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ISBN: 9798-335667234
A note to the reader
Pilgrimage is about visiting Bahá’u'lláh. Everyone’s experience is different. This is the story of Madoka’s pilgrimage. If you have the bounty of going on pilgrimage, you might have experiences similar to Madoka’s. But some of your experiences might also be very different. Your pilgrimage experience is your own and is just as valid as anyone else’s. Similarly, if you have the bounty of going on pilgrimage more than once, your experience will be different each time. Just remember that, ultimately, it’s about visiting and connecting with the Blessed Beauty. Enjoy every moment!
The day had been wonderful. After breakfast, Madoka and her parents had visited three families to share with them insights about the spiritual education of children. They had then returned home to grab lunch before receiving a dozen people for a devotional meeting. After the devotional meeting, the three of them had gone out to the community garden. They had weeded, pruned, and watered before collecting a large harvest and dropping it off at the houses of a few families who were struggling financially.
It was now the end of a most wonderful, busy day. Madoka and her parents were finishing the tasty dinner they had cooked together. Suddenly, Mom gasped, dropping her hand on Dad’s forearm. “Honey!” she told him. “We haven’t told Madoka the big news!”
Madoka felt a thrill of excitement run through her. Mom sounded elated; the big news was most certainly an incredible, amazing one. She eagerly leaned forward.
Dad’s face blossomed into a big grin. “A few months ago,” he said, “in anticipation of you turning 9 years old, we asked the Universal House of Justice for permission to go on pilgrimage. And guess what! Today, we received a letter from the Universal House of Justice inviting us to come on pilgrimage!”
“We are going to Haifa to visit the Shrines and the Holy Places?” squealed Madoka.
Mom and Dad nodded, laughing. Madoka burst out of her chair and danced a happy jig right there in the middle of the kitchen.
It took a little while for Madoka to calm down, sit back down, and pick her fork up again. As dinner resumed, questions poured out of her.
“When are we leaving? When should I start packing? What is the weather like there? Will we spend a lot of time on the plane? How many planes do we have to take? What is pilgrimage anyhow, just visiting the Shrines? Will we be able to visit all the other places that Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá would visit in Haifa?”
Mom laughed. “That’s a lot of questions! We have time to answer them all before we leave. Let’s start exploring one tonight: What is pilgrimage?”
“As you know,” Dad said, “the Shrine of Bahá’u’lláh is the Qiblih, the Point of Adoration, for every Bahá’í to turn to during their Obligatory Prayers. That’s where we’ll be going on pilgrimage, to that point towards which we all turn ourselves every day in prayer to remember why we have been created.”
“Each year, thousands of Bahá’ís go on pilgrimage to forge a profound and lasting connection with the spiritual and administrative centre of the Faith,” Mom continued.
“Bahá’í pilgrimage takes nine days and consists of guided visits to the Holy Shrines, to various other sites in the Holy Land associated with the Central Figures of the Faith, and to the Terraces and Gardens on Mount Carmel. Pilgrims can also make additional visits to the Shrines and gardens, the Haifa Pilgrim House, the Monument Gardens, the Temple Land, the resting place of Amatu’l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum, Junayn Garden, and the Bahá’í Cemetery in Haifa when they are open, of course.”
“Wow,” Madoka says, “that’s a lot of places to visit. I didn’t realise there was so much to do during pilgrimage.”
“It’s going to be a very busy nine days, that’s for sure,” Dad said.
“It really is a privilege to go on pilgrimage,” Mom said. “‘Abdu’l-Bahá tells us: ‘Render thanks unto God that thou didst come to the Blessed Spot, didst lay thy head upon the Threshold of the Sacred Shrine, and didst make pilgrimage to the hallowed sanctuary round which circle in adoration the inmates of the spiritual realm.’”
“Pilgrimage is so important,” Dad added, “that it is obligatory to visit if one can afford it and is able to do so, and if no obstacle stands in one’s way.”
“I guess it wouldn’t be fair to expect someone who can’t afford it to go,” Madoka said. “Exactly,” Dad said, “or someone who can’t go for any other reason, such as having a health condition, for example.”
“Pilgrimage also gives Bahá’ís from different cultures and countries the opportunity to enjoy precious moments of spiritual fellowship,” Mom continued. “Pilgrims have been described as the ‘life-blood’ of the Bahá’í World Centre, bringing with them news of their activities and taking back inspiration and new insights. When pilgrims return home after a short but intense stay in the Holy Land, they feel reinvigorated, excited to rededicate themselves to service to humanity, and eager to share with family and friends the joy that has filled their hearts.”
