Is Orthodox pilgrimage a kind of tourism for believers or something more? How not to turn a trip into an excursion? And is it even necessary to travel to holy places if God is the same everywhere? In this article you will find advice for pilgrims, as well as interesting facts from the history of the pilgrimage.
Who is a pilgrim?
An Orthodox pilgrimage is not an “excursion for believers,” but a visit to Christian shrines for the purpose of prayerful worship, repentance and work. The word “pilgrim” itself comes from “palm”. But what kind of palm tree are we talking about?
You should turn to the Gospel story about the entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem. Local residents and people from the outskirts of the city greeted Him as the king of the Jews and therefore laid palm branches.
With the spread of Christianity, more and more people came to Jerusalem to pray and worship shrines. The seven days before Easter were of particular importance for believers. On the Feast of the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem, people came with palm branches - in memory of the solemn meeting of Christ with the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
Believers very often brought these branches from the Holy Land. Therefore, Christians who visited Jerusalem began to be called pilgrims.
But the worship of holy places itself, as a special phenomenon in the life of a believer, arose long before Christianity. Moreover: what we call pilgrimage has been and is being done by representatives of different religions. But such travel reached its greatest development in the era of Christianity. But first things first.
From Jewish traditions to Orthodox pilgrimage
According to Old Testament history, pious Jews went to the Tabernacle with the Ark of the Covenant for prayer and sacrifices. Later it was replaced by the Jerusalem Temple.
It was customary for Jews to visit Jerusalem on Passover. We see this in the example of the Virgin Mary and Joseph the Betrothed, who, together with 12-year-old Jesus, went on a “pilgrimage.”
Representatives of other religions also go to worship shrines. For example, an important part of Muslim life is considered hajj— visit to Mecca and Medina. Hindus, Buddhists, and Shintos have their own analogues.
Pilgrimage to the Holy Land
Christian and, accordingly, Orthodox pilgrimage reached its greatest flourishing. The first route was the Holy Land, directly connected with the life of Christ.
During Holy Week, many pilgrims from different countries passed Way of the Cross of the Savior. It stretches from the place where Pilate sentenced Jesus to death to his crucifixion on Calvary and burial.
A marble chapel, the so-called cuvuklia, was built over the tomb of the Savior. It is in this edicule that the Greek patriarch prays on Holy Saturday. Through his prayers and the expectations of many gathered believers, a fire called the Holy Fire descends from heaven. Miracle of convergence Holy Fire- another reason for pilgrimages to Jerusalem.
It is not known exactly when such grace was first revealed, but the first descriptions of the miracle of fire descending from heaven date back to the 9th century. Even in our time, many pilgrims, regardless of religion, on the eve of Orthodox Easter head to Jerusalem, to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.
But let's get back to history. Among the popular destinations of Orthodox pilgrimage were Constantinople and Athos, among Catholics - Rome, Loreto, and the Way of St. James.
Pilgrimages on the lands of Rus'
In Rus', after the adoption of Christianity, the practice of worshiping shrines also spread. But not everyone could afford to visit the Holy Land. This required a long time and a lot of money.
In a few centuries, internal pilgrimages will become popular. Our great-great-grandmothers knew nothing about pilgrimage: they walked.
To pray and venerate the shrines, believers came to Kiev Pechersk Lavra(the caves today contain the relics of over 120 saints), Pochaev(to the foot of the Mother of God and the relics of St. Job), in Trinity-Sergius Monastery(place of spiritual exploits of Sergius of Radonezh). Added over time Diveevo(here are the relics of Seraphim of Sarov). It was also customary to visit lesser-known monasteries and temples (their list today looks impressive).
Even in secular literature of the 19th century one can find evidence of how during Lent believers went to Kyiv or Pochaev to venerate the holy relics, pray to the Lord and the Mother of God, confess, take communion and return back with prayer.
Why are Orthodox pilgrimages not religious tourism?
Some people believe that traveling to holy places is a cultural and religious time. Allegedly, secular people go on vacation to the sea or to the mountains, and Christians go on pilgrimages. There they get acquainted with outstanding shrines, architectural monuments, and learn a lot of new things from guides... But this is nothing more than religious tourism.
But a pilgrim is not a happy traveler with a camera in his hands and a backpack on his back.
About the benefits of walking pilgrimages
Orthodox pilgrimage is prayer and spiritual work. Of course, modern conditions have spoiled believers. You no longer have to spend decades getting to the Holy Land or dedicate 40 days of Lent to walking to Kyiv or Pochaev, the Trinity-Sergius Lavra or Diveevo.
When you’ve been walking for weeks with the specific purpose of asking God for forgiveness and venerating shrines, you especially hope for the Lord’s help. You feel how much you need God, how He protects you. And the Lord, accordingly, through people sends you food and shelter.
When people went to worship shrines on foot and without strangers, they had enough time to be alone with God.
Escape from the hustle and bustle
Today, conditions have changed, walking pilgrimages have practically replaced pilgrimage trips, but ideally the main emphasis has been preserved: a prayerful attitude and spiritual work.
You are not going to take pictures of the sights and listen to the guide. You are going to take a break from the bustle of the world, think about the main thing, thank the Lord and ask Him for something important, as people often say, to gain grace. To do this, you waste your time, partially refuse to communicate with loved ones, and spare no money to pay for the pilgrimage trip.
Someone will ask: is it really necessary to get ready for the journey, if you can receive communion on the spot, and God will hear our prayer in any corner of the world - be it in Jerusalem or in the Arctic?..
Yes, God is the same everywhere, the Eucharist is no different in any Orthodox church. But our condition is different. Thanks to the Orthodox pilgrimage, we have the opportunity to escape from the hustle and bustle for at least a short time and focus on prayer. Moreover, your social circle plays an important role. As modern psychologists often like to say, we are 90% made up of our environment.
So, pilgrimage trips are a great chance to expand the circle of Christian communication. Experienced pilgrims also point out that the composition of the group plays an important role. If truly believing people have gathered, then even in a short time you will fully experience the meaning of Christian life - an atmosphere of love, spiritual joy, attentiveness, goodwill, prayer and the Eucharist.
- Prepare for your trip. Collect the things you really need, find out more about the shrines you are going to. Do all this with a prayerful attitude.
- If possible, go to confession and receive communion before your pilgrimage. If possible and desired, take a blessing from your confessor and discuss with him the issues that concern you.
- Write notes in advance so that when visiting churches and monasteries, use the time for prayer and worship, and not hang around the candle box.
