Walking the Camino is a spiritual journey that mirrors the journey of life, unfolding in three profound stages: a beginning, a middle, and an end. Kierkegaard describes these three stages of life as the aesthetic, the ethical, and the religious.
The first stage—the crucifixion—represents the struggle and hardship of making mistakes, forcing the boat upstream, and losing your way on the wrong path. During the first stage in life we face trial and error, effort often feels futile. You sometimes engage in aimless wandering and deviations. You may easily lose your way with countless distractions in the monkey mind.
The middle stage, symbolized by the Valley of Death or the Meseta, is a surrender of the ego to a higher purpose and deeper meaning. Here, the ego must die for the soul to awaken to its inner truth, allowing for transformation and clarity.
According to Kierkegaard the appeal during this “ethical stage” lies in walking the path with confidence, even though it may be monotonous and exhausting at times.
The final stage—the resurrection—is a state of flow, where you align with the current of life and begin to see that every experience, even the challenges, has been an expression of divine grace, sculpting you into the BEING you were always meant to become.
You feel the ecstasy in the dance of life. Your walk is a gentle surfing of the path without a sense of gravity. There is an unspoken faith in the journey that drives you forward, and quickens your pace.
Reaching the Cathedral of Santiago is a celebration of joy and homecoming, marking the soul’s return to its true essence. Ultimately, the Camino is a journey of the soul, finding its way back home.
Reino Gevers – Author – Mentor – Speaker
P.S. If you enjoyed this article you will be interested in my books available where all good books are sold.
In London’s Westminster Cathedral stands a strikingly beautiful statue of Our Lady of Walsingham, emanating timeless grace, peace, and compassion.
The Marian shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham, located in Norfolk, England, traces its origins back to the early 11th century. Known as “England’s Nazareth,” it became one of the most significant and ancient pilgrimage sites in the country.
Known as the „Walsingham Way,” countless pilgrims visited the Holy House with a wooden statue of the Virgin Mary as a focal point of contemplation. It was a time when monasteries and shrines connected medieval pathways in a powerful matrix throughout Europe.
But in 1538 Henry VIII ordered the Walsingham statue to be taken to London and destroyed. As part of his break from Catholicism, monasteries were dissolved, pillaged and pilgrimages prohibited.
Only in recent times, the Walsingham pilgrimage path has been revived now officially forming part of the network of pilgrimage paths to Santiago de Compostela in Spain.
The shrine in Walsingham has regained its medieval significance, often referred to as the “English Lourdes” because of its central place in Catholic and Anglican devotion in England.
Pilgrims to Walsingham seek healing, spiritual guidance, and a deepened relationship with the Virgin Mary. It remains a place of great spiritual renewal for many, with visitors walking the Holy Mile, a traditional part of the pilgrimage route.
The beautiful statue of the Walsingham Lady in Westminster Cathedral was commissioned by Cardinal Griffin in 1954 and sculpted by Pius Dapre. For many years it remained hidden and almost unknown in the Cathedral Crypt until it was recovered.
Mystery still surrounds the original wooden shrine which may have never been burned and destroyed as ordered by Henry VIII.
An article recently published in The Catholic Herald quoted art historians as saying that The Langham Madonna, a battered 13th-century English statue in London’s Victoria and Albert Museum, is in fact the original statue of Our Lady of Walsingham.
There were no eyewitness accounts that the statue was actually destroyed in London, according to the historians but hidden by Catholic loyalists until it reappeared centuries later in the museum.
Throughout history, countless myths, legends, and mysteries have surrounded the figure of the Goddess—whether Mary, Brigid, Kali, Isis or others—appearing and reappearing in various forms. At times, she has been revealed as a beautiful statue, carved from wood, stone, or marble, inspiring the creation of shrines, monasteries, or cathedrals at the place of her discovery.
Mary, in particular, has been known to appear in sacred apparitions at sites like Walsingham, Lourdes, and Fatima—places where the veil between worlds seems thin. Regardless of whether one is a believer, agnostic, or of another faith, her presence has been tied to stories of miracles that defy logic. Yet, time and again, she has brought comfort, solace, and peace to those facing pain and confusion.
