PILGRIM or SPRITUAL TOURIST

The Importance of an informed choice

For many spiritual seekers  life in  this body-psyche is often referred to as 'The Journey' . It is a journey back to the Source of all that is , was and will be. In most of the Faith Traditions this 'Source' is referred to as God, by whatever and by many names.

In the Tradition I am rooted in , Celtic Spirituality, this journey is likened to a Pilgrimage. This is one of the FOUR GREAT P's of Celtic Spirituality . ( See Echoes of Creation at http://www.satsang-companionship.org.uk/ for further details)  Other great Faith Traditions also  have a long standing tradition of Pilgrimage e.g. Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam.  So therefore, the concept that each individual is on their own unique pilgrimage is not uncommon. In fact , in most Traditions we are reminded that the most important spiritual aspect of the 'pilgrimage' is paradoxically not the destination but the actual journey. Keeping oneself present to the journey , or pilgrimage, is extremely important.

However, the problem  foe most of us can begin when we get too 'attached' to the 'doctrines' of our particular Faith Traditions.  This happens when an individual pays  too much attention to the priests, mullahs and teachers of their Faith Tradition and  begin to  lose all sense of their own responsibility for their   pilgrimage. We can fall into the classic error that happens to many a traveller. We can, as the famous Indian Quotation puts it  'mistake the finger pointing at the moon , for the moon itself'.  


I have found this Indian  quotation helpful, as it is a constant reminder that the  many Religions  merely  open a window onto the Mystery that is God.  Mahatma Gandhi once remarked ' Religions are all paths up the mountain'  They help to point the way and their teachings and spiritual traditions can be useful signposts on the Journey. However, the Mystery that is God speaks to each of us separately and each of us need to listen . Meister Eckhart , a Christian Spiritual Master reminds us of the importance of silence on the Journey. He says  ' The very best and noblest attainment in this life is to be silent and let God work and speak within'

I have found that silence and inner reflection have helped me to process much of what I learned as a child. The values, ethos and teachings of Jesus the Master have provided me with sure signposts. However, much of the 'theology'  o Western Christianity is old- fashioned, steeped in imperialistic and hierarchical structures. It places too much emphasis on sin and guilt and not enough on grace , joy and peace. In addition, it can present an imperialistic picture of the 'Kingdom' that Jesus taught about . 


I believe, based on my own journey and on my growing understanding of modern psychology and cosmology, that our theology needs to grow, to change and to emphasise the importance of personal responsibility. If each of us remains locked in the past , too stuck with the old theology  we face the danger of  drifting  from being a Spiritual Pilgrim and becoming a Spiritual Tourist. Before I reflect further on this, the following quotation from Helder Camara , taken from his book  ' A Thousand Reasons for Living'  contain valuable wisdom for any Pilgrim.



Pilgrim :

When your ship,

long moored in harbour,

gives you the illusion

of being a house;

when your ship

begins to put down roots

in the stagnant water by the quay;

put out to sea !

Save your boat's journeying soul,

and your own pilgrim soul,

cost what it may

Dom Helder Camara (1981)

Now, before any reader assumes that I am 'damning' formal religion , let me make a few points very clearly. I come from a rooted formal Faith Tradition and its teachings, values and Scriptures are very important. However, one of the perennial problems for humanity is our tendency to avoid responsibility. Viktor Frankl, the famous Austrian Psychologist and father of Existential Therapy, reminds us that our failure to take responsibility is at the root of so many of our modern neurosis. Avoiding responsibility can be attractive and alluring. It is so easy to avoid responsibility and place it in other's hands. Thus we avoid responsibility's challenge and effort  and can thus  blame others when things do not work out.

We can see this tendency of avoiding responsibility  in our Society today and in the recent riots on the streets of many cities in England and the subsequent 'rush to attribute blame'  to others. We see people taking the moral high ground but failing to accept any responsibility for the state of society and our all to common materialistic approach. I am not immune from this. We all need to be more aware of the modern malaise of avoiding responsibility.

Now, what has all this got to do with the 'dangers' of being a Spiritual Tourist. First of all let us examine what it is to be a Pilgrim. Being a pilgrim involves us, not only in choosing our destination, but more importantly in travelling the pilgrimage route day by day. This can be difficult and uncomfortable and the attraction of the 'guided tour' can seem so much better. When we are a 'tourist' we hand over much of the responsibility to others. They choose when and where we 'stop off'. They choose the itinerary. This is the danger for many on the Journey. Yes, listening to , and respecting, the wisdom , experience and teachings of others can be helpful but not if it changes us from Pilgrims into Tourists.





Our task as Spiritual Seekers is to 'stay awake'  and be present to the journey. Our task is to avoid staying too long in  apparently 'safe' harbours. Our task is to remain in the present and to be open to the voice of the Spirit. This is a voice that often runs contrary to the uttering of the formal leaders of Religion. It is a voice that is often more clearly heard by those who are outside the formal religious structures. It is a voice that often is best heard in those moments of challenge and silence on the pilgrim journey..


For all true Pilgrims, Helder Camara's words are a useful reminder that whenever we feel most comfortable we are more likely to be lying in stagnant waters , so 'put out to sea'!