- Leave worldly burdens behind. Do not take it with you on the bus, train or plane. This is exactly what distracts you from prayer in the first place.
- Turn off your phone. Your closest relatives already know where you are. Don’t think about what problems await you at home, what your boss will say, and in general how an honest Christian can survive in this sinful world.
- If you are traveling with friends, then try not to waste precious time on empty talk or, even worse, judgment. Try to maintain purity of heart.
- Usually, on the bus, pilgrims pray together, sing psalms, or watch useful videos about the shrines they visit. Get ready to spend some useful time.
- Focus on the purpose of your specific pilgrimage.
- When visiting temples and monasteries, pay attention to divine services and the Sacraments. On long pilgrimages, believers are blessed to receive communion frequently. Try to use this moment, and not constantly be distracted by candles, notes, leaflets.
- Try to keep the grace you receive in your heart longer. Your life should change after visiting holy places so that it doesn’t turn out like this: in the monastery you behaved righteously and piously, but at home you returned to all your previous sins.
- Change yourself first, and not your family or other participants in the pilgrimage. Your actions will be a hundred times more eloquent than words.
- Do not turn Orthodox pilgrimage into religious tourism. Yes, we are far from our ancestors, who traveled hundreds of kilometers to worship shrines. But we are able to invest at least a few mites of spiritual achievement and prayer into our trip.
The history and importance of the pilgrimage is also described in this video:
PILGRIMAGE
In various religions there is a phenomenon that in Russian is usually expressed by the concept of “pilgrimage”. Despite the commonality of the name, the traditions of pilgrimage, the criteria for its evaluation in different religions differ significantly. Therefore, the word “pilgrimage” in its full sense is correct to use only in relation to Christian pilgrimage.
The concept of "pilgrim" comes from the word "palm", which is the translation of the corresponding Latin word. They were originally called pilgrims - participants in the religious procession in the Holy Land on the feast of the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem (otherwise this holiday is also called Vai Week, or, in the Russian Orthodox tradition, Palm Sunday). Subsequently, pilgrims began to be called pilgrims traveling not only to Jerusalem, but also to other Christian shrines.
ORTHODOX PILGRIMAGE
At the VII Ecumenical Council, which marked the victory over the heresy of iconoclasm, a determination was adopted according to which God should be served, and icons should be worshiped. This definition, which has the character of church dogma, is also connected with the topic of Orthodox pilgrimage. Pilgrims in the Byzantine church tradition are called worshipers, that is, people who travel for the purpose of worshiping shrines.
Since the definition of the VII Ecumenical Council was not accepted in the Catholic West, a difference arose in the understanding of pilgrimage within Christianity. In many European languages, pilgrimage is defined by the word “pilgrim,” which translated into Russian means only “wanderer.” Pilgrims in the Catholic Church pray at holy places and practice meditation. However, the worship of shrines that exists in the Orthodox Church is absent in Catholicism.
Protestants have moved even further away from Orthodoxy, not venerating saints, icons, or holy relics. Due to such a difference in the understanding of the pilgrimage tradition in Christianity, we can talk about Orthodox pilgrimage.
PILGRIMAGE AND TOURISM
Nowadays, you can often hear such phrases as “pilgrimage tourism”, “pilgrimage tour”, “pilgrimage excursion”, etc. All these expressions stem from a misunderstanding of the essence of pilgrimage, from its rapprochement with tourism due to purely external similarities. Both pilgrimage and tourism are related to the theme of travel. However, despite the similarities, they have different natures. Even when visiting the same holy places, pilgrims and tourists do so in different ways.
Tourism is a journey for educational purposes. One of the popular types of tourism is religious tourism. The main thing in this type of tourism is getting to know the history of holy places, the lives of saints, architecture, and church art. All this is described on the excursion, which is the most important element of the trip for the tourist. An excursion can also be part of a pilgrimage, but not the main one and not obligatory, but an auxiliary one. The main thing in pilgrimage is prayer, worship and religious worship of shrines. Orthodox pilgrimage is part of the religious life of every believer. In the process of making a pilgrimage, the main thing during prayer is not the external performance of rituals, but the mood that reigns in the heart, the spiritual renewal that happens to an Orthodox Christian.
Calling on its believers to make a pilgrimage, the Russian Orthodox Church also respects tourists visiting Christian shrines. The Church considers religious tourism an important means of spiritual enlightenment of our compatriots.
Despite the fact that pilgrimage is essentially a religious activity, in the Russian Federation it is still regulated by tourism legislation.
TRADITION OF PILGRIMAGE IN Rus'
Russian Orthodox pilgrimage dates back to the first centuries of the spread of Christianity in Ancient Rus', i.e. from IX-X centuries Thus, Russian Orthodox pilgrimage is already more than 1000 years old. Russian people have always perceived pilgrimage as a holy undertaking necessary for every believer. At first, pilgrimage in Rus' was perceived as a pilgrimage to the holy places of Ecumenical Orthodoxy - to the Holy Land, Egypt, Mount Athos, and so on. Gradually, Rus' developed its own pilgrimage centers. Traveling to them has always been perceived as a spiritual and physical feat. That is why they often went on foot to worship. When going on a pilgrimage, Orthodox Christians receive a blessing to perform it from the diocesan bishop or from their spiritual mentor.
Archbishop Mark of Yegoryevsk, Secretary of the Moscow Patriarchate for Foreign Institutions
Edicule - the place of the three-day burial of the Savior
PILGRIMAGE IS AN ANCIENT SOUL-SAVING TRADITION OF ORTHODOX CHRISTIANS
Pilgrimage, unlike tourism, always has, as a rule, one main goal - worship of a shrine, which is associated with a lot of intense spiritual work, prayers and divine services. Sometimes pilgrimage is associated with physical work, when laborers (as these pilgrims are called) have to do physical work in holy places. Pilgrimage attracts hundreds of thousands and even millions of people, because in a holy place prayers are more effective, and all Orthodox believers dream of visiting holy places associated with the earthly life of the Savior and the Most Holy Theotokos. It is very important what a person carries with him in his soul during a pilgrimage to a shrine, how sincere he is. If he comes only for the sake of curiosity or to learn new things, this is not a pilgrimage, but religious tourism. And if a person arrives at a holy place with reverent prayer and supplication to our Lord Jesus Christ and the Most Holy Theotokos, coming from the soul itself, with faith, then the person receives special grace from God in the holy place.