Reino Gevers – Author – Mentor – Speaker
P.S. If you enjoyed this article you will be interested in my books available where all good books are sold.
Check out also the recent episode on the Living to BE podcast and Youtube with our special guest Matt O’Neill. The topic: Happiness is a Choice.
Just having completed the Camino Aragonese pilgrimage route in northwestern Spain, I was deeply inspired by the diverse landscapes, rich vegetation, and the symphony of nature that emerges when human noise recedes.
Immersing oneself in nature reveals the interconnectedness of all living beings. Nature is an expression of the divine, with diversity as a fundamental principle of creation.
In times when external voices grow increasingly loud with hate-filled tribalism and ethnocentricity, the truth of the heart becomes paramount.
Monoculture is lifeless
Compare a lifeless monoculture with a meadow buzzing with the sound of birds, insects and the aroma of wild herbs and a multitude of flowers.
Thoughts and beliefs – religious, philosophical or political – have become so much part of tribalist identity that some people would rather die than admit that they have all along placed the ladder against the wrong wall.
Attachment to fanaticism in all shape and form hardens mind and body, and is one of the biggest obstacles to personal growth and elevation of consciousness.
One humanity or chaotic tribalism
Currently humanity is at the cusp of an elevation of consciousness of a one humanity or regressing into another chaotic age of divisive tribalism, nationalism, and intolerance.
There have been brief periods of enlightenment in the past when faith was more experiential in nature, with individuals gaining higher insight through contemplation, art and music.
Beautifully restored Romanesque cathedrals, especially in Jaca and Sanguesa, on the Aragonese route provided sanctuary in medieval times for quiet contemplation and inspiration from sculpture at a time when most people were illiterate.
Divinely inspired music and art
Later construction of the grand cathedrals such as Notre-Dame in Paris and Chartres, with their stunning stained glass windows inspired awe and devotion.
During the Renaissance era religious art with masterpieces by artists such as Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and Raphael communicated complex theological ideas through visual means.
Sacred music by composers such as Johann Sebastian Bach, and Beethoven created elaborate musical compositions elevating the liturgical experience and deepening the spiritual experience, connecting with the divine in profound sensory-rich ways.
When a religion degenerates into claiming the ultimate truth, subjugating its members into what to believe and how to behave, there is empty ritual and stagnation. The head-mind closes the door to the heart-mind and the whispers to the soul.
Reino Gevers – Author – Mentor – Speaker
P.S. I’m excited to announce the release of my latest book, “The Turning of the Circle: Embracing Nature’s Wisdom for Purposeful Living.” If you enjoy it, you might also be interested in my previous works, “Deep Walking for Body, Mind and Soul” and “Walking on Edge: A Pilgrimage to Santiago.” You can find all of these titles at reputable bookstores near you.
During my childhood in South Africa, I started having my first doubts about religion when clergy defended from the pulpit the abhorrent policy of apartheid and prevented a devout black priest from attending a church ceremony.
The message of salvation failed to resonate in the obligatory Sunday services which I found to be extraordinarily melancholy and joyless occasions, steeped in empty ritual. It did however serve the purpose of sending me onto a path of intensive ongoing spiritual exploration.
If you are one of those people who left the church in frustration after being shamed for thinking differently or questioning doctrine, then welcome to the club.
For centuries religious institutions have stifled spiritual growth and prevented people from living their divine purpose by telling them how to behave, what to believe, and even what politicians to vote for. This, for me at least, is the ultimate sin for which the church needs to take responsibility.
Spiritual but not religious
Especially younger people in Western countries are seeing through the hypocrisy and leaving the church in droves. But does that mean that more people are becoming agnostic, atheist, or have lost their belief in the divine?
Seven out of ten Americans describe themselves as spiritual in some way including 22 percent who say they are spiritual but not religious.
Even the first Christian communities were often divided between legalistic interpretations of the Gospel and experiential spirituality. There is a lovely passage in Galatians 5 of the New Testament of the Bible where St. Paul criticizes an early church in today’s Turkey.
Paul underscores the centrality of the Gospel, calling on the faithful to practice love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control as opposed to the legalism of what foods to eat and what could and could not be done on a Sabbath.
