Renewing experience: The underground cave meditation space at Maharshi Sadafaldeo Ashram at Jhushi in Allahabad.

Pilgrimages to places of significance in our respective faiths can help us strike a balance between our spiritual and material lives.

IT is written in sacred books that the purpose of our life is not to eat, sleep, earn money and gossip, but to seek the path towards truth and divinity.

Whether because of historical coincidence or divine providence, all faiths have certain places that have become centres of spiritual energy. Making a journey to such holy sites can alter our body, mind and spirit.

Understanding the value of going on a pilgrimage at least once in a lifetime, I made a trip to one of the holiest places in the world, the Ganges River in Allahabad, India, last month.

My journey was to take a dip in the confluence of the Ganges River at the ongoing Maha Kumbh Mela, the largest human gathering on Earth, but it opened my mind and heart to an unusual physical enactment of my inner journey to harness celestial energy.

Some pilgrims make a journey as a form of ascetic practice, deliberately taking the most arduous route or walking even when other modes of transportation are available, but I made a comfortable trip by air and road.

What I learnt is that to make a spiritual journey you do not need to be part of an organised religion.

A holy man who has been standing on one leg for 23 years to attain spiritual illumination.

All you need to do is think of a special place that has a sacred meaning to you and make the trip with determination and curiosity.

Although my trip was a great joy, the delays, obstacles, challenges, long hours without meals, putting up with extreme cold and humid weather and constantly expecting the unexpected gave me opportunities for reflection about life all along the journey – and not just upon arriving at my destination.

“Don’t expect miracles,” said my Vasthu Sastra Master Yuvaraj Sowma, who followed me, “but you may experience something unusual in the presence of great enlightened souls.”

My first encounter with spiritual power was with a naked holy man who has been standing on one leg for 23 years to attain spiritual illumination. He was in a makeshift hut built on the banks of the Ganges River and he only appears in public during the Kumbh Mela, emerging from his abode in the Himalayan mountains.

I felt a sudden surge of force entering my body the moment he placed his hand on my head as a form of blessing and looked deep into my eyes with a smile. He did not speak a word and when I thanked him for his grace, he removed a Rudraksha Mala (divine bead chain) from around his neck and placed it around my own.

His act of giving was interpreted as passing on some of his power of spiritual consciousness to me.

Following this, I visited a dozen more holy men who performed various acts to display their powers and pass them on to seekers.

I stayed on the grounds of the beautifully-decorated, fairyland-like Maharshi Sadafaldeo Ashram at Jhushi, Allahabad. Here, I was invited by spiritual leader Sant Pravar Shri Vigyandeo Ji Maharaj for a cave meditation in a special place where holy men and seers in India sit in silence for days, weeks and even years to connect to the spiritual vibrations there.

As I walked underground into the magnificent cave at 7am, all external sounds were cut off; the dark underground enclosure was lit with purple lights.

The temperature was even and I was given a short briefing on Vihangam Yoga (science of consciousness) meditation techniques, established in 1924, to stimulate and heighten my spiritual practice.

I sat in solitude in the lotus posture with my eyes closed before the statue of Sadguru Sadafaldeo Ji Maharaj. I could not remember how long I was there, but I realised after some time that I was tearing.

I left the space feeling lighter, internally rejuvenated and renewed.

My uplifting pilgrimage concluded with me receiving sun energy by gazing at the therapeutic and calming sunset at the Ganges River.

I returned reborn with a newfound peace and an altered state of consciousness.

Spirituality taught me to be completely natural and for most of us, the most natural way to live is in the world, working to feed ourselves, caring for our families and contributing to our communities.

Going on a retreat is a powerful way to make sure we keep our spiritual lives vibrant and balanced with the material world.

Vasthu Sastra talk

T. Selva will present a talk on ancient secrets, the science of spirituality and Vasthu Sastra at 8pm on April 6 at the Shirdi Sai Baba Centre, 10 Jalan Trus, Johor Baru. Admission is free. To register, call 012-329 9713.

T. Selva, chief news editor at The Star, is the author of the Vasthu Sastra Guide and is the first disciple of 7th generation Vasthu Sastra master Yuvaraj Sowma from Chennai, India. Selva provides tips on Vasthu Sastra on RTM’s TRAXX fm at 11.15am on the last Friday of every month. You can follow him on twitter at @tselvas and write to him at tselvas@the star.com.my. This column appears on the last Sunday of every month.

The Star does not give any warranty on accuracy, completeness, usefulness, fitness for any particular purpose or other assurances as to the opinions and views expressed in this column. The Star disclaims all responsibility for any losses suffered directly or indirectly arising from reliance on such opinions and views.

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