Last week I contemplated the Spanish Tradition of Bullfights. I got some good feed back (most said don't do it, but I am still deciding). This week I am back to the exploration of faith and seeking understanding and forgiveness.
People make treks to holy places seeking refuge from the world and asking for forgiveness. They want to wash away their sins. As humans we are always seeking guidance from God. I often hear people asking God for help, forgiveness or to help others. I do it too. God please help me ……fill in the blank. One of the things that I try to remember is that I need to LISTEN more often, for Gods words and direction. I believe THAT is where my answers will be found. I am so busy asking that I miss the important things he is trying to share with me. In preparation for our walk on the Camino, we are walking in the woods hiking for long periods. It is a lovely time to think through issues, talk with God and seek peace and serenity. Sometimes I find that when I do that, I can be overwhelmed with emotions.
Another religion,Hinduism, is now celebrating one of their great rituals, in India along the the sacred Ganges river.
This year it may be the biggest gathering in human history during a pilgrimage for one of the world's largest religions.
Millions have arrived; there is a sea of humanity along the Ganges River. From every corner of India, and by every conceivable form of transportation, pilgrims are trekking to Prayag, the holiest place in the Hindu world. This is the biggest celebration on the Hindu calendar -- the Maha Kumbh Mela. Kumbh means a pitcher and Mela means fair in Hindi. It is believed, by this faith, that that drops of nectar fell from the Kumbh carried by gods after the sea was churned.Hindus believe that the nectar can be found in the Ganges.
Drawn by their shared faith, they come to take a holy dip in the Ganges, the river that nurtured India's 5,000-year-old civilization. They are asking forgivness and inspiration from their God in this sacred river.
An estimated 30 million people visited the Maha Kumbh Mela on 10 February 2013 and an estimated 100 million are expected to visit the place during the festival spread over 55 days. WOW!
"I came to the conclusion long ago … that all religions were true and also that all had some error in them, and whilst I hold by my own, I should hold others as dear as Hinduism. So we can only pray, if we are Hindus, not that a Christian should become a Hindu … But our innermost prayer should be a Hindu should be a better Hindu, a Muslim a better Muslim, a Christian a better Christian." Ghandi
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