Jesus, the ultimate revolutionary
Some 2,000 years ago Jesus broke all religious conventions by healing the sick on the Sabbath. He was eventually crucified when openly exposing the hypocrisy of the clergy, by dining with sinners, tax collectors, prostitutes, and other outcasts – who were excluded from the Temple.
Jesus never had plans to establish an institution or a church and would probably be horrified by what people are saying and practicing in his name today. When someone starts confronting me with the words: “Have you found the real Jesus?” it is for me a signal to run.
Temples, churches, and places of worship could be turned into sanctuaries of peace by opening their doors to people of all faiths. Many Christian churches however are stuck in tribalistic doctrine, especially when it comes to who is entitled to holy communion, abortion, or whether women can be ordained as priests.
Thriving churches, however, are vibrant meeting places for people joyfully dancing, singing, praying, and sharing meals together. In a positive sense, they can cement the community spirit, especially in urban environments where we have an epidemic of isolation and loneliness. These church members practice a living faith by visiting the aged, providing comfort to prison inmates, and refugees, and establishing food banks for the hungry.
Spiritual growth comes from a place of brokenness
There is a saying that religion is for those who fear hell while spirituality is for those who have been there. The seeds of spiritual growth come from a place of brokenness.
On my more than a dozen walks on the Camino in Spain I have met countless people who have gone through the hell of losing loved ones, confronted life-threatening illnesses, the dark holes of depression, financial ruin, and relationship breakdown. What I can say about all these people I’ve met on the Camino is that such life-changing events made them come out stronger, forcing them into deep introspection on the purpose and meaning of life.
A cosmic religion of the future
Experiential spirituality is a process whereby the shutters of the soul window are opened. It is a feeling of connection with the divine, and the mystery of creation. The great scientist Albert Einstein once said that the religion of the future will be cosmic in nature.
“The most beautiful and deepest experience a man can have is the sense of the mysterious. It is the underlying principle of religion as well as all serious endeavors in art and science. He who never had this experience seems to me, if not dead, then at least blind,” Einstein is quoted as saying.
The Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism, encourages individuals to go beyond the superficial differences among religions and recognize the deeper essence of spirituality and morality that can be found in all faith traditions.
The fundamental principles of compassion, love, and ethics are not limited to any particular religious tradition or belief system. These principles, the Dalai Lama believes, are universal.
Already early into this year, a record number of pilgrims are walking the Camino. All share the common quest that has resonated through the ages:
“From whence do I hail? Whither do I journey? What purpose guides my days ahead?”
In echoing the ancient Sages and Mystics, emphasizing the innate spirit of man: Where there is a lighthearted spirit of joy, peace, positivity, and kindness, negativity and darkness recede.
Reino Gevers – Author – Mentor – Speaker
P.S. I’m excited to announce the release of my latest book, “The Turning of the Circle: Embracing Nature’s Wisdom for Purposeful Living.” If you enjoy it, you might also be interested in my previous works, “Deep Walking for Body, Mind and Soul” and “Walking on Edge: A Pilgrimage to Santiago.” You can find all of these titles at reputable bookstores near you.
In ancient oral traditions saints and prophets are often said to return as angels in disguise after departing from their earthly existence, assisting those in desperate need of help, but sometimes unwittingly you too can become a divine messenger by imparting one word or deed that can completely change the trajectory of a person’s life.
Several stories reflect the universal theme of saints and prophets in the afterlife intervening in human affairs, in unexpected and unassuming forms.
Guidance and healing at crucial junctions
In ancient Greek mythology, the deity Asclepius is associated with healing and is said to have returned to the mortal world in disguise offering healing and guidance.
In the Islamic tradition, Khizr is often associated with the archetype of a wise and immortal figure who appears in challenging times, disguised as an ordinary person.
In Slavic folklore, the supernatural being Baba Yaga comes in disguise to test individuals and those who treat her kindly are well rewarded.
According to Jewish-Christian legend the Prophet Elijah intervened at several crucial junctions of human history. During the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa in 1212 the Christian forces in Spain faced a formidable opponent against the soldiers of the Almohad Caliphate. The Christian army was about to be defeated when a mysterious knight wielding a white banner with a red cross appeared on the battlefield, believed to have been Elijah in disguise, and providing the crucial assistance that turned the tide.