“That sounds amazing,” Madoka said. “But what about…”
Dad put his hand on Madoka’s arm, smiling. “It’s late, honey. No more questions for now. Let’s clean up and go to bed. We can write down all your questions at bedtime, after prayers, and go through them over little by little, day by day, so we can take the time to reflect on each one.”
Madoka was eager to get the answers to all her questions. She had so many floating through her head, how was she going to be able to sleep? But she followed Dad’s suggestion, helping her parents clean up the kitchen before heading to the bathroom to get ready for bed.
That night, Madoka was so excited about going on pilgrimage that she couldn’t fall asleep. Instead, questions multiplied as she tossed and turned, delighting at the adventure that lay ahead. The same thing happened on the second night, and again on the third night. Finally, on the fourth night, she managed to have a good night’s sleep… And woke up filled with even more questions!
Thankfully they had plenty of time that morning before they had to leave for children’s class. Madoka was able to ask Mom and Dad a few of her questions. But first, they had to set the breakfast table.
“Mom,” she said once they sat down to eat, “what do we have to do to prepare for the trip to the Holy Land? I mean, other than the usual, like getting plane tickets and passports?”
“What do you mean?” Mom said, placing two steaming cups of coffee on the table, one for herself and one for Dad.
“Well, visiting Bahá’u’lláh is a big deal,” Madoka said. “So I imagine we have to prepare ourselves for our big moment with Him at the Shrine. Kind of like when we get dressed up for a Holy Day, no?”
“That’s an excellent comparison,” Dad said. “Yes, we do need to get ready for pilgrimage. The way I understand it, pilgrimage starts when we decide to go. So, in a way, we are already on pilgrimage.”
A warm, syrupy feeling flowed through Madoka at the idea of already being on pilgrimage, and she sat up straighter. Her regular, small, simple but lovely kitchen suddenly seemed more luminous somehow.
Finally, Madoka, her parents, and all the other pilgrims met in front of the Haifa Pilgrim House. There was a quiet kind of excitement in the air. Some people were grinning; some were chattering excitedly; others were quiet, staring at the beautiful plants and trees that surrounded them, or even at the Shrine, which they could glimpse beyond a line of trees. It reminded Madoka a little of the first day of school (when everyone is excited but a little shy) but in a lot, lot better.
It was their first visit, as a pilgrim group, to the Shrine of the Báb and ‘Abdu'l-Bahá. After what seemed like an eternity, the entire group was able to enter the outer gates and step onto a path strewn with round white pebbles. They walked all together down the path in silence, with only the sound of the breeze rustling leaves surrounding them.
In silence, the pilgrims walked around the Shrine and through a large white door which Madoka knew, from what her mom had told her, led them into one of five rooms around the inner chamber of the Shrine of the Báb. It was beautiful and simple at the same time. Madoka could feel the smell of roses tickling her nose. The flickering of the candles making an indelible mark on her mind, her heart, and her soul. She didn’t think she would ever forget this moment.
After everyone had entered, silence fell before someone starting reciting a prayer. When it was finished, everyone left, walking backwards. Madoka remembered Mom telling her that it was a mark of respect. They didn’t have to do it, but it was a small but meaningful way to show respect to the Central Figures of the Faith. Madoka had decided to do it, and had even spent some time practicing walking backwards.
The pilgrims then went through another large white door, into the Shrine of ‘Abdu'l-Bahá. It was smaller, simpler, and cosier. It almost felt like a hug, in a way. Once again, they all stood while someone recited a prayer, then they had time to sit and pray. Mom, Dad, and Madoka had talked about this; they would each pray as long as they wanted, and they would each leave the room whenever they were ready and wait for one another outside. But this time, during their first visit, they all finished at the same time, so they went together to the Threshold, knelt and touched it with their foreheads as a sign of respect. Again, Mom had told her it wasn’t necessary, but Madoka felt like doing it. Then, the three of them quietly backed out of the Shrine together.
Madoka and her parents walked back to the Haifa Pilgrim House and had some tea. As a ray of sunlight passed through her glass cup, it shone copper and gold. She dipped a cookie into the steaming tea before eating it. It was a simple cookie and just plain tea with a touch of rosewater, and yet it was one of the best things she had ever eaten in her entire life.
The adults were talking, so Madoka asked permission to visit the other rooms in the Haifa Pilgrim House. She loved the little details and the carpets. And the smell! It smelled old and fresh at the same time. She just couldn’t get enough of it.
But her favorite part was the main room where a giant portrait of ‘Abdu'l-Bahá was hanging. She loved sitting on the bench facing it and just gazing at His Face. She also really liked sitting on the right-hand side of the portrait because then, facing her, was a thin window through which she could see a sliver of the Shrine of the Báb. It almost felt like she was sharing a secret with ‘Abdu'l-Bahá.
End of this sample.
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