Welcome to the hood: the Buddhahood. Some sects of Buddhism believe you can attain Buddhahood by chanting certain purification chants over and over. Others, such as Shingon, use pilgrimage as a method of achieving divine enlightenment and understanding of the world.
As a matter of fact, the Shingon sect do pilgrimages for almost everything: compassion, the search for enlightenment, relief from sickness, and even sometimes as a passageway into the afterlife. It seems that long ago, going on pilgrimages would have been a full-time job for those opting for the highway to enlightenment.
"Therefore, wander!" scream the Vedas. We do seem to be built for traveling and I am not one to deny this. Especially in springtime I feel the urge to wander. And I have to admit that pilgrimages are not just a hobby, but have become a lifestyle. I go on pilgrimages three times a week during the springtime, take a break during the hot summer months, then start up again in the fall. No wonder sometimes it seems my life is going in circles.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.