I have come to light, at long last, in my home province of British Columbia, Canada. I was not intending such a lengthy hiatus from writing, but circumstances required it and now, happily, I’m back.
My journey of late got me to thinking about the whole notion of a life’s path as pilgrimage, an effort which circles around staying in touch with the source of all life—Tao, Nature, the divine, whatever you like to call it.
I’m a complete neophyte when it comes to all this really, but I feel it is important and somehow central to my life.
Consequently, I have made a deeper commitment to practices which help foster reverence for life. I think it is essential to prioritize this orientation, for if we do not view our lives, the earth and all life on the planet as sacred, we will only succeed in continuing to violate and destroy it.
Call me crazy, but I can’t see the upside of that…I’m not innocent, though, I have committed my share of the violations, I would simply like to make a bigger effort at making fewer.
It seems like nature plays a key role in all this, as exposing myself to the rejuvenating effects of its energy can be tremendously healing, a reminder that I am connected in some indelible way to the Whole.
Being a little more awake to habits of consumption is important too. The music, food, people, games, reading material, and films we have exposure to all influence and shape us, so it makes sense to be a little more aware of their effect on mind, body and psyche.
Pilgrimage, as I envision it, is an excellent practice for honouring the sacred dimensions of our existence. There is little precedent for it in modern society, but we might look to more traditional societies for inspiration, to find pieces of that which we may have lost—a deep, fundamental respect and reverence for life.