The main mistake of those who consider pilgrimage a type of tourist travel: tourism arose earlier than pilgrimage. But this is certainly not the case, because Russian Orthodox pilgrimage alone is more than 1000 years old, and Christian pilgrimage in general is more than 1700 years old. Mass tourism in its modern sense arose only in the first quarter of the 20th century.
The shrines of Ecumenical Orthodoxy are, first of all, the Holy Land, and not only Jerusalem, but also Bethlehem, Nazareth, Hebron and other places associated with the earthly life of the Savior. By the way, Egypt, which everyone is accustomed to considering as a traditional holiday destination for modern Russians, is also one of the centers of Christian pilgrimage. Here the Savior spent the first years of his life together with the Mother of God and righteous Joseph, hiding from King Herod. The Holy Family also lived in Cairo at that time. These places have always been very revered by Orthodox pilgrims. In Egypt, in the 3rd-4th centuries, ascetics of piety shone forth and created Christian monasticism. The first monastic communities arose there, in the deserts of Egypt. An important part of the Holy Land are Jordan, Lebanon and Syria, where there are also many holy places associated with the acts of the holy Apostles and other saints of God.
There are many holy places of Orthodoxy in Turkey and Greece. After all, the territories of these states over five hundred years ago formed the basis of the Orthodox Byzantine Empire. And as before, the capital of the empire, the former Constantinople and present-day Istanbul, is a holy city for every Orthodox Christian. And the main shrine of Greece is considered to be Holy Mount Athos. The pilgrimage to this blessed place never stopped.
In Italy, the two most important cities for Orthodox pilgrims are Rome and Bari. There are a lot of Orthodox shrines in the Eternal City. After all, the Church was united for a whole thousand years, and during this time many saints of God shone here, whom Orthodox people still worship. First of all, of course, to the Holy Apostle Peter. And in Bari rest the honest relics of St. Nicholas of Myra, and there, of course, the path laid by Russian pilgrims is not overgrown.
Orthodox shrines are also located in other large cities and capitals of European countries. For example, many Lyudmila go to Prague to venerate the honorable relics of the martyr Princess Lyudmila of Bohemia. There are also many relics in Paris, including the Savior's crown of thorns.
In our Fatherland, saved by God, pilgrimage has long become widespread in many regions. Today, many traditional and folk forms of pilgrimage are being revived. For example, multi-day religious processions to a specific shrine or from one shrine to another. Many pilgrims come to Moscow and St. Petersburg. Processions to the Tsar's martyrs have resumed in Yekaterinburg. Almost every diocese has shrines to which Orthodox people living in neighboring cities and villages go. A huge role is played by the pilgrimage services created in more than 50 dioceses, which organize this work, guide people, bless, receive, and nourish them in churches, monasteries and parishes. Millions of people in Russia go and worship to the miraculous icons of the Savior and the Mother of God, to holy springs, and the honest relics of God’s righteous people.
There are many shrines worshiped by Russian Orthodox pilgrims in Ukraine and Belarus. These are primarily the Kiev-Pechersk, Pochaev and Svyatogorsk Lavras, as well as the Polotsk Spaso-Euphrosinievsky Monastery.
Each of us has heard about pilgrimage at least once in our lives. Many people, representatives of the same religion, travel to sacred places that are revered by one religion or another. Whether they do it alone or in groups does not matter. The main thing is to have pure intentions and a submissive body, as well as a soul full of repentance and a heart characterized by sincere faith. Pilgrimage is the desire of the lost lambs of God to worship the holy lands and cities.
A little history
From deep ancient, immemorial times, the term “pilgrimage” came into modern language. This is a derivative of the word "palm". The branches of this tree were brought from sacred territories by the first Christians who went there to receive the blessing of the Almighty. They usually traveled during the great holiday on the eve of Easter, which glorified the entry of Christ into Jerusalem. In Russia and others it is called “Palm Sunday”. But one should not think that only Christians engaged in pilgrimage. For example, in ancient India, local residents traveled a couple of times a year to lands where, according to legend, certain deities lived. In this way they tried to absorb the energy of the revered creatures that remained here in every stone and tree. And in Greece, pilgrims from all over the country went to Delphi: the soothsayer Pythia lived in the local temple, who predicted fate on behalf of higher powers.
The essence of the pilgrimage changed slightly in the Middle Ages. It was then that it became what we know it today. During the heyday of the Christian religion, people began to travel en masse to Jerusalem to visit what was built under Emperor Constantine. In the 15th century, signs and special routes were developed for travelers from Europe: from the Rhone River to the banks of the Jordan. The Crusades finally strengthened the tradition of pilgrimage to the Holy Land. It is known that today about 200 million people observe the ritual every year.
Main types and essence of pilgrimage
Believers go on a dangerous, long and difficult journey not only for the sake of prayer and forgiveness for their sins. Often their goal is much nobler: to find the meaning of life, to know their purpose, to find grace, to show devotion to religious beliefs. Sometimes the pilgrims’ desires are absolutely earthly: to ask for a long-awaited baby, to be healed of an illness, to get rid of mental suffering. In any case, such a journey presupposes a certain attitude of a person to reality. The idea is absolutely simple: voluntarily take on difficulties, accept difficult road conditions, spend some time in restrictions in order to achieve a higher goal. This symbolizes humanity's rejection of material values and physical pleasures for the sake of spiritual and eternal ideals.
Depending on various characteristics, types of pilgrimage are distinguished. These can be foreign and domestic cities or to sacred places in the wild, voluntary and compulsory, individual and group, long or short trips. By the way, as for the time period, previously, according to Orthodox canons, a real pilgrimage was considered a trip that lasted at least 10 days. Travel can also take place at any time of the year or be timed to coincide with a specific holiday.
Geography
Recently, pilgrimage has a new psychological basis and geographical orientation: it is not only a trip to holy places, but also a trip for health purposes. Therefore, representatives of different faiths go to the East to learn a new religion and the secrets of folk healing for which these lands are so famous. In India, China, Japan, Tibet and Nepal, they settle at temples: they communicate with monks, attend services with their permission, and adopt healing practices from them. For example, in Delhi and its surrounding area, Ayurveda is very popular - a complex science specializing in rejuvenation and treatment of the body. The teaching is aimed at restoring the harmony of man and the Universe, since it is the violation of this balance that provokes the development of physical and mental illnesses. Instead, many tourists visit China to practice qigong, a set of breathing and movement exercises that help replenish energy and mental strength. The purpose of such trips is not only to help heal, but also to enrich themselves morally and spiritually.
