My pilgrimage to Chang’an (Xian) and more.
What I learn from reading the scriptures that were discovered by the cave expedition group last time is that how great dedication and determination were created for ancient pilgrimage. For instance, Xuanzang, Chinese Buddhist monk, who travelled a life long journey. Xuanzang’s pilgrimage route is connecting many Chinese and Indian sacred places, in which covers great distance. During his pilgrimage, he not only built a legacy of what is known as the most detailed and historical work but also he instructed many great disciples from many different regions. Moreover, Xuanzang and his disciples helped translating and delivering the perfect wisdom of sutra through silk roads to many different countries such as Korea and Japan.
According to the Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, the highest human need is a self-actualization. In other words, human’s desire for self-fulfillment in spirituality, religion or personal enlightenment is the strongest desire that human can have. We might think of reproduction, as the highest desire since it is directly related to our survival and existence. However, desire for reproduction is in third highest desire after self-fulfillment and self-esteem desire. My strongest desire in life always has been the self-actualization. I have been travelling quite long way and I am about to begin another pilgrimage. After reading the Xuanzang’s travelogue, I was amazed by his great ambition and determination to pursue his mission as a pilgrim. I have also come to ask myself what aspects of religion/spirituality had led him to accomplish such legacy. As I leave the village, I automatically began to practice silence. Practicing silence has led me to embrace all the countless inner voices and thoughts. I believe that when Xuanzang first went on a pilgrimage, he would have to face the same countless inner voices and thoughts within his mind. Following the Xuanzang’s great pilgrimage route, my first sacred place is Chang’an (Xian). I am not planning to follow every Xuanzang’s pilgrimage route however, I would like to know and experience the same way as Xuanzang would have when he was on the pilgrimage.
During my abundant speechless time of walking to Chang’an (Xian), I questioned myself what makes up the concept of religion/spirituality. Religion and spirituality could be very abstract terms. It is hard to conceptualize these terms in order to share with others and create solidarity. What I could conclude is that the materiality is the medium of religion and spirituality. The materiality could be a tangible object, place, visual image or scent/smell. In the context of religion, the engagement of visual images and physical objects is one of the key factors in meaning making/seeking for the pilgrimage. Religious beliefs and material engagements are not independent variables (Lee, 2014). The relationship between religious beliefs and materials are inextricable. Material engagements are closely related to physical and emotional awareness of the pilgrims during the journey. The material engagement can be generated by visual material, such as eye-catching scenery or specific religious costumes and by physical material, such as touching or kissing a scared object.
Materiality in religion can be found in various different forms. It can be a visual image, physical object, olfactory scent or a sense of taste. Each category can be further broken down to be more specific. For instance, a visual image could be a space, natural scenery, a particular design or a sign mark. Generally, in Buddhist pilgrimage, it is common that there are relatively more frequent engagements with visual images and physical objects. The shrines and the sacred sites are often organized in such a way that people are exposed to primarily visual and physical materials. During the pilgrimage, a common example of visual material could be entering a sacred space or looking at landscapes. Examples of physical material could be holding or touching the sacred relics. For materiality in olfactory and taste sense, the material engagement can be made when, for example, smelling a burning scent in a Buddhist temple or tasting a Tibetan Buddhist herb medicine. Ultimately, the material culture embraces all the objects, buildings, artifacts, art and landscapes that surrounds in our everyday lives (King, 2009). Since the materiality/material culture covers a wide range of sentiments and physical objects, it is crucial to evaluate how that materiality is recognized in religious beliefs and devotional meanings.
Visual and physical materials are related to physical and emotional awareness in pilgrimage. Even a small and simple material can convey a strong material charisma so that pilgrims can directly relate to physical and emotional awareness (King, 2009). During physical or emotional hardship, people frequently gain strength and comfort from kissing, holding or touching familiar materials. In general, the materials are often something like a family photo, the bible, or an object that is a reminder of one’s positive memory. In addition, it is commonly found that the displaying and setting up of a Christmas tree at home affects people’s mental and physical state (King, 2009). This annual ritual with materiality, in this case setting up a Christmas tree, is identified as one of the strong meaning making potential ways that it leads the people to self-explore and contemplate. As a consequence, the materiality promotes developing meanings or acquiring new meanings. Thus, in ritual or religious practice, the development of meaning making/seeking and materiality are inextricable (Lee, 2014).
In Buddhist pilgrimage, different forms of materiality were generally used. Since the Buddhist pilgrimage in Tibet and India mostly consists of trekking in the outdoor, the majority of the materials are visual. For the pilgrims trekking for long distances and through extreme environments, the visual material heightened the senses and helped the pilgrims achieve geo-transcendental experiences. A particular pilgrimage to Tibetan sacred sites as well as to some Indian shrines is physically demanding. The journey is full of extremes of distance, winds and significant temperature difference. Tibet in particular is a country of high average altitude, steeply sloped mountains and cliffs. All these environmental conditions and the space suggest a variety of visual and physical material to the pilgrims. Religious pilgrimage is generally considering to a be an act of worship and penitence, and the tough physical demands and awe inspiring visual material add to the depth of meaning experienced by the pilgrims who make this journey. During the pilgrimage, the pilgrims are exposed to different materials than ones in daily basis. Also, pilgrims usually participate in and practice rituals while engaging with these materials. Therefore, the pilgrimage is conditioned by material parameters. In other words, the pilgrimage and the engagement of materiality are interdependent in making spiritual meaning.
As I approached to my first pilgrimage site, Chang’an (Xian), I realized great importance of materiality and began to treat and perceive materials differently. For example, when I arrive in Chang’an (Xian), I will change my outfit to a traditional clothes or something that Xuanzang would have worn in the period of 600’s. My current North Face expedition shoes and parka might ease my pilgrimage more than Xuanzang’s. Thus, I might miss or perceive materiality (scenery or temple image) differently. Moreover, if I were travelling in a customs that were used in the past, I would definitely feel and perceive my pilgrimage differently. I would engage these materials with meaning making during my pilgrimage. When undertaking a pilgrimage as a journey to seek spiritual meaningful in life, the materiality is an essential factor to develop and constitute spiritual meanings during a pilgrimage and our lifetime.
Reference
Lee, J. (2014). The Spirit of Things: Materiality and Religious Diversity in Southeast Asia.3(1), 236–238.
King, E. F. (2009). Material Religion and Popular Culture :. Florence, KY, USA: Routledge.
