The Pilgrimage

Dear friends, lets share a story of two friends, Dharma and Karma and their experience of pilgrimage.

Long ago, Dharma and Karma- the two friends lived in a village and did day to-day chores to meet their daily expenses and support their respective family. Their lives were not luxurious but giving them satisfaction. Their family were happy with them and blessed them for providing necessary good things of life. 

Once both of them while discussing about various things, decided to go for a journey to pilgrimage so that they could see the other cities and also fulfill the purpose to know other places as well to pray with reverence and spirituality. As for that purpose they needed enough sum of money for traveling expenses therefore both of them first decided to work hard and to save some money for that purpose. After some time, when both of them had saved enough money to meet their travel expenses thereafter they decided to begin their journey for pilgrimage. 

During the way, both of them got opportunity to visit various religious places and listened good words from many preachers. They stayed in different villages with many villagers offering them food and shelter in the night as per their status and earnings. It gave them  to see and know the humane side as well as peace of mind but as they had decided to go to main shrine which was quite far and time taking journey. They kept their journey continued. 

On one of a day they traveled a good distance and reached to a village. The people of village were not  very well-off and poor in comparison to other villages. They reached to one of the hut-house and knocked the door. The hut-house was not in a good condition however the family which lived there, welcomed them and served the best available food to their guests. Both of them had food and rested in the house. They were also given the cots to sleep and family put their bed on the floor. As they had to leave early in the morning therefore they got up early and went for morning calls and bathing at the well. The host family also got up early and preparing food for their breakfast and lunch. While bathing at well, they noticed some commotion and  voices. Immediately they reached to the house of their host and found that that house had been burnt accidentally while cooking the food on the wood-stove. The family were dousing the fire by putting water over it. Both of them also helped the family in doing so but in between the whole of the house turned into a rubble in the short period. After dousing the fire, Dharma asked Karma to leave the place and to start moving on for their pilgrimage. Karma told him that as that family had provided them food and shelter and that problem of their survival had occurred while they were also staying therefore they had further moral responsibility to help the family till they recovered from their trauma and loss but Dharma did not get agree with him and decided to move on for further journey without Karma. 

Karma stayed in the village and helped family to reconstruct their house. The head man of family was also got injured in the accident. Karma helped him in recovering and did all house work for them. 

On the other side, Dharma started moving and after traveling for many days reached at the place of Shrine. He was happy and satisfied as he had achieved his goal. He felt sorry for Karma's act for not coming here and missing this chance to pray in peace. There was a big crowd. He looked at the crowd gathered there. Suddenly at one far spot, he saw that Karma was standing along with many people who were taking care of him. Dharma was surprised as his clothes had been worn out in the journey and on the other side Karma was wearing prince-like new clothes. He called him in a loud voice but the distance and gathered crowd could not allowed him to attract Karma towards him. In between Karma lost in crowd with other people. Dharma thought as when he had decided to move from village, it seemed that Karma must have moved after him and reached here. Before pr,ay,  as per rituals and customs Dharma decided to take a dip in the holy river. There was a big crowd for bathing at river and Dharma faced lot of difficulties in taking dip however he observed that Karma was also taking dip in the holy river but not with the crowd also at royal ghat where he was being served with many people. Dharma felt jealous and angry as both of them had departed together for that journey and now he was being treated as royal and he still was facing all hard-ship of journey. After the bath, Dharma reached at the Shrine and joined the long 'Q' of devotees. He stood in the 'Q' for long time and as he reached near the shrine, he could not enter inside due to over-crowd but surprised him the most that Karma was allowed to pray inside the shrine and priests were assisting him in performing the pray. Dharma got angry and infuriated over that facility provided to him. He decided to teach him a lesson once he would reach to their native place. 

After the pray, he started going back to his village. Dharma was worn-out and tired but he traveled fast to reach as early as possible. 

During the journey, he reached back to same village where the incident of fire had occurred. Dharma due to curiosity went to same house which was got fire. On his surprise, he noticed that the hut had been converted into a beautiful  house. The family had all good comforts in house. They welcomed Dharma and requested him to stay and rest in a big room having all amenities till they informed Karma about his arrival. On hearing that Karma was staying here, he thought to humiliate him from this place till the native village. By late evening, Karma came and welcomed him with warm hug. Dharma was surprised to see his reaction and got another surprise when came to know that Karma had not left that place and since Dharma's departure, he was with the family and helping them in improving the life of family and native villagers. He had used his innovative methods and introduced new techniques for agriculture and craft work. He got opened a school for village children and work-shop cum learning center for village women. Due to his contribution the village did not fall in poverty area. The villagers had become self sufficient and living happily. Now the Dharma had returned from the journey therefore he would be joining him back in the journey onwards to their native village.

Next morning Dharma went to village and found everything true. All villagers welcomed him and gave them farewell good bye when they made their departure from the village. They were also gifted with a few souvenirs by the villagers.

Through out the journey, Dharma never got courage to face and look in Karma's eyes. He was puzzled that when Karma was helping, remained in the village and did not complete his pilgrimage then how did he was every where in the shrine?

Dear friends, A pilgrimage is only gets completed when the traveler knows his purpose of doing so. Karma understood the meaning of his journey that is why he preferred to stay in the village. he knows that God's search may occurs in the dark mind but an enlighten mind knows that God is with him.

A prayer is thank to God and to his creations. It may be missed if intentions of doing good is motive i.e. helping the poor and needy makes difference. Saint Ravi Das did the same and brought out the holy water of Ganges from his utensil which was used to keep leather wet and soft for making shoes.

Spirituality does not require to connect every time with practice,  it needs to connect your soul and mind with wiping tears from poor and weak. 

A pilgrimage may be accomplished if your reverence reaches to your doing karma's.