The red cross against a white background is today a familiar symbol on the scallop shell worn by pilgrims walking the Camino de Santiago, many of them probably unaware of its origins. In my novel “Walking on Edge” I refer to several mysterious encounters with strangers that the main character Jake has on the Camino. Some of these accounts are based on real stories that I came across on my own pilgrimage walks.
It is common for pilgrims to have a really low moment while on the Camino, where they are at the point of giving up. I’ve met several people who reported having an epiphany after overhearing a conversation or having a chance encounter with a stranger, giving them the courage to continue.
You should never underestimate the impact your words and deeds could have on a fellow human being. Sometimes you also need to be cruel to be kind.
A teacher or parent might implement a policy of no-nonsense adherence to deadlines and assignments to prepare the student for the obstacles they might encounter in future professional environments, instilling a sense of responsibility and discipline, even though momentarily demanding.
If you have a family member or friend suffering from an addiction problem, the only way you are going to help them is by setting clear boundaries and deadlines where they can get professional help.
But sometimes a simple gesture or act of kindness can leave an everlasting imprint on a person’s memory.
In Charles Dickens’ novella “A Christmas Carol,” the miserly and bitter old man Scrooge is transformed with a child’s kindness that serves as a catalyst for his redemption, reminding him of the joy and warmth associated with Christmas and the importance of human connection.
It costs absolutely nothing to be kind. You never know what impact that could have on a fellow human being. The exact right words and actions might resonate with another person more than you realize.
Reino Gevers – Author – Mentor – Speaker
P.S. I’m excited to announce the release of my latest book, “The Turning of the Circle: Embracing Nature’s Wisdom for Purposeful Living.” If you enjoy it, you might also be interested in my previous works, “Deep Walking for Body, Mind and Soul” and “Walking on Edge: A Pilgrimage to Santiago.” You can find all of these titles at reputable bookstores near you.
On one of my walks on the Camino de Santiago in northwestern Spain, I met a woman who was on the pilgrimage to deal with the grief of just having lost her husband to whom she had been happily married for many years.
Like her many people walking the Camino are at an inflection point in their life, walking off their grief from the loss of a loved one, the trauma of a divorce, or the fears of dealing with a life-threatening illness.
The shared community experience of doing an 800-kilometer walk over many weeks is one reason why some pilgrims come back every year to walk the entire route or some sections. There are few places in the world where complete strangers would exchange some of their most intimate experiences only minutes after meeting each other.
The sacred path
One morning, as we continued our journey, the woman I had been walking alongside for several days seemed unusually introspective. Eventually, she shared a vivid dream she had experienced the previous night.
In her dream, she found herself before the iconic burning bush, a scene drawn straight from the pages of the Bible’s Book of Exodus. In this powerful vision, God revealed Himself to her through the flames, just as he had to Moses centuries ago. But in her unique version of the story, a gentle voice emanated from the fiery foliage, urging her to tread the path ahead with reverence. The encounter left her awestruck, marking our journey with an undeniable sense of divine purpose.
The universe, or God, has many ways of whispering to your innermost soul, particularly in dreams. Treading the Camino path with reverence has led to a profound transformational shift in people who have walked this ancient path. It is a crash course in the lessons of life.
When traversing the earth with reverence, the senses awaken to the profound beauty of God’s creation. In the presence of mindfulness, enchantment permeates every moment. Conversely, when the mind is agitated and in haste, there is disconnection. Life’s wonders appear fleeting and superficial. A stressed mind remains trapped in the tunnel vision of flight, missing the intricate magic that weaves through existence.
The magic of the moment
Magic reveals itself in the tiniest of moments. Just a few days ago, I ventured into a rocky cove for some snorkeling. In the midst of the tranquil turquoise water, a pair of fish glided past, their scales aglow with a rainbow of colors, a mesmerizing effect created by the angle of sunlight filtering through the water’s surface.
