Walking the Road, Writing the Way
Chapter I
Walking - The - Road Writing - The - Way
Introduction & Overview
Walking - The - Road is both what it literally means and also a metaphor. It is the ritual of physically walking to a holy place, a pilgrimage, as well as a metaphor for the inner spiritual progress to self-realisation. It is both an inner as well as an outer pilgrimage. Thus It takes us to a holy place on both dimensions. It is a journey between two different dimensions. It begins from a physical place but its final destination is a spiritual one.
Writing - The - Way is both what it literally means and also a metaphor too. It is the ritual of writing about the external journeys that one takes to places of worship, as well as a metaphor for the way of writing or articulating one’s way to inner progress, to new knowledge and to self-realisation. In my case it has been the metaphorical meaning of both the terms that have been my deeper concern and occupation. In fact I could call them my walking-yoga and my writing-yoga.
By walking I have come upon new ideas and concepts. By writing I have defined and refined them. Mind operates in various ways in its quest. For me both the acts of walking and writing have complemented each-other in my growth and realisation. While walking my mind juggles information, ideas and looks for new patterns, which it knows from other disciplines. It is much like the way of a kaleidoscope works - with each shift and turn, a new design comes up as the colourful bits of glass form a new pattern.
While writing, my mind holds an idea or pattern and defines it to its’ most minute by refining it to very subtle and abstract levels. This is much like the way of the magnifying glass works - magnifying anything to reveal its minute details and subtle levels. My mind works dynamically in both these ways and it does so in a holistic and multidimensional way. I walk to realise flashes of fleeting new knowledge and new possibilities and then I write to define and to refine them and capture them in my memory. I had walked and while I walked, the sights just went into me. The feelings and the thoughts, if at all, had been only fleeting. It was only later when I sat down to write about it, did all the images with their fleeting thoughts came back, for me to confront them, elaborate them and define them to my understanding.
I had taken to some journeys, which had external as well as internal destinations. Though the total experience occurred in a holistic way, there were certain parts which were distinct in one aspect of either being physical or emotional. But I am not sure about any distinct spiritual feelings. Thinking back in analysis I still cannot ascribe any spiritual aspect to any particular part the whole journey. Then I wonder why I still do feel like it is a pilgrimage. Intellectually this seems a paradox but deep inside of me this journey has made a heavy and seemingly permanent indentation in my ‘being’, and of this, I have no other term to describe than to call it a spiritual impression. These journeys proved to be an unexpected physical experience for me as I reached the limits of physical exhaustion. May be it is the principle: that ones’ spiritual calibration happens only when one is pushed beyond ones’ physical, mental and emotional capacity till one breaks down, leaving one’s spiritual core open for a communion with the universal spirit. One thing I do know, there are no shortcuts to any spiritual learning. In fact, the path to spiritual growth is a long and arduous one, in which there are no favours or excuses granted. At least they were not for me, at least not so far. Worse, there is not even a clear and lucid map to chart one’s way through this existential confusion - Confusion of purpose, confusion of objectives, and confusion of actions. Most times one has to only grope and find one’s own way. And there are hardships, disappointments, failures and betrayals. And after half a life-time of fumbling, and hard work, and after you have overcome this confusion, one sometimes earns to have a glimpse of the truth. But there is then the denial; Denial of this truth in one's life and the elusiveness of the larger spirit. If times are bad then destiny beats you. If it is really bad then you would even be betrayed by yourself. But if times turn good, then the whole universe will help you realise your dream, one’s nature and your true destiny.
For me it all started with a 112km pilgrimage walk of penance and appeal to the Palani temple for a dharshan with Lord Murugan. Then after almost a year I went on the Sabari pilgrimage. During this time I traversed the outer experiences, the inner thoughts, and the feelings of these journeys. The first pilgrimage broke me physically and provided me an experience that turned out to be a true physical penance. And the second pilgrimage took me to the next stage, providing me, a glimpse of an inner experience - An experience of the power and potential of SELF. It provided me a personal path of spiritual progress to reach for my liberation and enlightenment, giving me a glimpse of the living larger truth itself. Then as I sat down to write about it, the process of writing took me beyond the sights I had seen. It took me beyond the veneer of that I had seen and felt and provided me some insights into larger life.
An act that was born in response to one life-consuming issue, out of desperation, and as an exploration as a last resort, first took me in, then took me to new sights and feelings. Then it grew in its relevance. It took me beyond the half-truths of sights and sounds. It made me realise life’s deeper, meanings and larger truths, convincing me of it’s value, it’s relevance. Thus it proved it’s benefits. It took awhile though. I was not immediately shown any benefit that I was able to discern as having risen out of this act. As I said, it grew on me over time. And in the end, it proved it’s reasons. It made me realise my nature. It made me realise some of Life’s larger and deeper truths behind its sights and sounds. It provided me a potent path to self-cultivation, self-realization. Now, I am a believer in the efficacy and the potency of that act that I had taken to in desperation. A believer in the potency of self-cultivating pilgrimages.
Now, I am a devoted pilgrim. Pilgrim of ‘Walking-The-Road and Writing-The-Way’ as a way towards my progress, my growth. I believe that it will take me to my true destiny. This is the story of how it all started.
