Travellers and Paddlers: The Purpose of a Pilgrimage

After many years of procrastination, I finally made my pilgrimage to India, to the holy places of Buddhism in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.

What finally made up my mind this year was that Ven. Dhammika would be leading the pilgrimage. Ven Dhammika had spent many years in India and had a personal interest is the places of pilgrimage. With his deep and intimate knowledge of Buddhism as well as the history behind the sites, it would be a special trip having him as a guide. And indeed it was.

At around SGD$3000, this trip was not exactly cheap. In fact, this is the most expensive trip I had ever spent on (I had not spent more than $1000 on any overseas trip before). But I could afford it, quite easily in fact. When Ven Dhammika remarked that some of the pilgrims from place like Myanmar are simple village folks who had probably saved for most of the life and could probably made this trip just this once in their life time, I knew I was fortunate.

Money was in fact the easy part. There was much tension at my work place, as there were no proper backup for my responsibilities while I would be away and two weeks is a long time to be away. I had to slogged to finish up a major project, train some people to cover my responsibilities and was putting in long hours in the two months leading to the pilgrimage.

Meanwhile, I got teased from friends about going on a Journey to the West to obtain the holy scriptures (a reference to the Chinese monk Xuan Zang's pilgrimage to India during the Tang Dynasty and got immortalized in the fantasy novel Journey to the West), and was inundated with all the horrors about the sanitary conditions in India and tips on how to avoid diarrhea. And after the trip, there were more teasing and perhaps curious queries on whether I had found enlightenment or become more holy from the trip.

Throughout all these, I had been contemplating on the significance of a pilgrimage, before the trip, during the trip and after the trip.

While there are some people who might have been deeply moved by the pilgrimage experience and become a different person after that, the truth is all the people I've met are no different after their pilgrimage. And having performed the pilgrimage, and returned to the usual life, have I become any holier or more diligent in practice? I can't say so.Then, what, if any, is the purpose of significance of a pilgrimage?

To arouse emotions in the faithful

In the Mahaprinibba Sutta, the Buddha said that the sight of the four places of pilgrimage should "arouse emotions in the faithful", and any who die while making the pilgrimage with a devout heart will be "reborn in a heavenly world" (D.II,141, as per Maurice Walshe's translation).

And I think that is the answer. In Maurice Walshe's foot note, the Pali for "arouse emotions" was Samvejaniyani, which mean 'arousing samvega', samvega being 'sense of urgency'. What this should mean is that the pilgrimage should instill a sense of urgency and purpose for more diligent practice of the Dharma.

As for the part on those who die on pilgrimage places will be reborn in heaven, I do not believe the Buddha meant it in the sense that there is magical or esoteric powers in the journey itself. But one who undertook such an arduous journey who have to have much faith in the Three Jewels and such merits would be conducive for a rebirth in the deva realms.

Indeed, the journey through the Middle Land of India is not easy endeavor. Even with modern roads and transport, it was a very tiring journey. In ancient times, the roads were bad and infested with bandits. The ancient Chinese pilgrims risked their lives to get to India and many did not make it. Among those who made it, many did not manage to return. In the book Rude Awakenings, Ajahn Sucitto and Nick Scott recounted how they were waylaid by bandits in their pilgrimage in 1990 and were close to loosing their lives. Ven Dhammika also reported seeing a Jain pilgrim who had his head smashed by bandits in Rajgir.

Going on a pilgrimage is a good in the sense that it would arouse faith and inspire diligent practice. But the practice itself is far more important. The Jātakamālā says: "More beautiful than any garland, sweeter than any taste, truthfulness generates great good and is less arduous than practising austerity or pilgrimage to far-off shrines." (Buddhism A to Z, S Dhammika, see entry on pilgrimage)

What had I gain?

No, I did not become holier. No, I was not inspired to renounce the worldly life and take on the robes. Nor was I overcome with a sense of urgency to devote more of my time for meditation.

And if I had learn from the Dharma a little bit, the point perhaps is not to fret about any gain. Not to have expectation about any realization or attainment.

It is just a pilgrimage, to visit and see the very place the Buddha had once walked. To have a little connection across time with the great man who left us with a wonderful teaching that continues to beautify humanity.

In the process, I was inspired by the stories I heard. I felt awe knowing I've walked where once the Buddha walked, and where once famous pilgrims like king Ashoka, Xuan Zang and Fa Xian had similarly visited. I had better appreciation of the fine Buddhist art of India. I have gain fellowship with fellow travelling companions. And through Ven Dhammika's vast wealth of knowledge, I learnt a little bit about history, archaeology, geography, Indian society, culture and art, and even the flora and fauna of India.

Throughout the journey there was plenty of opportunities to practice the Dharma, whether in travelling together, or in trying to get a sense of piousness amid the jostling crowd of beggars, pilgrims, tourists, touts, cheats and all.

I have learnt much after all.