As for religion specifically, these days the main places of pilgrimage in the world are:
- Republics of the CIS. Some of them (Russia, Ukraine, Belarus) are the center of Orthodoxy.
- Europe. The dominant movements here are Catholicism and Protestantism.
- North and Latin America. Christian belief predominates.
- Africa. Islam is widespread, but there are also Christian centers.
- Asia. It is characterized by Islam, as well as Judaism and Buddhism.
Each continent has its own holy monuments that are a must to visit and view.
Christian pilgrimage
For more than two thousand years, representatives of the Christian world have been wanting to see the Holy Land - Jerusalem. Those who make an Orthodox pilgrimage are attracted and attracted by the Holy Sepulcher like no other place on the planet. This territory is the cradle of all Christianity, overflowing with the beauty of Palestinian landscapes, the mystery of night services and the wonderful atmosphere of sacred monuments. Israel is a sacred country in itself. We learn about him from the first pages of the Bible: Christ was born on this earth, here he grew up, preached and was executed. Pilgrimage to the Holy Sepulcher was common back in the days of ancient Rus'. But the founder of the modern movement is rightfully considered the mother of Emperor Constantine, Saint Helena. Being in old age, she went here in search of the cross on which the earthly life of Jesus ended. The discovery of the “true and honest” crucifixion is invariably associated with this historical figure.
Religious pilgrimage is always carried out with the blessing of the church. This is not only a trip to the Holy Land, but also constant prayers, repentance, spiritual work on oneself, purification and humility. The journey of pilgrims usually begins in the Negev: the endless expanses of the desert are associated with the images of the patriarchs and important events from the Old Testament. The basis of the route is a visit to Jerusalem. From here you can organize tours to Galilee, Bethlehem, Jericho, the Dead Sea and other sacred places. This route is conditional. Each pilgrim can supplement it with other interesting places.
Main holy places
Jerusalem is a holy city not only for Orthodoxy, but also for representatives of Judaism and Islam. Many events are associated with it, including the birth and death of Christ. What objects should the Orthodox pilgrimage begin with here? Firstly, you should definitely visit. Unfortunately, all that remains of it are ruins - including the famous Western Wall. Second, go to the Mount of Olives and the Garden of Gethsemane - where Jesus prayed before he was arrested. Thirdly, it is important for pilgrims to see the Church of the Passion of the Lord: it was built in the 20th century, but it simply perfectly recreates the architecture of those times when Christ walked these streets.
Bethlehem is another Christian shrine. The Church of the Nativity of Christ is located on Arab territory. It is built around a large grotto, in which the little Savior was born among the cattle. What is most interesting is that every Christian denomination has its place in this church. Don't forget about visiting Nazareth - Galilee. It was here that Mary learned from an angel that she would soon become the mother of the long-awaited Messiah. The slightly older Jesus settled in the same city, having returned with his parents from Egypt, where he was fleeing the persecution of Herod. He spent his entire childhood and youth in Galilee, performed his first miracles and found faithful followers and disciples.
Pilgrimage to Europe
The first country you should go to is, of course, Italy. Its capital, Rome, is the Eternal City, the arena for the establishment of world Christianity. The local Orthodox and Catholic churches are popular places of pilgrimage, because their walls contain many shrines associated with the apostles. For example, St. Peter's Basilica houses the relics and relics of the great disciple and follower of Jesus. Also here are the graves of other faithful followers of the Christian Church, not to mention unsurpassed masterpieces and monuments of world art. In another Italian city - Loreto - be sure to visit the basilica, which is called the original house of Mary. According to legend, heavenly angels, in order to protect the mother of Christ, moved her house several times: ultimately it ended up in Loreto.
The third most important pilgrimage site is Santiago de Compostela in Spain. The local cathedral houses the tomb of St. James, so guarding the road to this relic was a matter of honor for many kings. If you want to make a pilgrimage to the monastery, be sure to choose Athos. The shrine, located on the Greek peninsula, is one of the most mysterious places on the planet, which is shrouded in many legends and myths. They say that Mary herself preached faith in Christ here. Since then, the monks, having left the bustle of the world, live and pray on Athos. And every person who comes here feels a special beneficial atmosphere that permeates every piece of land.
What to see in Russia?
There are also many shrines in our country where a tired and lost soul can find shelter, find peace, and receive a blessing. The Russian pilgrimage begins from the Solovetsky archipelago, where the famous monastery is located - the cultural and spiritual center of the North. In Soviet times, it was used to hold prisoners, but after the end of that sad time, the former spirit of antiquity returned to these walls. To feel the sacred atmosphere, you need to live in Solovki for at least a week. You should definitely visit the Trinity-Sergius Lavra - the largest monastery in Russia. This is not only a treasury of ancient Russian art, but also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
As for the Diveyevo Monastery, it is called another earthly inheritance of the Mother of God. In the 18th century, Hierodeacon Seraphim took him under his wing, and later became a revered Russian saint. Here rest his relics, possessing miraculous powers. Don't miss the opportunity to collect healing water from a spring on the territory of the monastery. They say it helps with any physical and mental ailment. Another monastery popular with pilgrims is the Pskov-Pechersk Monastery. It is located in the dungeons. Caves are used as tombs, since human remains do not decompose here. Nearby was built the Assumption Church, which houses miraculous icons.
Hajj in Islam
This is what the Muslim pilgrimage is called. Every representative of this religion must perform it at least once in his life. Those who have gone through a difficult journey are called “hajis.” To travel, a Muslim must reach the age of majority, profess Islam, be mentally healthy and wealthy enough to support not only himself during the pilgrimage, but also his family back home. During the Hajj, he is not allowed to smoke, drink alcohol, enjoy intimate relationships, engage in trade, and so on.
The Muslim pilgrimage begins with dressing a person in white clothes, which, being the same for everyone, hide his public and social status. The first ritual is a walk around the House of Allah - the Kaaba - the main shrine of Muslims located in Mecca. After this, the person runs the distance between the sacred hills of Marwa and Safa seven times, after which he drinks healing water from the Zam-Zam spring. Only after this does he go to the Arafat Valley, which is located near Mecca. The culmination of the ritual is continuous prayers in this area. The ritual is complex, as the pilgrim must stand motionless under the scorching sun from midday until sunset. Having passed the test, he is allowed to participate in general collective prayer. The next day the man heads to another valley - Mina. Here he throws seven stones at a pillar - a symbol of Satan, takes part in the ritual of sacrifice and returns to Mecca for the last tour around the Kaaba.
