body is the Kashikshetra; the all-encompassing knowledge is the

Ganga, the Mother of the three worlds; our devotion and faith is

Gaya; the devout meditation on the feet of the Guru makes the

Prayaga; the Lord of the Universe is the Absolute, the Inner-Self,

the Witness of everyone's mind. If all these dwell in my own body,

what other places of pilgrimage again can there be?

Kashipanchakam - Shankaracharya

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aatmaa tvaM girijaa matiH sahacharaaH praaNaaH shariiraM gR^ihaM

puujaa te vishhayopabhogarachanaa nidraa samaadhisthitiH .

saJN_chaaraH padayoH pradakshiNavidhiH stotraaNi sarvaa giro

yadyatkarma karomi tattadakhilaM shambho tavaaraadhanam.h .. 4..

 

You are my Self; Parvati is my reason. My five Pranas are

Your attendants, my body is Your house, and all the pleasures of

my senses are objects to use for Your worship. My sleep is

Your state of samadhi. Wherever I walk I am walking around You,

everything I say is in praise of You, everything I do is in devotion

to You, O benevolent Lord!

Shivamanasapuja - Shankaracharya

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