It was a fleeting encounter, but within those brief seconds lay an astounding beauty. I would have entirely missed the moment had I not chosen to pause in stillness at one particular spot for a few precious minutes. In that space of quiet connection, the universe unfolded its secrets, reminding me that the most extraordinary experiences often come from the simplest acts of presence.
Serenity unfurls its wings in unhurried slow, deliberate breaths. It whispers through the silence of the mountains and echoes in the steady, gentle cadence of the waves.
Nature, in its eternal wisdom, guides you inward with each inhalation and exhalation, inviting you to rediscover the tranquility within. Amidst the clamor of the external world and the cacophony of maddening crowds, respite can be in the simplicity of aligning your breath with the rhythm of the natural world. Chaos fades, and solace is found in the gentle embrace of the universe.
Reino Gevers – Author – Mentor – Speaker
P.S. I’m excited to announce the release of my latest book, “The Turning of the Circle: Embracing Nature’s Wisdom for Purposeful Living.” If you enjoy it, you might also be interested in my previous works, “Deep Walking for Body, Mind and Soul” and “Walking on Edge: A Pilgrimage to Santiago.” You can find all of these titles at reputable bookstores near you.
Walking the Camino pilgrimage route in northwestern Spain is an analogy of life and a fast-track course in self-development and soul elevation. It is why many people who start this 800-kilometer walk as a sporting endeavor end it as a pilgrim.
A fellow pilgrim once said to me: „If you don‘t walk this path with humility, it will force you to become humble.“ It is a mantra that has remained etched in my mind as one of the many life lessons learned on the Camino.
Life gets in the way of a plan
Life inevitably gets in the way of a meticulous plan or agenda. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have a financial plan or pension savings scheme. You should simply be aware that even the best of plans can be scuttled by external events out of your control. You should therefore be prepared all the time to adapt, amend, and surrender to the flow of change.
On the journey of the soul, the pursuit of knowledge is an endless path of discovery. However, within various religious communities, there exists a phenomenon often referred to as the “spiritual ego.” This tendency can manifest as individuals within a group belittling those outside their faith or belief system, portraying them as less enlightened or unaware of profound truths, while they remain blind to their own hypocrisy and failings.
The universe has its own sense of humor in bringing us back to humility if we denigrate others with our inflated pride.
The Ego-Throne
The Achilles heel of the high achievers who have phenomenal success and then come crashing down is the illusion they created it all by themselves while seated on the golden throne. Their decisions are always infallible. Criticism by underlings is seen as disloyalty so they are eventually surrounded by sycophants and boot lickers.
History is full of examples of captains of industry, emperors, presidents, and superstars who lost everything because they withdrew into a cocoon far removed from the real world and the lives of ordinary people.
The challenges of good leadership
Aware of the temptations of power, the Stoic Roman philosopher emperor Marcus Aurelius (161 to 180 AD) had a servant follow him through the streets of Rome whispering in his ear: “You’re just a man… just a man,” to keep him humble. He is remembered to this day as one of the “Five Good Emperors” of the Roman Empire. His “Meditations” continue to be studied and revered for their insights into Stoic philosophy and the challenges of leadership.
During my more than a dozen walks on the Camino I’ve met some extremely wealthy people walking the path with a simple backpack and sleeping by choice on a bunk bed in a pilgrims hostel rather than spending the night in a luxury hotel.
It was an eye-opener to hear their stories of how they had transitioned from grief, financial ruin, and other obstacles that life had thrown at them. They all shared the same traits: Kindness, humility, and wisdom embedded in the knowledge that nothing can be taken for granted. The most precious things in life are free, and happiness can be found in the smallest of things.
Reino Gevers – Author – Mentor – Speaker
P.S. I’m excited to announce the release of my latest book, “The Turning of the Circle: Embracing Nature’s Wisdom for Purposeful Living.” If you enjoy it, you might also be interested in my previous works, “Deep Walking for Body, Mind and Soul” and “Walking on Edge: A Pilgrimage to Santiago.” You can find all of these titles at reputable bookstores near you.
One of the reasons I‘m hooked on making an annual pilgrimage walk on the Camino de Santiago is the wonderful people you meet on the way and the celebration of community with people from very different cultures, and religious backgrounds.