Mecca and Medina
These are the main cities of pilgrimage for Muslims. According to the Koran, the prophet Muhammad was born in Mecca, where he began his sacred mission - prophecy. As already mentioned, this city is home to the Kaaba, a ritual stone that attracts hundreds of thousands of Muslims every year. The boulder is located in the courtyard of the Great Mosque - one of the main Islamic minarets. Religious doctrine says: every believer must visit its territory. Usually such a journey takes place during the lunar month of Dhul-Hijjah. Muslims are sure that pilgrimage and hardship are synonymous. Therefore, despite the presence of many comfortable hotels in Mecca, they stay in poor tent camps, simply set up on damp ground.
Medina is another important place for a person practicing Islam. Translated from Latin, its name sounds like “radiant city.” Its visit is included in the obligatory program of the Hajj, since it is here that the grave of Muhammad is located. In addition, the city became the first settlement in which Islam triumphed. The Great Mosque of the Prophet was built here, the capacity of which reaches 900 thousand people. The building is equipped with an automatic umbrella system to create shade, as well as modern air conditioning and escalators.
Buddhist holy places
For representatives of this ancient religion, pilgrimage is a way to achieve the highest bliss by breathing the sacred air in sacred territories. By the way, they are located in Tibet, China, Buryatia, but the largest number of them are still located in India - the cradle of Buddhism. The first most visited place is the Bodhi tree, under which, according to legend, Buddha loved to meditate. It was in the shade of green space that he achieved the greatest Nirvana. The second important reminder is the city of Kapilavastu: Buddha spent his childhood there and learned all aspects of the unsightly existence of man. And he made a decision: to renounce civilization in order to comprehend the ways of salvation and sacred truth.
A pilgrimage to holy places among Buddhists is not complete without a visit to the Royal Palace near Patna. On a nearby hill, Buddha told followers about his teachings. Luxurious mansions are literally surrounded by attractions. When considering them, do not forget about the last place on the list, but not least, Sarnath. Here Buddha preached his first sermon. Pilgrims from all over the world come to Varanasi to feel through the centuries the sacred words of the saint, filled with eternal wisdom and deep life meaning.
Christian pilgrimage and modern tourism: history and modernity of pilgrimage.
The modern word “pilgrim” goes back to the Old Russian “palmovnik”, which, in turn, is derived from the Latin palmarius (“a person holding a palm branch”). This is what the pilgrims - participants in the religious procession in the Holy Land - were originally called. Those who sought to celebrate the Holy Resurrection of Christ in Jerusalem came in advance to spend the entire Holy Week in the Holy City. And since Holy Week is preceded by the holiday of the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem (otherwise this holiday is also called Vai Week, or in the Russian Orthodox tradition - Palm Sunday), and the main event of this day was the religious procession to the walls of Jerusalem, the pilgrims who took part in this procession, carried palm branches. Almost two thousand years ago, the inhabitants of Jerusalem greeted Christ with the same branches. As a rule, in addition to various relics, pilgrims took these palm branches home with them as souvenirs.
Subsequently, pilgrims began to be called pilgrims traveling not only to Jerusalem, but also to other Christian shrines.
Orthodox pilgrimage - origins
The Christian tradition of pilgrimage has a long history - in the 10th century it already spanned more than one century. From the very beginning of the existence of the Church, the life of believers included visiting places associated with the life of Jesus Christ, his Most Pure Mother, the holy apostles and martyrs. These places, which were already objects of worship by the first Christians, also soon began to be called holy. In 325, Emperor Constantine the Great issued a decree on the construction of Christian churches in holy places: in Bethlehem - at the birthplace of the Savior, and in Jerusalem - above the Cave of the Holy Sepulcher, and he declared the territory of Palestine the Holy Land.
Calling on its believers to make a pilgrimage, the Russian Orthodox Church also respects tourists visiting Christian shrines. The Church considers religious tourism an important means of spiritual enlightenment of our compatriots.
As a result, by the 4th century, thousands of pilgrims began to flock to Jerusalem and Bethlehem to worship the main shrines of Christianity, marking the beginning of a mass pilgrimage movement to the Holy Land. Jerusalem revealed its shrines to the whole world and regained its ancient name - before Constantine, during the time of the pagan emperors, it was called Elia Capitolina. In the minds of Christians around the world, Jerusalem has become the Holy City, a place of worship of Christ.
The pilgrims of the 4th century also revered holy places associated with the Old Testament, and visited the burial places of the righteous of antiquity, prophets, kings and biblical patriarchs. The local population began to literally get lost in a sea of pilgrims who spared neither effort nor money to perpetuate the memory of the earthly life of Jesus Christ. A great many churches and monasteries were built in Palestine, and for the needs of wandering pilgrims, the Church blessed the construction of inns, hotels, shelters, hospice houses and protected wells along the main pilgrimage routes.
At the 7th Ecumenical Council, which marked the victory over the heresy of iconoclasm, a determination was adopted according to which God should be served, and icons should be worshiped. This definition, which has the character of church dogma, is also connected with the topic of Orthodox pilgrimage. Pilgrims in the Byzantine church tradition are called “worshippers” - that is, people who travel for the purpose of worshiping shrines.
Since the definition of the Ecumenical Council was not accepted in the Catholic West, a difference arose in the understanding of pilgrimage within Christianity. In many European languages, pilgrimage is defined by the word “pilgrim,” which translated into Russian means only “wanderer.” Pilgrims in the Catholic Church pray at holy places and practice meditation. However, the worship of shrines that exists in the Orthodox Church is absent in Catholicism. The same can be said about Protestants. Therefore, the traditions of pilgrimage journeys to holy places and, in general, the term “pilgrimage” itself in its literal meaning relate, first of all, to Orthodoxy.
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Russian pilgrimage
Russian Orthodox pilgrimage dates back to the first centuries of the spread of Christianity in Ancient Rus', that is, from the 9th-10th centuries. Thus, it is already more than a thousand years old. By the way, the word “pilgrimage” has synonyms: pilgrimage, worship, pilgrimage. The earliest words to denote pilgrimage and the name of a participant in this process were the words “wandering” and “wanderer,” found in the works of the Church Fathers, theological and church-historical literature. As a rule, a wanderer is a person who has devoted his entire life only to walking to holy places, leaving other activities - in contrast to a pilgrim who goes on a specific pilgrimage and after that leads his old way of life. And in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, during the heyday of Russian pilgrimage to the Holy Land, the word “admirer” was widely used in Russia. It very clearly shows the meaning of pilgrimage, which lies precisely in the religious worship of holy places.