Walking - The - Road Writing - The - Way
Introduction & Overview
Walking - The - Road is both what it literally means and also a metaphor. It is the ritual of physically walking to a holy place, a pilgrimage, as well as a metaphor for the inner spiritual progress to self-realisation. It is both an inner as well as an outer pilgrimage. Thus It takes us to a holy place on both dimensions. It is a journey between two different dimensions. It begins from a physical place but its final destination is a spiritual one.
Writing - The - Way is both what it literally means and also a metaphor too. It is the ritual of writing about the external journeys that one takes to places of worship, as well as a metaphor for the way of writing or articulating one’s way to inner progress, to new knowledge and to self-realisation. In my case it has been the metaphorical meaning of both the terms that have been my deeper concern and occupation. In fact I could call them my walking-yoga and my writing-yoga.
By walking I have come upon new ideas and concepts. By writing I have defined and refined them. Mind operates in various ways in its quest. For me both the acts of walking and writing have complemented each-other in my growth and realisation. While walking my mind juggles information, ideas and looks for new patterns, which it knows from other disciplines. It is much like the way of a kaleidoscope works - with each shift and turn, a new design comes up as the colourful bits of glass form a new pattern.
While writing, my mind holds an idea or pattern and defines it to its’ most minute by refining it to very subtle and abstract levels. This is much like the way of the magnifying glass works - magnifying anything to reveal its minute details and subtle levels. My mind works dynamically in both these ways and it does so in a holistic and multidimensional way. I walk to realise flashes of fleeting new knowledge and new possibilities and then I write to define and to refine them and capture them in my memory. I had walked and while I walked, the sights just went into me. The feelings and the thoughts, if at all, had been only fleeting. It was only later when I sat down to write about it, did all the images with their fleeting thoughts came back, for me to confront them, elaborate them and define them to my understanding.
I had taken to some journeys, which had external as well as internal destinations. Though the total experience occurred in a holistic way, there were certain parts which were distinct in one aspect of either being physical or emotional. But I am not sure about any distinct spiritual feelings. Thinking back in analysis I still cannot ascribe any spiritual aspect to any particular part the whole journey. Then I wonder why I still do feel like it is a pilgrimage. Intellectually this seems a paradox but deep inside of me this journey has made a heavy and seemingly permanent indentation in my ‘being’, and of this, I have no other term to describe than to call it a spiritual impression. These journeys proved to be an unexpected physical experience for me as I reached the limits of physical exhaustion. May be it is the principle: that ones’ spiritual calibration happens only when one is pushed beyond ones’ physical, mental and emotional capacity till one breaks down, leaving one’s spiritual core open for a communion with the universal spirit. One thing I do know, there are no shortcuts to any spiritual learning. In fact, the path to spiritual growth is a long and arduous one, in which there are no favours or excuses granted. At least they were not for me, at least not so far. Worse, there is not even a clear and lucid map to chart one’s way through this existential confusion - Confusion of purpose, confusion of objectives, and confusion of actions. Most times one has to only grope and find one’s own way. And there are hardships, disappointments, failures and betrayals. And after half a life-time of fumbling, and hard work, and after you have overcome this confusion, one sometimes earns to have a glimpse of the truth. But there is then the denial; Denial of this truth in one's life and the elusiveness of the larger spirit. If times are bad then destiny beats you. If it is really bad then you would even be betrayed by yourself. But if times turn good, then the whole universe will help you realise your dream, one’s nature and your true destiny.
For me it all started with a 112km pilgrimage walk of penance and appeal to the Palani temple for a dharshan with Lord Murugan. Then after almost a year I went on the Sabari pilgrimage. During this time I traversed the outer experiences, the inner thoughts, and the feelings of these journeys. The first pilgrimage broke me physically and provided me an experience that turned out to be a true physical penance. And the second pilgrimage took me to the next stage, providing me, a glimpse of an inner experience - An experience of the power and potential of SELF. It provided me a personal path of spiritual progress to reach for my liberation and enlightenment, giving me a glimpse of the living larger truth itself. Then as I sat down to write about it, the process of writing took me beyond the sights I had seen. It took me beyond the veneer of that I had seen and felt and provided me some insights into larger life.
An act that was born in response to one life-consuming issue, out of desperation, and as an exploration as a last resort, first took me in, then took me to new sights and feelings. Then it grew in its relevance. It took me beyond the half-truths of sights and sounds. It made me realise life’s deeper, meanings and larger truths, convincing me of it’s value, it’s relevance. Thus it proved it’s benefits. It took awhile though. I was not immediately shown any benefit that I was able to discern as having risen out of this act. As I said, it grew on me over time. And in the end, it proved it’s reasons. It made me realise my nature. It made me realise some of Life’s larger and deeper truths behind its sights and sounds. It provided me a potent path to self-cultivation, self-realization. Now, I am a believer in the efficacy and the potency of that act that I had taken to in desperation. A believer in the potency of self-cultivating pilgrimages.
Now, I am a devoted pilgrim. Pilgrim of ‘Walking-The-Road and Writing-The-Way’ as a way towards my progress, my growth. I believe that it will take me to my true destiny. This is the story of how it all started.
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