It is one of the few places left on earth where you meet individuals who open their hearts, discussing intimate details of their life with you, at times only minutes after meeting for the first time.
The hospitality of the locals on the Camino plays a role. Much of rural Spain still has healthy supportive communities where people meet in cafes and bars on a daily basis to have a chat.
The owner of a bar-hotel and restaurant business confided to me that the cafe part of his business was not really profitable but „closing this place for the winter months would be like closing the local church.“
A sense of belonging
While talking to fellow pilgrims in Santiago we agreed that many spiritual seekers on the Camino were finding a community and sense of belonging on this ancient path they were no longer finding in traditional religions.
As humans, we are hard-wired as social beings. Our relationships and social connections determine who we are. Strong connections and relationships are created when we share our feelings, inner wounds, and vulnerabilities.
Many people walking the Camino have seen their lives come apart on some level. Relationships that have broken down, the death of a loved one, financial loss, or having to deal with the diagnosis of a life-threatening disease. In sharing their stories pilgrims no longer feel “alone.”
There is experiential spirituality felt in a healthy community that emanates empathy, love, and kindness. Community is not only felt in a relationship with others, a higher deity but also in a commune with nature and the world around you.
It is walking in nature and bonding with people at the same time that makes the Camino such a magnet for spiritual seekers. This year will again register a record number of pilgrims on the path.
The celebration of the communal ritual
For this reason since ancient times humanity has embedded the celebration of community in religious rituals. Communal meals or rituals involving the sharing of food and drink can be found in ancient Greek and Roman religions, where a communal meal with the gods was seen as a means of establishing a bond or connection.
The Jewish Passover festival and the holy communion ceremony in Roman Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox religions are celebrated as rituals of sacrifice.
The word “commune” has its roots in Latin, derived from the word “communis,” meaning “common” or “shared.”
In our modern era, we are seeing an explosion of “sharing” and “connection” on social media across continents – the result of a human yearning. Urban lifestyle without connection to natural surroundings and friendly neighbors increasingly leads to individuation, self-isolation, loneliness, and mental health issues.
Online “tribes or families” can never be a replacement for the physical community where there is unconditional physical contact – the holding of hands, a hug, and a kiss on the cheek. This became acutely obvious during the recent pandemic.
Ultimately we all yearn to be seen, to be heard, and to be validated in a positive sense. We want to belong and in that belonging, we find purpose and meaning.
Reino Gevers – Author – Mentor – Speaker
One more thing...My new book “The Turning of the Circle: Embracing Nature’s Wisdom for Purposeful Living” can now be ordered on Amazon and where all good books are sold. You might also find my other books “Deep Walking for Body, Mind and Soul” and “Walking on Edge: A pilgrimage to Santiago” of interest.
Membership of Christian churches and attendance of services is falling dramatically in many countries. But does that mean that more people are becoming agnostic, atheist or have lost their belief in a God or the divine?
On my current pilgrimage walk on the Camino de Santiago in northwestern Spain, we passed through several villages and towns on a Sunday. All these beautiful and ancient temples of worship, some dating back to Celtic times and early Christianity, had their doors shut.
One church did happen to be open but a man shooed us pilgrims away, making it clear that we were not welcome to have a look inside. I do normally enjoy sitting in these sacred places, meditating and feeling into the powerful energy fields that they emanate.
It hit a sore point to be rudely turned away. It symbolized for me everything that has gone wrong with conventional religion, fixated on empty external ritual, and controlling doctrine.
Churches and temples should be open for people of all denominations as long as they show respect, giving everyone sanctuary seeking a quiet space from the noisy and distractive pull of the external world.
For centuries religions from all the major faiths have vilified, ostracized, burned at the stake and shamed those that did not conform or belong. At the same time the hypocrisy of the clergy regarding sexual abuse, financial misdemeanors and interference in politics is laid bare like a festering open wound.
Jesus never had plans to establish an institution or a church. His criticism of the Pharisees, the clergy, and their hypocrisy was especially directed at those leaders burdening the faithful with strict rules and regulations while showing little love, mercy and compassion to those in need.
