Sri Ramakrishna and the Pilgrimage Mindset

This series which discusses the pre-pilgrimage, during pilgrimage, and post pilgrimage mindset concludes with this article.

- SWAMI CHIDEKANANDA

After returning from a pilgrimage, pilgrims often have two types of reactions: they either indulge in excessive sense enjoyments, or become depressed because they feel they have not gained anything spiritually from the pilgrimage.

The first type of reaction is seen in pilgrims who soon after returning from the pilgrimage slip into overeating delicacies, binge-watching movies, going out with friends to parties, etc. This type of reaction may be explained by behavioral psychology. They think that they have undergone a great austerity by suppressing worldly tendencies, and so must now relax and reward themselves with some sense pleasures. A professor often visited Swami Brahmananda, who was a direct-disciple of Sri Ramakrishna and a powerful spiritual dynamo. Once this professor told the swami’s attendants, “I don’t know what kind of boys you are, but if you can live in the rarefied atmosphere of Maharaj day after day, you must be great. I myself cannot stand it for long; I need to breathe a little worldly air.”

The second type of reaction is seen in pilgrims who take spiritual life more seriously. During their pilgrimage, they would have had a strong motivation to achieve some type of spiritual transformation. Yet, at the end of the pilgrimage, they do not find any change within themselves.