Gradually, Rus' developed its own pilgrimage centers. Traveling to them has always been perceived as a spiritual and physical feat. That is why they often went on foot to worship. When going on a pilgrimage, Orthodox Christians receive a blessing to undertake it either from the diocesan bishop or from their spiritual mentor.
Thank you for your help in preparing the material “Pilgrimage Center of the Moscow Patriarchate”. The material quotes the expert opinions of the Deputy Chairman of the DECR MP, Bishop Mark of Yegoryevsk, and the General Director of the Pilgrimage Center of the Moscow Patriarchate, Sergei Yuryevich Zhitenev
In the Orthodox tradition, the understanding of pilgrimage as a phenomenon of religious life is closely connected with the teaching of the Church about holy icons.
It was in the Orthodox Church that the veneration of holy icons became an integral part of doctrine and worship. It is impossible to separate the worship of icons from the prayer practice of Orthodox believers. In the same way, worship of holy places is an integral part of church life.
In the history of Orthodox thought, the perception and awareness of the sacred (sacred) essence of these two sides of the Orthodox Tradition, the two components of spiritual practice, largely developed along a similar path. If icon painting is the internal work of the Church, theology (or “speculation”) in color, then exactly the same internal work of the Church is the worship of places associated with the earthly life of our Lord Jesus Christ and His Most Pure Mother, and later His closest disciples. For all Christians, the events of New Testament history, as part of the Divine economy, have a special and enduring significance, and the places where these events took place are revered as saints.
The key to the theological understanding of the tradition of pilgrimage to holy places that already existed at that time was the decisions of the VII Ecumenical Council, held in Nicaea in 787. 60 years earlier, under the patronage of Emperor Leo the Isaurian, the heresy of iconoclasm spread throughout the Byzantine Empire. Its supporters, based on the Old Testament commandment: “You shall not make for yourself an idol or any image of anything that is in heaven above... you shall not worship them or serve them” (Ex. 20:4–5), accused the Orthodox who prayed in front of icons and images of the Holy Cross, in idolatry.
The participants of the Council were faced with an important task: to clearly define the difference between a Christian’s attitude to God and His image, or image (the Greek word “icon” translated into Russian means “image”).
As a result, the Fathers of the Council clearly separated and delineated man’s relationship to God and his relationship to holy icons, defining in both cases each with its own concept. Man's relationship to God has been called service. The attitude towards icons is worship.
The definitions of the Council explain the fundamental difference established by the fathers between the concepts worship And service. Worship is due to icons. The Acts of the Council note that “by denoting [an icon] by a well-known name, we attribute its honor to the prototype; By kissing her and worshiping her with reverence, we receive sanctification.” Calling “to place in the holy churches of God, on sacred vessels and garments, on walls and on boards, in houses and on paths, honest and holy icons, painted with paints and made from mosaics and from other suitable substances, icons of the Lord and God and Our Savior Jesus Christ, our Lady, the Holy Mother of God, also the honorable angels and all the saints and reverend men,” the Fathers of the Council testified: “The more often they are visible through the image on icons, the more those who look at them are encouraged to remember the prototypes themselves (των πρωτοτύπων) and to love them and to honor them with kisses and reverent worship, not with that true service according to our faith (λατρείαν), which befits only the Divine nature, but with veneration according to the same model, as it is given to the image of the Honest and the Life-giving Cross and the Holy Gospel, and other shrines, with incense and the lighting of candles, as was done according to pious custom and by the ancients. For the honor given to the image goes back to the prototype, and the one who worships (ο προσκυνών) the icon worships (προσκυνεί) the hypostasis of the person depicted on it.”
So, service befits only God, on the contrary, worship- a concept that determines our attitude towards sacred images. One of the documents of the VII Ecumenical Council also affirms the identity of the concepts of “kissing” (ἀσπασμός) and “worship” (προσκύνησις), based on the etymology of the verb κυνεῖν - to kiss.
In the minds of the Orthodox Church, the same principle was applied to pilgrimage. Holy places are thus places worship. A person who performs such worship was from ancient times called fan.
Unfortunately the word fan turned out to be undeservedly forgotten, as well as other Russian words denoting a believer who goes with prayer to worship holy places - pilgrim, wanderer. Both of these words traditionally referred to people who left home in order to perform intense prayer works in some famous monastery, in front of a revered local image or the holy relics of the saints of God resting there.
Origin of the term pilgrim– Western. It is derived from palm tree– lat. palmarius A palm tree is someone who carries a palm branch. This refers to the participants in the procession of Vai Week, better known in Russia as Palm Sunday. The Christians making this procession were likened to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, who, according to the Gospel narrative, with green palm branches in their hands, solemnly greeted Christ as the long-awaited Messiah, coming to accept the earthly Kingdom. People then took palm branches with them as a memorable relic, reminiscent of the pilgrimage.
So, the naming itself pilgrim (palm-dweller) indicates two things. It indicates the place and time of the pilgrimage. Pilgrimage, as a phenomenon, was originally associated with the Holy Land. The name pilgrim also indicates the preferred time for the pilgrimage; speaks of the desire of believers to celebrate the holiday of Holy Easter exactly where the events described in the Gospel took place. And in our time, the largest number of Orthodox pilgrims come to Jerusalem precisely for Easter.
Another word also of Western origin, which we often hear in our time in connection with the topic of pilgrimage, is pilgrim. This concept, widely used among Catholics, comes from the Latin peregrinus - “wanderer”, “traveler” and is not directly related to pilgrimage in its true sense. Pilgrim– this is, first of all, a person on a journey. The religious aspect in this concept is a secondary and “optional” element. Obviously, the idea of worshiping holy places is missing here.
Despite the historical connections and common names, traditions of pilgrimage, the criteria for its evaluation vary significantly not only in different religions, but also in different Christian denominations.
Pilgrimage in Catholicism and Protestantism
The idea of pilgrimage in the Catholic Church differs from that existing in Orthodoxy. The reason for this is rooted in the divergence of teaching about holy icons. In the Latin West, icons were treated as “the Bible for the illiterate,” in the figurative expression of the Pope, St. Gregory the Great.
