Life: A Pilgrimage

“You can either use everything to enhance your experience of life or tie yourself into knots. Labelling something as a problem won’t enhance your experience or life.”

—Sadhguru

On this Spot, Sadhguru writes to us from the “Roof of the World” to share his approach to both a pilgrimage and life in general. He says, “I never see anything as a problem. I only see how to make everything happen better, including myself.” Enjoy some breathtaking photos from the current pilgrimage with Sadhguru through the magnificent Nepalese and Tibetan Himalayas.

Many of those who are here with me now on the way to Kailash would have never even dreamt to ever go on a pilgrimage. Even I never thought it was necessary for me to undertake a pilgrimage; but here I am for the thirteenth time. Each time I come back from one of these yatras, I think, “Enough! I’m done with mountains.” But within two months, we are planning the next trip. I’ve been to many powerful places, met many extraordinary Beings, been to spaces that reverberate with energy. I’m yet to come across another place that reverberates like Kailash does. And that’s what keeps me coming back here. Kailash can be addictive that way.

Why do we call this a pilgrimage? Why is it not a tour or a trek? If you are a tourist, you will only wear out the mountain path a little more. If you are a pilgrim, you are using this outward journey to make an inward journey. Do you want to wear out the mountain path or wear out something within you? This is a decision you must make. A pilgrimage is about making less out of yourself. If you are able to make yourself nothing, you can be here like a piece of life and simply breathe. If that’s too hard, then at least make yourself a little less of whatever you think you are. That’s the way to be on a pilgrimage.

Why can’t you do it at home? Well, you could, but you haven’t. And therefore we are here. If you are a hard nut to crack, then a yatra is a good way to turn inward – a good way to break your boundaries. There is a boundary for everything that you know as life. Your body itself is your physical boundary; but your mind, emotions, and energy also have boundaries. If there is a boundary and you breach it, there is boundlessness. This is what Kailash is about – your chance to imbibe boundlessness.

How do you become boundless? Since people’s idea of freedom is often to be able to fly like a bird, I’ll use this example. If you want to fly, you don’t have to handle the sky. You only have to handle what’s holding you down. That means you have to handle gravity. Similarly, if you want freedom, you have to handle the ropes that bind you. Freedom is a consequence of seeing and handling what holds you down. If you handle the problem, you will have the solution. But because people don’t get that, they find a way to turn every solution you give them into a problem.

For a billion people, at least in this part of the world, Kailash is a dream. Don’t turn the pilgrimage into a problem. No matter what happens, don’t see it as a problem – it is just a situation. “Problem” is just a label that you attach to something. Life is happening – that’s all. You can either use everything to enhance your experience of life or tie yourself into knots. Labelling something as a problem won’t enhance your experience or life. I want you to experience life situations the way I do. I never see anything as a problem. I only see how to make everything happen better, including myself. In being this way, your very life shall become a Pilgrimage.

Love & Grace,

Sadhguru