Abstract
This essay examines the paradoxical relationship between pilgrimage and inner peace, focusing on the Camino de Santiago and referencing the Shingon Buddhist Goma fire ritual in Japan and the holy mountain of Kata Tjuṯa in Australia. While pilgrimage is often associated with physical hardship and discomfort, the paper argues that adopting a mindset of acceptance toward inevitable suffering can foster psychological and spiritual contentment. Drawing on historical, literary, and contemporary examples—including penitential practices, therapeutic walking, and rituals at the Iron Cross—the article highlights how symbolic acts of relinquishing burdens can lead to inner transformation and may set into motion one’s most closely held values. Ultimately, pilgrimage emerges as an embodied practice of experiential acceptance, offering a pathway to peace across diverse faith traditions.
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Recommended Citation
Moore, John K.
(2026)
"The Pilgrimage Paradox: Accepting Hardship as a Pathway to Peace,"
International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage:
Vol. 14:
Iss.
1, Article 10.
Available at:
https://arrow.tudublin.ie/ijrtp/vol14/iss1/10