According to a number of historians, more or less the first fundamental document, which was subsequently often referred to by representatives of the Roman Church, was a letter from Pope Gregory the Great, written around 600 to the Bishop of Marseilles Serenius, who ordered the destruction of all holy images in his city. In response, the pope scolded the zealot a little and sent him some of his thoughts on this topic: “It is one thing to worship paintings, and another to recognize through what is depicted in the paintings what should be worshiped. What the written word teaches to those who can read, the picture communicates to the illiterate (idiotis) who look at it, since these ignoramuses see what they should imitate. Painting is reading for those who do not know letters, and serves the role of reading, especially among the pagans.".
The dogmas (or Decisions) of the VII Ecumenical Council, which approved the veneration of icons, were considered and rejected at a council of Catholic clergy held in Frankfurt am Main in 794.
An important role was played by the clearly expressed negative attitude towards the Ecumenical Council of Emperor Charlemagne held in Byzantium. Having read the translation of the conciliar acts, which did not convey the semantic difference between service And worship, Karl and his advisers declared the document unacceptable. In 790 they compiled a refutation treatise in four books, known as the Books of Charles (Libri Carolini), which could not but be taken into account by the bishops of the Roman Church meeting in Frankfurt. As a result, in the West, the position was recognized as consistent with church teaching, according to which “images serve only to decorate churches and remind of ancient deeds.” Subsequently, the Council’s definitions nevertheless received recognition in the Catholic Church.
So, for Catholics, icons are, first of all, illustrations of Sacred History. Therefore, holy places, according to the spirit of Catholic teaching, are not places of worship, but of remembrance of the biblical and church-historical events that took place here. That is why the Holy Land is often called the land in the Catholic tradition sacred memories.
The attitude of the Western Church to pilgrimage as a spiritual feat of believers has also undergone significant changes, becoming one of the ways of bringing “satisfaction” to God for sins committed before Him. Catholic priests ordered penitents to take this path as penance.
For the same reason, Papal Rome promised forgiveness of sins to all participants in the Crusades, regardless of what the true goal was that drew them to the holy places. Rich Europeans, forced by confessors to make a pilgrimage, could replace themselves with servants or “professional” mercenary pilgrims who made up entire “corporations” in medieval Europe.
“For Catholics, a certain amount of sins are forgiven for a pilgrimage to Rome. Here, the journey to holy places is self-sufficient, valuable in itself, an undertaking for which God will certainly pay. Such a view is obvious paganism,” is how the Orthodox writer, Archimandrite Mikhail (Semyonov) characterized Catholic pilgrims 100 years ago.
Vivid evidence of the Western formal attitude towards visiting holy places can also be seen in the images in Catholic churches of the so-called “stations” of the Way of the Cross. The tradition of making a religious procession along the road that Christ, condemned to death, walked from Pretoria to Golgotha, was formed in Jerusalem by the 15th century under the influence of Franciscan monks. It was they who established 14 “stations” along this route, designed to recreate in the memory of believers the main moments of the Savior’s suffering. Since not everyone could visit the Holy Land, even in the Middle Ages, episodes of the Way of the Cross in the form of 14 paintings or reliefs began to be created in Catholic churches. Near each such image, sequentially located along the inner wall of the church, the corresponding position of the Way of the Cross was established. As believers move from one image to another, they are encouraged to stop before each one to pray and reflect on the event depicted. In the 17th century, one of the Popes finally fixed the number of “stops” and the content of the depicted scenes, and the indulgences associated with this Way of the Cross were equal to those received by pilgrims who visited the holy places in Jerusalem.
Faithful since ancient times to the spirit of scholasticism that has prevailed in it, the modern Roman Catholic Church, depending on the route chosen by a Christian, distinguishes between the great - peregrinationes primariae and the small - peregrinationes secundariae pilgrimages. The first includes visiting Jerusalem, Rome, Santiago de Compostelo and Loreto. The second includes shrines located in different places in Europe and America. Modern pilgrims, of course, no longer take on the road the specific vestments of their medieval predecessors - a staff, a bag, a brown or gray cloak and a wide-brimmed hat, decorated with shells and the obligatory red cross. However, their approach to visiting holy places remains equally pragmatic.
In Protestantism, with its denial of all external ritual manifestations of religiosity - the veneration of icons, holy relics and other material evidence of the Divine presence, there is no pilgrimage as such. A visit to the Holy Land, as well as European attractions associated with the activities of the leaders of the Reformation, for people belonging to this Christian denomination, is exclusively in the nature of memories.
In connection with the above, it follows that the concept of “pilgrimage” in the full sense of the word is applicable only in relation to Orthodox pilgrimage.
Moreover, in Russian culture we call “pilgrimage” not only Orthodox “worship” and visits to holy places by Western Christians, but also travel for religious purposes in Islam, Judaism, and Buddhism. Indeed, in all these cases we are talking about the experience of modern communication with spiritual and religious heritage and its “earthly imprints.” However, it is necessary to understand that the content of these concepts in each of the traditions is not completely identical, but, strictly speaking, differs significantly.
Pilgrimage in Judaism
In modern Judaism, pilgrimage (in Hebrew הָּיִלֲע, aliyah, literally - ascent, לֶגֶרְל הָּיִלֲע, aliyah leregel) is an integral part of the religious tradition. The Old Testament tells how in the 10th century before Christ, King Solomon built the first temple to the One God in the history of mankind on Mount Moriah in Jerusalem, the capital of the Kingdom of Judah. From that time on, visiting the city of Jerusalem and the temple, especially on the days of Passover (Passover), Pentecost (Shavuot), the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot), and participating in general worship became a religious norm for Jews, which primarily applied to adult men.
Believers, if they lived far away, were allowed to travel to Jerusalem on horseback and in carts. However, it was necessary to climb to the temple on Mount Moriah itself, which was called the Temple Mount, due to the holiness of this place. The elders of the Jewish community and those Jews who treated the fulfillment of the Old Testament Law with special reverence most often walked the entire path: from their home to the temple.
An obligatory element of the pilgrimage to Jerusalem on holidays was the making of temple offerings, the nature of which was also strictly defined. For example, on Pentecost (Shavuot) the first harvest of fruits and vegetables was sacrificed, as well as bread baked from wheat flour of the new harvest. Sacrifice outside the temple was prohibited. The Jews so strictly observed the Old Testament commandment about the obligatory annual three-time visit to the temple that even after its destruction by the Babylonians in 422 BC, pilgrims from Egypt, Syria, Babylon and other countries continued to arrive in Jerusalem on holidays.
The second destruction of the restored Jerusalem temple that followed in 70 AD deprived the Jewish people of their main shrine, changing the centuries-old pilgrimage tradition. However, according to the rabbis (Jewish religious teachers), the only remaining western wall of the temple building, also figuratively called the Western Wall, continues to be a place of special Divine presence.