There is a saying that religion is for those who fear hell while spirituality is for those who have been there. On my more than a dozen walks on the Camino I have met countless people who have gone through the hell of losing loved ones, confronted life-threatening illnesses, the dark holes of depression, financial ruin and relationship breakdown. What I can say about all of them is that these life-changing events made them come out stronger and forced them into deep introspection on the purpose and meaning of life.
Experiential spirituality is a process whereby the shutters of the soul window are gradually opened up. It is a feeling of connection with the divine, and the mystery of creation. The great scientist Albert Einstein once said that the religion of the future will be cosmic in nature.
“The most beautiful and deepest experience a man can have is the sense of the mysterious. It is the underlying principle of religion as well as all serious endeavor in art and science. He who never had this experience seems to me, if not dead, then at least blind,” Einstein is quoted as saying.
The Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism, encourages individuals to go beyond the superficial differences among religions and recognize the deeper essence of spirituality and morality that can be found in all faith traditions.
The fundamental principles of compassion, love, and ethics are not limited to any particular religious tradition or belief system. These principles, the Dalai Lama believes, are universal.
Among the hundreds of thousands of people who walk the Camino each year there are devout Catholics and people of all faiths but also manyspiritual seekers asking the age old question:
Where do I come from? Where am I going? What am I doing with the rest of the days of my life?
Some years ago I was not in a very good place stuck in a dysfunctional relationship and a stressed-out job. My thoughts revolved around starting to live at some point in the distant future. A friend who took pity on me advised me to walk the famous pilgrimage route, the Camino de Santiago in northwestern Spain.
Like many first-time walkers on the Camino, I was obsessed about reaching my destination at a certain time in order to secure my place in a bunk bed in a pilgrims’ hostel. The Camino is in so many ways an analogy of life which is why it has become such a popular destination for modern-day spiritual seekers.
Walking too fast and missing the waymarker
With a backpack much too heavy, poor-quality hiking boots, and a hurting foot I was battling both physically and emotionally. There is a saying that if you walk the Camino like a hiker with physical intent it will force you into humility. While walking too fast, I missed the waymarkers and got horribly lost. At one point I had to seek refuge in a grotto during a heavy thunderstorm in the Pyrenees mountains, far off my route.
How many times in life does the universe send warning whispers that we have missed a waymarker and are on the wrong path? How obsessed are we with things we think we need but insist on keeping them in our backpack?
Forced to go much slower, I gradually felt my senses reawakening to the magic of the moment. I started inhaling the aroma of wild thyme, rosemary and oregano. I added mint to my water bottle. A singing blackbird followed me for part of the way. I befriended stray dogs and cats and met wonderful people who are still friends today. For the first time in many years, I felt an aliveness and vibrancy in my body.
Trapped in doing rather than BEING
Over the years, I’ve observed other pilgrims going through the same process. Hikers would pride themselves on the number of kilometers they had done that day. People doing the route on a bicycle would go into tunnel vision, oblivious to the sights and sounds around them. If you are trapped in the rat race of doing rather than BEING it is difficult to push the reset button overnight. At the end of the day, slow and mindful walkers would converse on the magical experiences they had that day while those in a race would look at them in disbelief.
So much of our lives are wasted carrying the weight of the past, and living in some distant future working for time-off at the weekend, the annual vacation, and the years when we can start living when retiring from a job we always hated. When the day finally comes, we live the final years of our life in regretful grumpiness of what was and is no more.
It helps to train your awareness that life is finite and that you will die one day. With your last breath, you will leave this earth into formlessness. You won’t be taking any of your precious earthly possessions with you. All that remains will be consciousness.
So you might as well stick around a little longer and enjoy the moment. Practicing mindfulness is ideally done in the stillness of nature.
Focus your attention on your breath. Observe your thoughts and sensations without judgment. By consistently practicing mindfulness, you can cultivate a heightened sense of awareness and presence in your everyday life.
Engage Your Senses: Pause and notice the sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and physical sensations around you. Fully immerse yourself in the present moment by bringing awareness to the details of your sensory experiences.
Slow Down and pay attention: Challenge yourself to slow down and be fully present in each moment. Whether you’re eating, walking, or engaging in any other daily activity, do it with intention and attentiveness.
Reino Gevers – Author – Mentor – Speaker
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