The inner journey of meditation that we are engaged in right now is also a pilgrimage to experience and realise our own soul.
We may ask, “When divinity is present within us in the form of our soul, why should we go on pilgrimages or visit places of worship?” When we go to these centres of divine energy with the reverent attitude that we are entering the shrine of our own soul, the spiritual spark within us is ignited.
We realise that the focal point in the pilgrimage centre is nothing but the outer reflection of our own soul. As soon as this realisation dawns, our connectivity with the soul is established, our voice of intuition is activated and we are flooded with a continuous stream of divine knowledge from within.
This inner transformation from ignorance to enlightenment is the ultimate goal of every pilgrimage. Thus, whenever we make a spiritual journey either inwardly or outwardly, we are completely transformed when our focus is on our soul. That is why the sages said that every pilgrimage is a meditative experience and a link in the chain to our soul.
Our inner focus and awareness make the pilgrimage meditative for us. In many of the holy places we visit there may be huge crowds of devotees, a lot of noise, dirt and lack of physical comforts. Then we must remind ourselves, “I am the soul.
Being the soul, I have this body, mind and senses as my instruments. I have not come here to gratify my senses. I have come here to see and experience the outer reflection of my soul.”
This will help us to stay focused and concentrate on divinity irrespective of our physical surroundings and the number of people around us. It will remove our mindsets and open us up to receive and imbibe the abundant Grace that is pulsating there. On pilgrimages we should talk only as much as necessary and maintain our inner solitude.
We must spend most of our time in breathing with awareness, chanting and meditating. When we undertake pilgrimages in this manner, they become gateways to total transformation. If we look at this from another angle, we can make each day of our lives a sacred pilgrimage.
When we leave for work in the morning, we can go with the reverent attitude that we are entering the shrine of abundance. It is from here that all the outer abundance we are enjoying in the form of wealth, comfort, status, position, name and fame are flowing to us. It is from here that the basic needs of food, shelter, clothing and financial security are flowing to us.
So, as soon as we enter our place of work, we must establish this focus in ourselves by sitting at our table and making a resolve, “I offer my gratitude to all the people, agencies and forces that are working here to enable me to satisfy my materialistic and professional needs.
Let them be blessed with greater strength, inspiration, joy and vigour. Today, I will fulfil all my tasks and responsibilities with complete diligence and enthusiasm. I will constantly maintain the awareness that it is my soul that is powering all my activities. Then the energy that flows from me will enthuse and motivate everybody and all my tasks will be completed smoothly without any hindrance. Let all the work that is done by me today bring satisfaction, peace and joy to others.” When we make this resolve every day before we begin work, our focus continues to remain on the Soul even when we are at work.
This article is taken from the book “Between You and Me — Meditation Made Simple” by His Holiness Shri Shri Nimishananda Guruji