All practitioners of this monotheistic religion are still required to visit Jerusalem and the Temple Mount. Pilgrims from all over the world gather at the Western Wall to pray on Friday evenings, on the eve of Saturday, and on holidays. In addition to prayer, in the cracks between the masonry stones, they often insert notes with their requests and wishes addressed to God, in the confidence that in this holy place He will certainly hear and fulfill everything asked.
Jews also visit the tombs of the Davidic kings on Mount Zion in Jerusalem and the Cave of Machpelah, located in the center of ancient Hebron, in what is now the Palestinian National Authority. According to the Old Testament, it is here that the forefathers Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, their wives Sarah, Rebbeka and Leah are buried, and according to the religious traditions of the Jews, also Adam and Eve. However, in terms of their significance, these traditional places of pilgrimage are inferior to Mount Moriah, with which the Jews, among other things, associate their messianic expectations.
Pilgrimage in Islam
Muslims call the pilgrimage hajj. The founder of this world monotheistic religion, Muhammad, himself, according to the Koran, set an example in this for his followers. Having visited the sanctuary of pagan Arab tribes located in Mecca in March 632, Muhammad ordered his followers to cleanse the place of idols of tribal deities. The Kaaba, an ancient rectangular building located in Mecca, which had a sacred meaning in the eyes of the Arabs, was declared by them to be a holy house, built by Adam at the behest of Allah and renewed by Ibrahim, or Abraham (Abraham), and his son Ismail, so that the faithful from all over the world gathered here, testifying to their faith. It is believed that it was during this period of stay in Mecca, called Hajat al-Wida (The Last Pilgrimage) in the Koran, that Muhammad received instructions from above about the rules of the Hajj, which still guide all Muslims to this day.
The Hajj lasts two weeks and includes visits to the cities of Mecca and Medina. It is considered one of the five pillars, or obligatory actions, of belonging to Islam, along with 1) public testimony of faith in Allah as the one God and recognition of Muhammad as his messenger, 2) praying five times a day, 3) paying a special tax for the benefit of the poor and 4) fasting during the month of Ramadan. This pilgrimage is required to be performed at least once in a lifetime by every adult Muslim, unless illness, family or financial circumstances prevent it. A wealthy person, who for some reason is unable to personally participate in the Hajj, can send another pilgrim in his place, paying his expenses. Young Muslim women must be accompanied either by their husbands or close male relatives, with whom marriage is excluded.
The Hajj consists of several obligatory stages, each of which is marked by a special ritual. Many of them have symbolic meaning and are designed to recall events in the life of Abraham, his wife Hagar and son Ishmael. They must be performed in a state of ritual purity, the visible symbol of which is the specially cut white robe that every pilgrim puts on when crossing the border of Mecca.
An important moment of the Hajj is the seven-fold counterclockwise circumambulation of the Kaaba, performed by believers on the first and last days of the Hajj.
The most important part of the pilgrimage, the central rite of the Hajj, is considered to be Vukuf (Vukuf bi-Arafa) - prayer standing on the sacred mountain / near the sacred Mount Arafat, where the Prophet Muhammad delivered his last sermon. Wuquf begins at noon, on the 9th day of the Hajj, immediately after the Sun passes the zenith point, and ends before sunset. Here pilgrims listen to the sermon (khutbah) and pray to Allah: “Here I serve You, Lord!” This prayer is read repeatedly and in a loud voice.
Following this, the participants symbolically beat the evil spirit with stones, throwing them at specially installed pillars.
A special place in the Hajj is occupied by the sacrifice of cattle, camels and sheep, which must be performed within three days in the prescribed form, remembering the name of Allah. Pilgrims eat the meat of sacrificial animals themselves and also treat the poor. At the end of the pilgrimage, Muslims visit the tomb of the Prophet Muhammad in Medina.
The Hajj is allowed only at a certain time - in the twelfth month of the Muslim lunar calendar, as a result of which this period was called “dhu-l-hijja”, that is, “possessing pilgrimage”. A visit to Mecca at any other time, even if all rituals are strictly performed, is not considered a pilgrimage. Upon returning home, the pilgrim receives the honorary prefix “hajj” to his name and the right to wear a green turban and long white clothing (galabaya).
Another traditional site of Muslim pilgrimage is the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, revered as the site of the night ascension of the Prophet Muhammad. In some Middle Eastern countries, for example in Syria, Muslims visit Christian holy places associated with the name of the Mother of God, called in Islam the mother of the prophet Isa. However, in all these cases, no special religious rituals are performed.
Pilgrimage in Buddhism
The main places of pilgrimage for followers of Siddhartha Gautama are associated with his name and are located in Northern India and Southern Nepal. According to legend, Buddha himself bequeathed to his disciples to visit these places. Tibet, where Buddhist spiritual centers and monasteries are located, is also a recognized center of pilgrimage routes.
The main motive for making a pilgrimage for a Buddhist is the desire to acquire virtue and thereby atone for sinful acts committed in past births and in the present life, as well as to gain hope for a more favorable embodiment in the future.
During the period of pilgrimage, the believer temporarily takes ascetic vows, similar to monastic vows, and imposes strict restrictions on food and entertainment.
The traditional complex of Buddhist pilgrimage rituals currently includes repeated circumambulation of the revered place in a clockwise direction, reading mantras, which are a combination of several sounds or words in the Sanskrit language. From a Buddhist point of view, every word, syllable, or even individual sound of a mantra has a deep religious meaning. Reading is equivalent to the rotation of the so-called prayer drums - wooden or metal cylinders of different sizes with mantras printed on the surface of the instrument or written on paper scrolls inserted inside the drum. In front of a sacred object, such as a statue of Buddha, believers prostrate themselves in repeated prostrations performed in a special way. As a sign of gratitude and appreciation, the pilgrim can leave in front of the Buddha statue or bring an offering to the respected ascetic monk, usually symbolic: water for ritual ablution, flower garlands, incense, food. Purifying ablutions or sprinkling with water are practiced. In Tibet, a pilgrim can receive the blessing of a priest - a lama, who, touching the crown of the believer, thereby transfers part of his holiness to him or gives him a red or yellow silk rope, a kind of “protective” amulet. The implementation of the listed rituals, their sequence and order do not have clear regulation and depend on the religious mood of the person performing them.
Metropolitan Mark of Ryazan and Mikhailovsky
