Journeys

Journeys are undertaken to discover something, it can be either about places, people or about self. In the days long gone, when people used to go out on journeys, no one knew if they would come back. There were no means of communication and sometimes it used to be several years before a person returns. These occasions called for celebrations as it would be like a rebirth for someone long assumed to be lost.

These journeys would make people wise, they would encounter several dangers on the way in the form of dacoits, thugs, natural calamities, disease etc and then they would meet fellow travelers who would become like family members sharing their fortunes and misery. They would also meet saints and men of knowledge who would share their experiences and teach them about the way of life. These travelers would go to places which were hundreds of kilometers from their home into places completely unknown to them, without any kind of the support and leaving everything behind.

Nearly all great philosophers had done these journeys sometime in their life. Adi Shankaracharya went to all the four corners of the country, Guru Nanak went even a step ahead and went to Leh and then on to Mecca. What used to drive these people to places so far and even unheard of? These ancient people must have realised something which the modern man fails to see.

People these days even refuse to venture out of their cities. Their journeys are restricted to the nearest mall where they enjoy a movie with scenic locations, else staying at their air conditioned homes watching "Travel and Living" and doing pseudo traveling!!Some of us do undertake journeys and instead of leaving homes behind we carry them along with us. So we keep the windows of our vehicles up with the boot of the car filled with all kind of food items and come back to the comforts of our homes in a couple of days when we run out of supplies.