|
Installing Health & Safety
Devices
Going on
pilgrimage, i.e. leaving the safety (read: sanctuary)
of home is a dangerous business. It’s a dangerous, hostile world out there. However, in
order to survive (the natural disintegration - or decay - of her home), an
individual must, sooner or later, venture forth. If early life pilgrimages
are guided and protected (i.e. by parents, teachers, priests and so on), the
crucial pilgrimage of mid-life, that is to say, when an individual becomes
whatever she feels she needs to be, is not guided, not protected. On a true
pilgrimage, that is to say, on the pilgrimage to the true self (i.e. to a
wholly affective identity), the pilgrim is on her own (i.e. ‘an island onto
herself’, see Buddhist refuges)
and dependent only on her own survival skills and self-protection devices. Because the
pilgrim has observed the world out there from the safety of her home, and
realises the danger of venturing forth, she prepares a safety line (i.e. as
mountaineers and potholers do), a safety net, as trapeze artists (i.e.
peaking adepts) do and safe houses, as criminals, i.e. outlaws (i.e. the
pilgrim is essentially an outlaw) on the run do. The safety
line stretches from the goal (read: sanctuary, ‘as if’ in the case of the
true pilgrim). Firmly attached to it, the pilgrim can move forwards/upwards
and backwards/downwards in safety if and when confronted by a hazard. The safety
net extends beneath and above her to stop her falling into an abyss (of
depression or confusion) or shooting beyond the goal (and into an abyss of
elation or madness). The safe
house serves as a rest, regeneration and recuperation device. The Safety Line. It consists of her goal (i.e. her ‘as if’
dream or image (actually experienced as ‘is’, hence as real, albeit at very
low energy output) of her goal/sanctuary, and on which she places as it were
one foot), the means to it (i.e. her goal achievement skills, and which she
continuously upgrades and perfects) and her actual starting point (i.e.
ground zero, in fact, her previous reality test (-ing capacity), and which
includes the rigorous use of common sense and the help of the her Guide System, anthropomorphised as ‘genie’, ‘Madonna’, ‘Inner (or Holy)
Spirit, and one of n angels and so on) and on which (as stopped Inner Pilgrimage) she leaves her other foot
firmly fixed. If the latter foot leaves the ground (i.e. her previous
sanctuary which served as reality test), then the safety line becomes
unstable or broken and loses its
life-saving capacity. The safety
line includes maintenance of perfect physical and mental health. The latter
reaches of pilgrimage is (always) strewn with the bleached bones of pilgrims
who neglected to keep themselves fit, that is to say, fit enough to survive
the ordeal of the final ascent (or descent) to the goal.* Consequently the
smart pilgrim takes good care of her body and mind. The Safety Net. It consists of an instantaneous, fail-safe
shut down (or pilgrimage ending, hence home recovery) procedure. It is
installed to protect against sudden, unforeseen physical or mental (i.e.
psychological) disaster, positive or negative (for instance, the unexpected
and sudden disappearance of the goal or the loss of the means to it; or
reaching it prematurely and overshooting it; or being diverted to another
goal). These disasters, though individually unpredictable (though
statistically predictable), surprise the pilgrim suddenly and affecting with
tremendous force (like a hurricane
or fire-storm). The astute pilgrim should expect disasters small and big
to happen and prepare accordingly. Training in disaster management for
instance, keeping a cool (because detached) head, is key to surviving goal
achievement (and which is always sudden and wholly different from the
expected). The Safe House. It’s a space, mental or physical, to which
the pilgrim can retire for rehabilitation when emotionally hurt, physically
injured or depleted of energy (i.e. seriously depressed). The most efficient
safe house is, in most cases) the parental home. Parents, whose love is
usually unconditional, will protect the pilgrim and nurture her back to full
functionality, no matter what. Companions, friends, pilgrimage companions
(such as a community of monks or nuns, Buddhist: sangha) and loved
ones can offer safe houses, though there is always a price to pay. Preferably
the three safety devices are installed or prepared by the pilgrim before she
leaves home. However, they can be installed, upgraded and/or adapted en
route. Leaving home (on pilgrimage) without preparing for physical or mental
setbacks or injuries, or from being cut off or diverted from the goal is
stupid.* *I recall a
(western) Buddhist Bhikkhu (i.e. a monk, i.e. ‘one gone forth into
homelessness’) whose pilgrimage ended prematurely, hence failed because of
sheer stupidity (i.e. he had failed to install a safety line, safety net or
safe house). A mosquito
bit him in the leg. He scratched the tiny wound and opened it up. The wound
got infected. Rather than treat the infection he let it fester until it
became a large, puss-filled hole. Trusting in the Buddha, rather than in the
Buddha’s advice to his followers, namely to seek medical help when ill, he
refused to visit a doctor to get help. Eventually he became very ill and
could no longer beg for food. Undernourished and overcome by fever he
gradually became deranged. He ended up eating gravel. Three days later he was
dead. Death is
usually imminent when pilgrims start eating gravel. In the Orient,
specifically in India, it is not permitted to help, that is to say, interfere
with the pilgrim (on his or her path), even at the point of death. Developing the means of
pilgrimage |